Lately, I have been trying to spend as much time with Bailey as I can, though I haven't managed to be very successful at that goal. First, we hit a little speed bump....she started displaying some serious attitude. It was so bad that I couldn't even saddle her to ride! She would pin her ears, try to bite, squeal, act cinchy, and so on. No matter what I did, it wasn't getting any better. So, I had that friend of mine help me. We got everything fixed right up. She gave me some great advice and confirmed my suspicions that Bailey's antics were, in fact, just that...antics. She was bored and started making her own fun, instead of waiting for me to do more advanced things with her. She is that smart. You only have to show her once, and then, she's got it and its time to move on. I don't need to be afraid she's too young or not ready to do some more advanced things. Now, I can saddle her while she's tied without her giving me any sass and then check her out on the ground and hop on. Ah, she's a dream.
Our second hurdle was that after being with my friend for a week, we headed to the Hill Country for a week. Well, shortly after she arrived, she and 2 of her half-sisters all shared a cold. I had planned on riding her quite a bit to keep our momentum going from the week before but thought it better to let her rest up. So, I left her behind for week two while I returned "home" to the parents' place. While I was away, she and the other girls got over the cold without any further problems. She also lucked out and got a fabulous trim from my friend's farrier while we were there. I was so impressed with his patience with the horses and his knowledge and ability. He uses an electric grinder, of sorts, and it is amazingly precise and quick in his guided hands. A fraction of the time of a regular trim and Bailey's feet have never looked better!!
I headed back to Kerrville to pick Bailey up after another week and to do a one day Parelli workshop and play day nearby. On Saturday we headed over to Camp Lonehollow in Vanderpool. This place was unbelievable! The facilities are, to put it modestly, incredible and over-the-top. Every detail was planned to perfection and it is set back in a private valley surrounded by cedar and oak covered hills dotted with several small lakes. The buildings all blend in with the natural scenery...it is gorgeous. The weather was perfect, cool and sunny. Bailey was awesome! We went to two workshops in the a.m. I chose to work on Liberty first. We hadn't done much of that other than work on our "draw". She has no problem sticking to me. So, we advanced what we knew and played all the games. It was a blast. Before lunch we all did a short freestyle riding lesson. So fun! After lunch we did a freestyle timed tournament. I was impressed at how well Bailey did. She did everything I asked of her with much try and she even cantered when I asked, picked her correct lead (the second time around), and did it all without much attitude. I was thrilled! So funny how those little things can sometimes mean the most. We continued the afternoon working on some patterns for developing impulsion. It was a much needed fun and informative day led by great instructors. I had a great time riding with several of my girl friends and I met some new ladies as well. Can't wait to go back!
Below are some photos from our day at Lonehollow. That's not all we have been up to lately, so more to come soon.
