Calm Chevy Calm

Chevy... Not the truck. Actually Chevy is that gorgeous black mare above whom is graciously allowing me to sit astride her back. Chevy is about 4 years old and is an Arabian paint cross, if you care to know. She has not really been trained yet and so that is one of the things I do when I go to the barn. It is also my favorite thing, and where I am learning the most. Chevy is both one of the sweetest horses I have ever met and one of the sassiest. Because of that one of her nicknames is Sassafras (the other one is Pretty Girl). Now with Chevy she has to learn so many things to be able to carry a rider, thankfully for me who is helping teach her, sh is very attentive. She respond great to leg movements (press gently with a leg and she moves in opposite direction away from pressure). The two main things I am currently trying to work with her on is trotting and relaxing. Chevy is coiled like a spring when you ride her, on one hand she will just mosey around the ring and does act ver non-chalant, but if ANYTHING happens she goes nuts. Not as bad as some horses but she does have a habit up leaping into the air and galloping forward, which as you might imagine may be unsettling. For trotting she is very nervous about why this bulk sitting on her back wants her to go forward and then stays on her back... I mean would't you?

So now that you have ALL the background info... One thing that I have really had to work on is staying calm. The second I tense up, so does she, and if she is already scared because of something, well it would not be good for me to become tense, so no matter what happens I have to stay very calm. The first week I had to really put this concept into practice it was hard she kept leaping forward when I asked for a simple trot. We where in a tiny cramped space. On top of that she kept trying to scrap me off onto the walls and twice she tried to trow me off. It was mostly because she simple did not understand what was going on, this was new to her. So in all that I had to stay calm, this week today, she went into the trot fine but then leaped into a canter not just once, but multiple times, when I got nervous she went faster, but by staying calm she slowed down. Since your probably getting board by now (or back in paragraph one) I'll wrap this up. Basically I wanted to say how good it is to be calm because I sure with went on with Chevy, really is displayed in all aspects of life. So be calm
I will be updated how things are going with Chevy. So stay tuned