Such a Diva

Horses were in at 2pm when I got to the barn so I figured they weren't going out (plus it had rained the day before and that has meant no turnout for a couple days in the past). I was wrong. 

All Dassah's barnmates got turned out while I was gathering everything I needed for the indoor (lunge, lunge-whip, saddle, pad, bridle, you know, everything). 

Dassah-mare went spastic. Her world ended. Life as she knew it was over. I think I've mentioned before her bugle? She holds nothing back when she whinny's - but in her case, it's a trumpet. There is nothing delicate or whinny-like when she calls. 

By the time we made it to the indoor, he neck was sweaty. Put her on the lunge because, you know, I value my safety. That didn't last long. She went tearing around a 20m circle like her tail was on fire. I nixed that fast and reeled her in - forced her to do small circles around me and then when that didn't work, I did some NH tricks to see if I could get her attention (I KNOW, NH gets a bad rap but it has helped to the extent that I use the things I think work). Asked her to move her hips over, she didn't, gave her a soft smack with the lunge whip on her butt and wham, bam, her eyes were FINALLY on me. 

Asked on the other side, she ignored me, smack (again, nothing to write home about - soft but firm), and she was like, "WHAT THE WHO? Yes. You have my full attention." We then walked around the arena until we were both breathing easy. 

Sent her back out on the lunge and got lovely floaty trot with lots of attention on me. I almost left it at that but didn't see anything wrong with tacking up and going for a quick ride. Before that though we ambled around the arena together while I raked out her bolting hoof-ruts. She was super. Very calm. Almost snuggly but not (that is NOT her MO). Just like a toddler after a temper-tantrum. 

Mounted up and had a most lovely ride. I love how responsive she is to my body. I can turn my shoulders, look in the direction I'm going, and she's right there. I wanted to do a short w/t/c and we did. loops, serpentines, small circles, big circles. I had a great soft trot from her, a ground-covering walk, and we cantered without much fuss. The only issue was a stop and buck when I asked for left-lead canter. To address that I got a good trot back, asked for right lead, changed direction, brought her back to a trot, asked for left-lead before the corner and she did it easy-peasy. 

So. Bad-News: Dassah wigs out when barnmates leave (not a new story at.all). 

Good-News: We can overcome! Her brain is still there, we just need to shorten the amount of time it takes to find it and turn it back on again!