ETA Quick update: Since the last time I tracked the progression of things, Arwen had MORE time off due to MORE stitches! Between that and the rain, progress is slow and she hasn't spent a lot of time under saddle. Probably another reason I'm so pleased with how yesterday went.

Baby girl is growing up. It felt SO weird yesterday to leave Bella at home and just take Arwen (3 years old!) to my lesson. We spent the morning up in Austin and had a total blast.

It was the first lesson I had taken with Richard in a long time, since him and Bella had hit the flying change roadblock. Despite the problems he had with Bella and the flying change, I have to give him credit for ALL the lessons that came before that, getting us 8s on counter canter, turn on the haunches, etc. So I decided that while I have found a new instructor for me and Bella, I'll still go to Richard to start getting my young horse trained up.

His place is a really good experience for a young horse, because there's so much STUFF for them to get used to. To even get the horse onto the property, you have to walk in very tight spaces between cars, trash cans, the garage, etc. From there you walk through more STUFF, barn related this time, to get to the stalls. Right outside the arena in different corners (maybe 3 yards off from the edge) is a very scary storage shed, a big blue tractor, and a huge pile of brush.

It was Arwen's second real trip--her first one was out to my other instructor's place a few weeks ago. (She's been out to the vets, she's tagged along to some horse shows, but she's never really been worked in those environments. Just exposed and hanging out at the trailer all day.) She spent the lesson bouncing back and forth between being super and being a total spaz. She would go forward and relaxed and good to the hand, then she's raise her head and shy sideways and scream! She also discovered Richard's 2 year old stallion about half way through the lesson, and they are now in love. The spent the last 20 minutes talking to each other. *sigh* Teenage hormones.

It was the first time she had come to a true and honest connection (I've been riding her mostly on a long rein), and also the first time she's done LEG YIELDS at the trot! I was proud. Her upward transitions got really smooth (downwards are always easy on her). She developed some real pushing power, and a little better balance in the walk and trot. We didn't ask her to canter yesterday, as she was already tired. I am also getting more confident that I can ride through anything she throws at me, and with more confidence comes better riding. We're also starting to develop a little trust, and we're communicating better and she's getting better broke. I'm confident that she will turn and that I can control the shoulders, and that makes her WAY easier to ride.

She worked very hard yesterday, harder than she ever has, and she kept a pretty good work ethic the entire time. I put her on the lunge line at 9 am, and I dismounted at the end of the lesson at 10:20! (I think she lunged for about 20 minutes, so we had a LONG lesson for a young horse.) I think I'm understimating her! Time for her to get to harder work at home.

AND she trailered like a mature show horse. She loaded and unloaded like a pro, without a stud chain or any persuasion whatsoever. She is still trying to remove her shipping boots with her teeth, though.

Today she gets a day off while I ride all the other training horses. She will be sore today, so I won't ride her again until tomorrow or Wednesday. I hope this is the beginning of good things to come.