The S List

Well Echo is finally on a Shit List. She's been pretty well behaved for my friend A that has her rode her today for the first time since her arrival. Instead of summarizing everything I'll copy / paste some of what she said to me in our Facebook conversation for everyone.

I did ride her today. She is very powerful and super green. An exciting combination. We did walk trot while on a lunge line. One very near explosion but we survived and worked until relaxed and trotting on a loose rein. Oddly gate bound. Her buddies were in their stalls eating hay though so can't blame the chick for a bitty fit. I just kept making it hard to be at the gate and easy to be away. Lazy bones made a choice to not go to the gate after some newly presented information about the gate surfaced. Funny.

When talking about a plan of how long to have her in Texas and what to do once she's back with me:

That sounds like a good plan. I honestly think she could be a professionals horse and really would thrive in an ambitious but careful program. I would like you to succeed with her and ride her not just breed. She has guts. The videos are the first two but I have more. I ask for trot the first time and she heard canter. Must be a lot of winter fuzz in her ears. She is probably a 1 star event horse or more.

I made the mistake of asking if she needed anything! Her

Mare face is on smart calm as of tonight and is on my shit list and boot camp list for the unforeseeable future. She showed me some pretty cute moves tonight. Athletic but not exactly what was reasonable lol. She would win if it came to a battle under saddle. These are the times I almost want them to be gangly and unbalanced. Easier to train than the power house she is now.

On ground driving:

First days are never pretty. I will get you video once she is figuring it out. She just doesn't relax on the bit and she leans and pulls on pressure and the popping shoulder and trying to go to gate. Rather educate her on the ground so I have brakes and bending in the saddle too later. I really enjoy ground driving over obstacles and safely being able to work out issues. Speaking of bit... Your mare face tried to suck the bit back into her molars and run away with me! She arched her neck an came behind the vertical then I hear a sucking noise! I tugged the bit with my hand and got it away from her. It just made me annoyed and aware turning away from the gate was a very touchy situation. Her brain turned on momentarily for evil doing I guess.

I laughed when I read this because it's Echo 10000% The rearing is new so I'm not too worried it's going to be a lasting habit.

My sister was most impressed with her up down up down rampage. She bucked then reared then bucked then reared. She was bobbing up and down. Why you ask? Because I dare suggest she enlarge her circle to the better footing. Oh heavens. She didn't progress forward or back just up and down. I laughed so hard I was bent down and Echo came on over to me and stood quietly in front of me. Hey brain came back on.. I am teaching her to stop if a person is bent over. Me no like horse drag me away if I'm caught in the lunge line. I fall...

The videos A sent me: