They make it look so easy......

I got a call on Tuesday evening from Mike down at Craig Performance horses and he said he had a few more saddles for me to sell. He suggested that I bring Harley down for a little tune up as well. Being that the rain has started here again and thus my riding area is mushy and slippery I decided that was a fine idea. I have been having some little issues with my spins and of course my stops always need work.

So yesterday when my little ones went down for naps, Harley and I escaped and made our first run in the big blue trailer. It started raining just 15 minutes into the drive, I didn't care, just me and my boy off for the afternoon. Ah the sound of silence in the truck was amazing! Love my two little munchkins, but boy howdy they are a noisy little pack. Wonder where it comes from???? When I got to the barn an hour later, Mike was nowhere in sight but I saddled up and found Corey outside riding. The rain hadn't made it that far south yet, just the humidity. I schooled Harley on the outside track and Corey of course was full of little comments on what I was doing INCORRECT. He told me to save some horse as Mike was on his way. It started to drizzle so into the indoor I went and worked on just standing still, not a strong point for Harley (he thinks he must be doing something always). Mike arrived and had me fence.....Ugh I hate fencing because I hate the stop! But he did help me get Harley more under himself at the stop and told me that my lines were straight and that I looked very comfortable. Next we moved on to spins, I was a wreck, just all over the place and not pretty at all. Mike kindly asked if he could ride Harley a moment. He climbed on up and POOF! Harley was spinning beautifully and in place and on no rein...... sigh.....they make it look so easy. You know what?
It is easy. I just make it hard. Harley knows all of this and I am just doing to much. I tend to rein him all the way through instead of just starting him and dropping my hand and trusting that he will stay there. You know what else? When I got back on and dropped my reins he spun beautifully for me! I am always amazed at what I forget so quickly and how just one lesson can make me feel so refreshed.

Driving home it occurred to me just how far Harley and I have come. Twice I have put him up for sale and yet here we are. It has been just short of two years since I bought him and I feel like finally I am starting to click with him. Mike said he had more try in him than most horses he trains and I believe it. I am so glad I stuck it out and kept trying with him, it may take us 10 years but we are gonna be a great team instead of just a good team one day. That being said, I did ride a little mare Mike has for sale while I was there. She looked just like Harley and was five, she was great but not nearly as athletic as Harley. Never hurts to ride just one more, if anything it lets me see just how good of a pony I have!

For the parting shot today I thought I would share this picture I took on the way home. It is of a field of sunflowers close to my house. Sunflowers are my favorite flower and I think this was just what I needed to end my sunshine filled day.