Hi Mindy!
I’m so sorry, I’ve been meaning to email you, it’s just been an insanely busy week since we got back, and then to top it off, I go up to the ranch EVERY day because I can’t be without my sweet little girl. Plus I take her out and groom her, have saddled/bridled her just so she doesn’t forget. Haven’t actually ridden her yet But I wanted her to get comfortable in her new surroundings first…
Uhhhh, no, not a chance I’m changing my mind :0) She’s my love!!!! K, so we named her Destiny :0) Figured that was appropriate. She’s doing great. Took her out ponied yesterday, with a saddle on her. Used Wiz. He was great and she was perfect. First thing she sort of spooked at was the tarp covering the hay, but not too bad. Then as soon as we hit the road (the girls were riding Gabe together, for the first time ever that I’ve let them ride double together..they did great) some guy comes flying around a blind corner on a really loud dirtbike…nice. Fortunately the boys were good, we stopped and waited, and she didn’t even flinch!!!!! When he saw us I’m waving my hand like an idiot and he cut the throttle, but still the noise and surprise and nobody moved. Whew! She jumped a little at a couple of things, but was soooooo good! Gonna pony her again today then I’m leaving till Friday for a meeting. Gary said he’s going to go visit her while I’m gone so I don’t have a meltdown Oh, and I guess back to the beginning, she trailered great, got out like she’d done it a hundred times, no problem at all.
My only question is, when I’m ponying her she’s kind of all over the place, side to side behind Wiz, right on his butt, he almost kicked her. I keep trying to pull her to the right side of me because I’m holding her with my right arm. But what can I do to keep her back a bit off him? I swung the rope at her a couple times, and then felt like an evil person because she’s so sweet, but I didn’t want her to get kicked but I don’t want her to hate me or be afraid of me or head shy. I’m really gonna have to work on being firm. I have had to hold my hand up to her eye a few times, because to get her to her stall I have to walk her down a hill and she gets right on me, but as soon as I pick up my hand she backs off. I know that’s a bad habit I don’t want her to start.
I’ve also exercised her in the round pen, didn’t put her on a lunge line, just went in there with the lunge whip and made her go both directions. Didn’t actually have to use the whip, just had it in my hand. Tried to teach her that when I set it down she can walk up to me then. She’s sort of getting that. Also worked on walking with her behind me, stopping and making her stop when I do and then following me when I walk again. She’s doing so well. She is seriously the smartest little horse EVER! And the sweetest. She just wants to do good and you can see it in her eyes. She tries so hard and then waits for you to tell her that she’s perfect.
She’ll probably teach me more than I’ll ever be able to teach her. She’s going to be the perfect horse for me to learn how to work with young ones because she’s soooooo smart and sweet and just PERFECT!
Can’t even tell you how in love I am! Thank you so much for her! You have no idea how you’ve completely made my dreams come true. I could have gotten horses anywhere, but I’m sure it wouldn’t have been anything like this. Every one of these horses is PERFECT! They are just exactly what we needed all three times. Now if we could just figure out what we’re doing I could get the fourth one and we’ll be all set! At least for a few years till I can have a baby!!!!!!
Hope you guys are well!!!!!!
XOXOXOXXXOOOOOO