I'm really enjoying my lessons on Bestie. We've been working on figures like serpentines and figure eights to give her and me something to think about, and also to give her a smaller area to work in so she doesn't get so crazy fast. Although, as I said to Caitlin today, thanks to the lessons, I feel less panicked when she does speed up because I have "tools" to work with in these situations, whereas before I just felt a rising sense of panic and usually dragged on her to get her back to a walk.
We seemed to be clicking along, so I got a little overconfident and decided to ride out with Katie on Dude to the outdoor ring. I hadn't ridden Bestie in about four days, but I thought she might have been ridden by a girl who is going to work with her a couple times a week. Well, turned out she hadn't been ridden since I'd gotten on her, and she was a total pill once we got to the outdoor ring. Very fast, very "up," and no fun at all. She had one little fit early on, then calmed down and we returned to walking around the ring (no way was I going to attempt a trot).
Once we decided to head back to the barn, she exited the ring fine, but started having a major fit in the field, backing and spinning and jumping around. They were haying in that field, and she had walked by the tractor fine on the way out. But on the way back, it was like she was just using it as an excuse to throw a temper tantrum. I thought I was going to pop off a couple times, but managed to stay on and finally got her to stand. At that point I decided to err on the side of caution and I jumped off.
Dude and Katie walked on ahead, and I led Bestie back to the barn. She was spinning around me, so I kept making her stop, asking her to back up a few steps, then walking forward again. It took forever to get back, but I kept stopping and getting her to back up every few yards until she calmed down and walked more slowly. I put her on the lunge line once we got back for a few minutes with some transitions to make her work and burn off some steam.
I've ridden twice since that time, and she's been good. Today we doubleteamed her on Operation Get Bestie to the Outdoor Ring :). I rode for a bit, then directed her out to the field as Caitlin walked alongside. She tried a few times to spin, but Caitlin told me to rein her the opposite way and be firm about it, and Bestie gave in. After we got past the paddocks, she walked out to the ring, but she certainly wasn't relaxed. We walked around the ring a bit, and she slowly relaxed, although once we got to the gate she tightened up. I kept her in there, walking circles around the jumps a few more times, before we headed back. Pretty uneventful, all in all. Caitlin suggested doing that - striving for a relaxed walk - a few more times before attempting to trot out there. I'm not sure what this is all about ... she used to walk out fine. Never a dull moment!
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