Fast-Track Day 9

Today Florida was dreary and cold. But not wet. I had my first REALLY bad day -- We were to learn to take our horses sideways with our arms folded and backward with our arms folded. Fanny and I were out of sink -- as bad today as we were good yesterday. The worse it got the more I went Straight line, off to phase 4 again and again. . . She was swishing her tail, which is Fanny's way of saying she's mad. I finally got 6 good steps going one way -- with arms folded. (Yes, I started with the reins, then the legs, etc. But, they really wanted us NO REINS -- and corrections --using the fence. . . My learning in that was when she did not go sideways, but kinda turned, she was "running away" and I was to back her up) Well, the relationship, which was suppose to be first, went out the window -- When I went to the backup station, my coach looked at me at told me I was being rude to my wonderful horse -- and broke out in tears -- not because I was told I was rude, but because I was not being nice to a horse that gave me her whole try. . .My coach felt horrible --feeling like SHE took me to the brink of tears -- but I was the one who was putting me first --(yet again) and my horse became a motorcycle.

This afternoon, Fanny and I are taking a walk to see how much green grass we can find -- undemanding time. It is so hard not to go direct line thinking and go get a task done.. Yes, we are in boot camp -- and we all feel as if we have so much to learn in just two weeks left. But, we are told over and over and over -- the relationship with the horse comes FIRST. . . . . . . .

As a group we have set up a Google spot to share notes. There is one really good notetaker in the group. She gives me her notes each night -- and I spend half the night typing them up. This is good for me and the group.

I took more videos of different knots with one of the coaches and the instructor's permission. I will post them on You tube -- If you want them for your i-phone I could post them to an FTP site for you to have in your video files.

Well, I am so excited that so many of our group are going to be part of the FAST TRACK -- and that we have Kristi, Carol, and Farrah around to help us with our journeys. . . It is never ending.

PS My new 3 year old --Fanny's first baby -- a red dun mare like Fanny, arrives by transport tomorrow noon -- I will have her here in Florida with me until I bring Fanny and FANCY home (Her real name is Hey Fanny -- but I can't have TWO horses named FANNY). . .

jo