Day 4 of Flex Track at Pagosa

Another hot one, although cooler than yesterday, may only 29!



I was all proud of myself on the way there this morning, picked up a vanilla soy latte, double vanilla, and headed back out on Highway 160, thinking - cool I can now get from the apartment, to the Highland Coffee place, to the ranch, and back via the supermarket WITHOUT my GPS.

So here I was driving along, finally getting the hang of driving on the right and seeing cars come towards me on the wrong side, and I was drinking my coffee, and drove right past the ranch turn off. LOL. That will teach me.

Don't laugh George! :-)

So - classroom this morning was about leadership, good leaders, bad leaders, how we can be good leaders for our horses and why. How not to bring your emotion up while being a leader etc.

Then we had a turn on the Seat Builders - kind of rocking moving Steady Eddys! Practised being on balance point, indirect rein position, direct rein position ( and how belly button in effects that), and lateral flexion. Mattie was amazing and picked up exactly where everyone was holding their tension - mine - shoulders, no surprises there but a great reminder.



Then we had a circling game demo, by Pete and his horse River. At the beginning he asked River into the honeycomb over the log, she got half way over and stopped. he asked her over a bit more and she tried to go back and rolled the log off with her front feet. Alot of people panicked. The only thing I was wondering was how fast the log was then rolling towards the other spectators down that end.



After he got her to jump it properly, he explained why you shouldn't panic as a leader, which was most timely given this mornings class.

Learnt alot from the demo, then Pete did a liberty display, which really was awesome. At one point he and River were galloping on the circle playing.

Then we had a quick bite to eat and on to the afternoon focus stations. I went to the 45ft one, and practised throwing it out and re-coiling it up. It kept getting twisted and kinked, so after a long while, 20 mins maybe of trying to listen what he was telling the others to do, I asked how I could stop the kinks. Grady asked me to show him how I was coiling it, it was one way he said but then he showed me the coolest way ever and in 5 minutes I was throwing it out without kinks, and AND coiling it back in eyes closed!!!!! Ended up with a perfect coil. Later I was carrying it back and Grady called out that it was a fantastic looking coil with no tension.

So you know what I learned from that? To ask a question sooner. Then I could have had it sussed and had another go on the seat builder.

Next focus station was indirect, direct, and lateral reins, mounted. Man did I saddle up quick!! Didn't want to miss out on anything. I was the 3rd one in the round pen so got a good chance to ask Mattie some questions and for her to point out a couple of things. You know what. - I have always been using my legs incorrectly on the direct rein. So I kept doing it till I got rid of the habit. I had to go out of the round pen after a while as others arrived. Also looking up was something I wasn't doing strongly enough.






Hopefully the change sticks. I think it should.

Then I quickly went over to the saddling station and checked out what I was doing wrong with the western saddle I have. Grady set me straight on a few things. All sorted now. I also achieved mounting from the ground from both sides, properly.

Now it was 4.40 and we had a meeting in the Lodge at 5. One of the rules I take very seriously, for a few reasons, is don't be late. Savvy time is 10 minutes early.



Ok now picture this. 30 degrees. 10,000ft above sea level. I trot with Heart (me on ground) back to tack room, untack, go to grab lead rope and halter off hook and it's gone! So I trot with Heart up the hill to her pens she thought it was great fun. Unbridled her, and let her eat her hay. So she's due for a shampoo in the morning. Got to the lodge by 4.55. Found my halter.

Turns out it was Thursday night Campus meeting, so both the Fast Track and Flex Track students, externs, interns, instructors, campus office staff, all in there having a run down of what's happening, introductions, welcomes all of that. Then Pat walked in while we were cheering for each instructor as they said their name and star rating - he said he could hear all the happiness and wanted to know what was going on. :-)

He welcomed us the Flex Track students, I happened to be sitting in the front row heeheee, and asked us what were our highlights so far. No I didn't speak up, not in front of that many people and Pat!! Karen was brave (next to me). He stayed for a while listening to our highlights and then off he went to s 5pm meeting, at 5.35 lol.

Then it was dinner, we had a homework task so we started that - a letter to us from our horse.
The chilli tofu fritters were quite tasty, so was the mashed potato, AND they had loads of veggies.

Stayed for a while talking and then went and did Hearts pen and water - she nickers every time I see her now, but spotted the Parelli Saddle lady at the Saddle trailer on the way past. Bought a flexible curve to measure Garbo and she asked if I'd like to trial a saddle next week - why yes please!!!

So I ran up the hill again and measured Heart with the flexible curve, came back down and gave the measurements to her and I get the saddle at 5pm on Monday! Yay, will be wonderful to have a lighter saddle for next week. Those western ones weigh a tonne!

Bye for now!