Clinic Recap: Dealing With Things

I had planned for a leisurely morning and leaving around lunch time. However, I found out that if I wanted to ride in the ring I needed to be there sooner because of lessons beginning around 3:30. So that made me rush a bit to get ready.

I know that rushing and trailer loading are incompatible so I made sure that I was all calm when I went to load her.

While Carmen might have her issues- trailering is not one of them and she walked right on. I know she's worried about it because she won't take a treat when she loads but she's obedient and listening so I figure that the relaxation will come.

The drive took less time then I thought which was great. When I got there she unloaded and walked right into the barn like she knew the place. Thinking back to when entering a new place took a bit of work I was really happy.

Carmen walked into her stall with a regal air, found some hay in the stall that she deemed acceptable and decided that it would do.

she and her neighbour were quite enamoured with one another. 

There wasn't a lot of time so after letting her settle for a bit and find a spot for my things and then brought her into the indoor to look around and lunge. There's a lot to look at in the indoor- multiple doors in and out, round bales of hay, a viewing area at ground level and then above where the tack room is also located. Two of the walls are all mirrored and there was jump poles, standards and blocks to make cavalettis in a pile. 

So in other words there were multiple things for a sensitive mare to react to. 

Our ground work went really well and she was quite tuned in so I took her back to the grooming stall and got her tack on. When I was mounted and walking her around there were also people getting everything tidied up for the clinic. They were so kind,  asking if it was 'okay' if they kept working. 

I said of course. I wanted them to keep working that was part of why we were there. I didn't want anyone walking on eggshells around us. I was there to scramble some eggs. I am determined to not be the person that asks everyone to be quiet so that my mare doesn't spook. 

So I worked with Carmen at walk, trot and canter and we went all over the ring. I was trying to get a feel of where she was reactive and to be calm and ride her through it. 

It was, in truth a tense ride but not a bad ride. We dealt with everything with a minimal amount of fuss. I would have liked to ride longer and I actually could have but I felt that I was interfering in a a lesson and decided to call it. 

I was happy with how things had gone for Carmen's first time off property this year and what was likely my 6th ride. I drove to my friend's house where I was spending the night and had a relaxing evening chatting with her and catching up on the news.

 I went to bed excited and nervous for the next day.