This picture is of Michelle and Regal on their own private trail ride, sidepassing with beauty down a gorgeous wooded trail.

I'll try to post a picture of the gals on the Free Trail Ride, if anybody took any? I'm terrible at remembering to take photos.

First, I want to thank all the gals who came. I had a most wonderful day with all of you. It would be another dream come true if I could get at least one or two days like these a week. It was more fun than I expected it to be. The only thing that wasn't perfect was the time went too fast .

I love working and riding with small groups. It suits me just fine. I really liked the way:

• we felt confident enough to spread out and do our own thing,
• we didn't have to nose to tail ride,
• we could sit on a hill and ponder if we wanted to,
• we could ride alone or join someone for a short chat,
• we could choose our own speeds,
• we could choose our own trails,
• we could work on training our horses while enjoying a ride,
• we could encourage and support one another,
• we could take things at our own pace,
• we found interesting things to do to keep our horses connected
  and occupied so they didn't get so distracted or lethargic,
• we saw some beautiful country, (the sea of grass blowing waves in the wind)
• we were able to learn from each other.

Sharon and Lexie arrived Mon. evening with her husband. We had a nice visit and Lexie got settled in next to the Stallion. Which we decided they would be a darn cute cross. They sort of look a lot alike. But who needs another horse? Not I!

The next morning Kay with Lakota and Anne with Dandy arrived first and later Cheryl with Shade and Corey with Buba. We worked a lot on the "falling leaf" or I call it the "half moon". We used this exercise as we went on a trail walk with our horses in hand. A couple of horses were quite sticky with giving their hind quarters, and others needed a better send.

When we were doing the trail walk water crossing Dandy, (Anne's horse) had to wallow in the water. He was taking a bath with my Chesapeake Bay Retriever jumping in the water with him, barking and almost getting on his back. It was hilarious. We wished we would have had a video camera. At least it is a fun memory that I will always remember.

Next we spent some time backing the horses up hills. If you want to get your horse using his hindquarter under him better this is a great exercise. It will help develop the coordination and strengthen the muscles for a proper collected frame. Plus it gains your horse's respect and
control at the same time. A lot of benefits from one very simple exercise.

We all jumped in my Dodge pickup to go to town for lunch at the Sandstone Grill. It was good food and good conversation. Plus birthday brownie ice cream sundae for desert shared by all. It was Kay's birthday.

Back at my place we saddled up and played some more ground games. I worked in particular with Kay's horse Lakota on jumping the barrels. The better your send is the better the horse will jump or load in a trailer. The better your send is the better the horse will stay in gait
in the circling game. The better your send is the better your side pass will be. The better your send is the better your forward and turning directions will be with a direct rein when you ride.

So if your send is broken, a lot of things won't work right.

After mounting, we worked with BENDING! That exercise lead to S's with circles for control, just in case our horses get right-brained or wanted to move forward to quickly while on the trail. Tipping the nose is a key to transitions down with aide from your seat and breath control. NEVER< NEVER< EVER pull back with both reins or jerk on the reins to slow your horse down when in an emergency situation, it will usually get you in more serious trouble.

Because you have prepared your horse well in advance the proper use of one rein to tip the nose is the safe answer to most emergency situations. Warning you must do your homework before you need it so that it is automatic for both of you. If it isn't automatic and easy for both of you when you don't need it; then when you do need it,

• you will forget about it,
• be too slow at it in order to be effective,
• or if you remember it your horse won't respond because he isn't properly prepared ahead of time.
• If you did your homework it means you have a consistent light nose bend without a bunch of resistance. You can do this when the horse is standing still, walking or trotting all the while staying relaxed.
• If you have done your homework properly this will work when you are in the "OHHHHHHH NOOOOOOOO!!!" situation because it is instinctual to both of you.
• "OH YEAH! "and don't forget to push to get your butt back down in the saddle.

Here are a few comments from some of the participants:

• What a great learning experience and a super fun way to do it!!!! Sherry was awesome as usual and so was the class. It was a cool, breezy morning, so the horses were on their toes. We started out with groundwork and a trail walk. I stayed behind to work in Sherry's arena which just happens to be on the highway with lots of scary monster cars and trucks going by at 60 mph. Between the deep sand footing, the traffic and Sherry's dog wanting to play with us, it was just too much for Shade. She went right brain and did her best imitation of an Arab. Half of me loves to see her like that, she's just so darned beautiful! Of course the thinking part says, get her left brain back. So I'm laughing at her and we start changing directions and yo-yoing, etc. She came back down rather quickly ( in my opinion anyway) but was ready to leave again a few more times. Sherry informed me that we weren't playing the falling leaf game at level 2 quality. That was just what I needed to hear. I had no clue. (This is why I find coaching invaluable, I never know what I don't know or what I am not doing right). So the plan was to stay behind, improve the quality of our falling leaf, and get Shade less reactive to the traffic. Because traffic can be an "Oh no" for Shade, this was a perfect opportunity. We were having lots of fun and before I knew it Sherry and the class were back for lunch break and it was 12:30!

  After a wonderful lunch at Sandstone Grill in Burwell, we saddled up for more ground games. Then mounted up and learned some patterns to work on during the ride. We rode the pastures behind Sherry's place. Beautiful Sandhills. We practiced hills, going up and down ledges, controlling grazing, crossing logs and water. We walked, we trotted, we loped. We rode together, we spread out. Sherry coached us along the way with exercises we could do to improve.

  It was an awesome day and time very well spent. I told Sherry she should offer this class every week. I think ANYONE who wants to learn how to have a fun and safe trail ride experience should devote a day or more to studying with Sherry.

  Cheryl

I was so happy with Lexie I almost cried, I was just so pleased with her. Towards the end though she wanted to go fast and I didn't want her to. A couple of times I got very predators with her. And ticked off. Then she settled down. And then it was like something bit her and stabbed her or something. She jerked and then took off, I lost my balance and fell off. Sherry said she did a few little crow hops. I really don't know what got to her because by that time she'd calmed down and I had eased up. A few sore muscles and bruises, mostly my pride is wounded. I did get back up on her and rode her the short way back we had left to Sherry's. Sherry told me I should have applied the one rein stop and pushed down on the pommel to keep my seat. I just don't think that fast. I'll try my darnedest to next time though.

Learned some great exercises to help get your horse in good shape when trail riding using what you find on the trail to do so. I am most proud of my horse because she was very well behaved with the other horses and she really seemed to enjoy herself as she was very interested and alert while on the trail ride. Sharon

I will write more later, but I am sure that this is long enough for one post.

"It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare, it is because we do not dare, things are difficult." - Seneca

Happy Trails,

Sherry

www.heartinyourhand.com

This is Sorry looking back at you on a trail ride at the Women's Confident Leadership Camp I hosted and instructed at the Calamus Outfitters Ranch near Burwell, NE in Oct. of 2006.

Unfortunately Sorry hasn't been ridden all winter. She is quite full of energy, but the good thing is, it is controllable. I like her spirit and fire. We started out the day doing ground games on a trail walk. At first she wanted to run and show off her athleticism. I allowed it for a little while as long as she wasn't putting tension on the lead rope. I was amazed at how fast she could run without putting any tension on the line.

After allowing her to let off steam, I began to approach my request in a way that communicated when and how much speed was acceptable. I did this by mixing things up with backing, side-pass, change of directing and transitions. Plus there was plenty of time for grazing and relaxing.

By the time I saddled her she was ready to be ridden, because we were making connections. After saddling, a few more games and pre-flight checks, I mounted and sat for quite some time petting her, bending the nose around, and disengaging the hindquarters. Then I asked her to move forward, so I could take a passenger lesson. I was riding her in an alleyway next to the corrals. The pasture gates are open where the green grass lives and she knows it because we have just played there for the last hour.

In a passenger lesson your job is to ride without directing the horse. Just relax going where ever the horse goes in rhythm and time with his movements. The only thing you can do is ask them to go and stop. Use a one rein stop if they go faster than you are comfortable with. (Most people should start in a confined area).

When I asked Sorry to go, she moved a very short distance and stopped. I said thanks very much, gave her a pet and then asked her to more forward again by using my go buttons. She went forward on phase one. I like that. We have to repeat this several times. Then she started to go in tiny circles to the right in front of the gate. She stopped every-time at the opening to the gate of her corral (which by the way is closed and her buddies are in there). I didn't get worried or frustrated. Everytime she needed to stop, I stopped riding in my body, followed by more petting and another request for forward motion. I was thinking, "Do you like circles? ME TO!"

Once in a while she trotted the circle but did the same pattern, over and over and over. I was saying to myself, "Isn't this a fun trail ride?" I told her, "You can take me for a ride anywhere you want to go, and I'll be happy to go with you. The gate is open to the pastures. You're free to roam any place you like." Did she? NO.

About 20 minutes later the circles started to get bigger and she doesn't stop at the gate any more. I say, "Yahoo, I can see the mountains coming now. We are about to go on an adventure. I can't wait to see where you are going to take me, Sorry. I bet the views there are fantastic. I'm getting tired of this view, but it has been a fun ride." I think to myself at least we are riding and moving safely, with harmony, and at a controlled speed with no brace or resistance.

Next she started going down the fence line a little ways. And she would stop for a short time by a post. Followed by a retreat to the same gait. Each time she went a little further away from the gait to the next post. Remember I am not encouraging her or directing her. I am letting her take me on a trail ride. It was fun to be in harmony with her ideas. I was thinking about the beautiful mountain views that Keith and I used to see on our trail rides in WY.

It wasn't long before she went out the gate into the pasture. She was on a mission to go for a walk somewhere, because it was her idea. I hadn't pushed her past her thresholds. She had to approach and retreat a lot more than most people would be able to stand without getting into direct line thinking mode. But I didn't mind how many times she had to approach and retreat or how much time it took. It was worth it because her confidence in herself and in me as the kind of leader who won't push her over cliffs was more important than how much time it took.

She was still only going so far out into the pasture before she felt the need to retreat. However I was very happy that she walked back to her comfort zone with great calm. She didn't feel the need to hurry. It was like she was checking in. Then she would turn around and go a little further out into the pasture each time.

After a while I allowed her go out as far as she wanted in the pasture and when she tried to retreat I lifted the reins suggesting that we keep going straight and she said, "OK I can do that." And off we went through the second pasture gate without hesitation.

Now we were going on a trail ride together. I wasn't just riding her where she wanted to go and I wasn't taking her where she didn't want to go. We were going together.

I know some people say, I don't have time for all of that. I just want to go on a trail ride and NOW, DARN IT! My reply is, "You don't have to do all of this, but you may be sorry that you didn't."

These kinds of activities and communication of will cure your barn sour problems forever, because you gain your horses confidence and develop a connection of doing things together. If you don't do this, you will continue to have problems, because you horse doesn't trust you, and is not connected to listen to you when you need them to. The problem may go away sometimes, but it won't be permanently fixed, because there is a hole in the connection, or relationship.

"An unhurried sense of time is in itself a form of wealth." -- Bonnie Friedman

Happy Trails,

sherry Jarvis

www.heartinyourhand.com