YAY ME!

I went out to see The Cowboy last night. He has my young Thoroughbred gelding, Rosso, for some training. Rosso had me pretty buffaloed so I put him in the hands of someone more experienced with the equine brain.... The Cowboy.

The Cowboy took Rosso up to the mountains over the Memorial Day weekend. He said Rosso did great - he climbed up rocks with him, dropped him down a 4-5' straight drop off into a boggy creek that was 15 feet wide and Rosso went through all of it like it was nuthin'.

I went up last night to ride my horse while The Cowboy watched and offered advice.

IT WAS AMAZING! We started off in the arena and The Cowboy showed me how to "knock his ass end out from under him" otherwise known as disengaging the hip I think. The Cowboy has his own unique language however, and that makes me laugh. He's good people.

I was to knock his ass out from under him anytime Rosso was being naughty or getting too fizzy. The Cowboy uses the term "fizzy" when Rosso gets worked up. I like that term - it is mentally so much less intimidating than spooky or hot.

I have a tendency to tense up a little and want to put the brakes on Rosso when he's being "fizzy". Mentally tho', the fizzy terminology helps me because if I think about a bottle of soda that is all shook up and fizzy - if I try to bottle it up - I am only going to have an explosion and mess on my hands. It reminds me to let Rosso move out and go forward - and I did and he was GREAT!

The Cowboy asked if I wanted to go out on a short trail ride... I was sorta nervous but THIS is why I'm here - to learn and do.

Off we went.

Rosso was good... he got a bit fizzy and I knocked his ass out - he went along fine and wasn't quite so fizzy. Another time he got a bit fizzy I moved him forward vs. knocking his ass end out - we did some big trot and canter circles out in the middle of nowhere... he was GREAT! Never out of control, always in my hands and not doing anything scary or bad.

The Cowboy was shouting and taunting me while I did this -- "He's one scary bastard ain't he? You better watch out, he's a big mean horse!"

It helped Rosso to relax when I let him out and work, and when I asked him to stop or walk he was relaxed and happy to do so.

The Cowboy reminded me to relax a few times and I know I need to remember that - but I didn't clutch on or grab or anything - to *ahem* quote The Cowboy "like a monkey fucking a football" - the tenseness was more in my shoulders and low back. On the way home, The Cowboy looked back at me from the horse he was riding and told me he didn't know why I was paying him to ride Rosso. He said I had good hands and a nice seat and there was nothing that I couldn't handle about Rosso. I was beaming!

After my ride, I went up to see my regular trainer, Rexanne. She couldn't take Rosso because she is up to her eyeballs in training horses right now but I wanted to tell her about my ride.

She was happy for me even if she rolled her eyes a little and gave me an "I told you so" because she told me I'd be able to handle Rosso just fine. It's o.k. a boost to my confidence and a bit o' help was needed. I'm glad I took my big, red-headed baby to The Cowboy and I'm glad he's coming home.

I'm gonna pick Rosso up Saturday morning. The Cowboy is going to have one last ride on him down OUR road to my trainer's barn Saturday morning immediately after I bring Rosso home. (It's 2 miles away. ) He's going to show me Rosso is fine on the road and he'll ride him past the llama farm to show me Rosso really IS fine.

I felt a bit like a yeller dog agreeing to have him do that one last thing... but heck. We are paying him and it will give me peace of mind and that leeetle bit of more confidence. He's the one who offered when he saw my hesitation about riding Rosso up the road.

I'm laughing at myself. Gawd. When did I become such a big damn chicken anyway??? BAWK BAWK