They sure don't make summers like they used to. They used to stretch on and on forever and they were never very hot.

I think my perspective of time has changed, and my ability to cope with the heat. Actually, it's been really nice lately. Maybe in the eighties. Though it's kinda chilly in the morning. I hate wearing sweatshirts....

I had a good ride today. I've been working with Breez on collection (I guess that's what it's called--I'm never quite sure what to call it ). I had been doing that in the paddock but it's been SO dry here and SO dusty that I decided I was going to try doing it out in the pasture.

I must confess I was a little nervous. I really have gotten pretty comfortable riding her in the paddock. Even cantering her I feel pretty comfortable. Not saying I don't tighten up when she tries to do something ridiculous like running through a fence.

Anyway, when I got out there and started riding, I thought it was going to be a mistake. She did not want to be out there and kept trying to trot back to the paddock. I didn't want to trot just yet. It was especially bad because that pasture is basically on a hillside, and she's not very smooth going uphill or downhill. I was pretty nervous as she was trying to trot, and then I finally calmed myself down, got my brain in gear and started circling her.

What is it about circles? Somehow they just seem to make horses settle down. Maybe it releases endorphins. I sure am glad they work like they do, though.

She got settled down and was really good the rest of the time I was riding her out there. She pretty much went where I wanted her to go and hardly gave me any trouble at all about wanting to go back to the paddock. I was so proud of her!

I didn't ride too long out there--I didn't want her deciding to be bad, and I didn't want to push my confidence, either. So I took her out and decided that we were going to work on her buddy sourness.

I took her just a little ways down the lane, not very far at all. At first she was SO not impressed. She kept flinging her head up and trying to turn out. Of course, I started getting scared, and so we practiced flexing laterally for a bit and that got us both settled down, and we went a little ways farther.

She really was starting to get to the point of thinking maybe this was going to be an adventure and was being surprisingly good. So I stopped her and let her stand there for a bit (She happily looked around for new things to see) and then we went back to the barn.

I wish I could take a trip back in time a few years ago just to see what the Goon was like back then. Has she improved? Has she gotten worse? Has she stayed the same? I think she's improved. Not as much as she would have if somebody who was a real trainer was training her, but we work on little things until we get them figured out. Maybe she'll never be totally trained, but we're going to have fun working on the little things and enjoying any progress we make.

Ariel