..Playing with "Summer Lil"

My horsey's horsenality* changes with the weather.

Its very clear, if we think of measuring confidence in 5 areas, as Pat and Linda have taught us, (Confidence in my Leadership, Herself, the Heard, the Environment and as a Learner) Lil has the most trouble with changes in her environment. The wind, pelting rain and cold really does a number on her confidence.

It is for sure getting better each winter as our relationship gets stronger especially as I've learned to help her more. We've made a lot of progress in the last 4months. Buuuuuuuuuuut, I LOVE it when she gets back to this Lil. She's snugglier, itchyer, pushier, curiouser (heh) and even nippier. It makes me sooooooooooooo happy!

It is almost like we can do anything together. I'm a lot better than I used to be about flexing my strategies for her changed behaviors and adjusting to fit the situation.

Now....we can get back to freakin flying changes undersaddle. I swear...if I ever get through this...if I ever get it...I can die happy. Its just so ridiculous. Lil is brilliant at them. Online* and at Liberty*.

Its a pretty simple issue....I chicken out. I get tight right when I need to be confident to allow her to go forward into the change. Grrrrrrr. Pretty soon I think I'll be so sick of myself I'll finally give up and go for it. Kip just laughs at me and rolls his eyes. "You're stopping her from doing it! She's ready!!!"

I am tempted to just take a passenger lesson and have Kip ask her to do it as if she was at Liberty. I'll just shut my eyes and hang on. How finessey and skilled does that sound?

Seriously though, getting down to it, here is what I'm worried about. I'm worried that carrying me will unbalance her and she'll trip and fall. I also have some emotional baggage with her getting super engaged at the canter. She used get very emotional at the canter and get so tight and overengaged .... I guess it's a carry over for me. For crying out loud. She's past that. I need to get over myself.

Having my summer horsey back will help me psychologically I think. She is more left brained...so maybe I will be too. I'm quite sure she'll be happy when her human gets it together....