We crossed a threshold this morning...

I am the proud owner of a confident, tractor tire walking through RBI!!!

This morning Twosox crossed a HUGE threshold!!! Twosox walked THROUGH the tractor tire CONFIDENTLY!!!! I was SO proud of him!!! He tries so hard when I ask him to do something. What a special boy!!!

This morning I went out to play with Twosox. After I had haltered him I saddled him up. We played in the corral for a little bit. We did some porcupine games and short range circles then we went over to the big tractor tires. A couple posts ago I mentioned that Twosox couldn't walk through them but he would jump them and that he had gotten his leg caught in one last year and was really scarred of doing anything with the tractor tires. Twice [this play time and our last play time] I has been playing around them. Twosox has come a long way and could put his foot on it and get his nose and neck over it but he couldn't walk through them.

So today I sent Twosox over to them. He sniffed them and then offered to jump it. I took it and then sent him back over to it, just wanting him to sniff it and out his foot back on it. He jumped it again [both times from a stand still]. So the next time I make sure to have just a tiny little bit of energy in my body. Twosox walked up to it but this time he got his front feet closer to it. Progress! So I asked him to go a little bit closer. He offered to put his foot inside the tire. He didn't put it on the ground but it was a huge thing just for Twosox to put his foot in it because that is how he got is caught in there last time. I was so proud of him!!

Twosox confidently pulled his foot out then I lightly asked him to move closer to the tires. This time he jumped it but it was really slow. So I gave his a rest for that then I sent him over to them again. Each time he went to the tires I could see him getting more and more confident. This time Twosox walked right through it!!!!!!! I was shocked and surprised!! I could see Twosox getting closer to doing it and more confident but I NEVER thought he would do it so soon!! Twosox didn't even get worried part way through he just calmly walked through the tires. I let Twosox lick and chew over that. He had a big lick and chew over that then we went up to the riding ring.

We did some Touch it, circles, transitions, change of directions, and jumping. Since we had played for a while down in the corral Twosox was paying attention to me so we didn't have to do a whole lot. Our transitions are getting really really good. We have to work on our trot to canter transitions but we will get there. I am really trying to wait till Twosox is totally confident at one thing before we advance it and it has been working really well. As long as I keep with it and don't push him ;)

Then I got on and rode. It was the first time that I have ridden Twosox since I fell off. I wasn't unconfident but of course I was careful. It didn't help that there was squirrels falling from the trees but Twosox was okay with that.


We did Figure eights, Follow the rail, Sideways, 9 step back up from a walk, a little bit of trotting, and Point to point. Twosox did REALLY well with all of them. He is so sensitive!! We rode around for a while in the one side of the riding ring then went to the round corral side. I noticed that I am  more confident riding Twosox in the round side for some reason. I think it is because I know he is more confident. It would be so nice to have a real round corral!! I think Twosox would really benefit from one but for now we don't have one. So we will make do with what we do have.


We didn't ride to long, about 30 minutes. I wanted to make sure that we ended on a really good note, more for my sake then Twosox's. I wanted to make sure that our first ride after I had fallen off was a good one... and it was. Twosox even stretched some!!! His head was low the whole ride which is a wonderful sight!! His back and scapula are getting better too!! It is wonderful!!


Tomorrow I hope to ride Prince. I was watching some Level 3 Freestyle Auditions today on Youtube and the only thing that Prince and I couldn't do is the cantering and we are already working on that. I have a feeling that this fall and winter are going to be really fun!! Since winter is coming [scary I know!] I am trying to get a lot of riding in with my saddle because I know that in the winter I will be doing a lot of bareback riding instead because of all the snow we get it makes it really hard to ride in a saddle, plus it is freezing cold and I am not very fond of cold toes ;) but then who it. :)

So anyways. I am trying not to think about winter. I like it but fall is my favourite so I want to enjoy every minute of it!!

~K