Rosso and Sera

I had a lesson on Rosso Sunday morning. I get so frustrated with myself cuz of my fear about him. I can't even convey how frustrated I get ... I read my little rider psychology stuff about fear at breakfast to psych myself up and say the things to myself I need to say to be able to get on him and ride.

I trailered him over to Rex's... and I could feel the fear energy swirling around inside me... so I ran away.

Literally!

I know I looked like a huge dork (ha! what else is new?). I'd read that sometimes fear can be dispelled by exertion... I went running down Rex's driveway... down the road to her neighbor's mailbox... did some jumping jacks... ran back.

It did help. I was still feeling fear but it wasn't immobilizing.

I lunged the baby boy Rosso... he listened to me very well... he was even letting down (*ahem* letting it ALL hang out... if you know what I'm talkin' 'bout) So I know he was relaxed and fine...

I took him to the middle of the arena... did not do all the slapping and laying my body over the saddle cuz duh - he knows what is coming and dammit, if he pulls his crap and dumps me while I'm getting on he will pay! (I really do need to get in touch with my barely existent aggressive side)

I climbed on.

He stayed still. I took some deep breaths, wiggled around... and off we went. We had a very lovely lesson of leg yields, shoulder fore, spiralling in and out on a circle, transitions to walk and back up to trot where he stayed in my hand and connected... lovely.

The more nice rides I have, the more confident I will get. Simple as that. Before you know it, we'll be out and about.

Still ... I get really frustrated with my stoo-pid lizard brain which is all about instinct and preserving the life of a neanderthal, and how the lizard brain keeps jumping in front of my Shanster brain.


And now for the segment you've all been waiting for... my big yeller chicken trail ride.


I trailered Sera over to J's house which backs up to Robert's Ranch. It is so incomprehensible to me how a family can own SO much land. It just goes on and on and on... gorgeous and beautiful land for miles as far as the eye can see.

I got Sera out... walked her around and let her graze a minute - take it all in. I walk her over to where J is getting out the horse she wants to ride...and there is Harley the pig in all his 300lb glory.

Sera doesn't even twitch an ear at him.

He sort of came over and made this big grunty pig noise... uh.... Sera didn't even look up from grazing... she just did NOT care about the pig in any way. I took her over to him and her nose was like 3 inches from the damn pig... she really could not care less! How funny is that?

We took the horses into J's arena... rode them around... warming them up ... then we went out and thru this other gate into Roberts Ranch... it was just WIDE OPEN blue skies, sun, green grass... gorgeous.

There were prairie dogs all around and a lot of holes to navigate around... a cow skeleton... a coyote skeleton... we sent a pronghorn antelope herd skittering away.... we rode thru this gully area, up this steeper hill and then back down... it was really steep for ME, Colorado Chicken, but Sera was perfect.

She spooked once at the pronghorn herd but other than that... she just went anywhere I asked her to go without any fuss. It was so much fun.... J wanted to go further and steeper etc. but seriously... for Sera's first outing like that, she did so great and why push her to her limit... let's keep it fun for her... so I was the party pooper and asked to go back. We were out for about 2 hrs...

It was so much fun.... I'm really glad that I went out of my comfort zone, took my damn skirt off and just went.

J kept teasing me that her horse was scared of Sera cuz Sera is so big... and Sera is not big compared to all the other dressage type horses, she is 16hh even. Tho' I suppose it's all relative. She was much bigger than J's QH and I didn't really notice until we were riding side by side.

And may I just say how much I love, love, love my big, red-headed Sera Sue? I think I have little cartoon hearts swirling around my head because of her today....