Amberhaze Woman: Special Since 2004.

I put Amber's wraps on for our ride today. I've been too lazy to wrap her lately, but since we are cantering and doing a little bit more than just walk/trot, I decided it's time to start wrapping her up to protect those legs. Apparently they felt funny on her hind legs, and she kept picking them up and shaking them, looking at them. Not having a freak out about it, just giving me the "?" look.

She wasn't into lunging today. She threw a couple of tantrums and generally refused to do what I wanted her to. I'm not a great lunger, so I wasn't exactly wanting to fight with her. Besides, why push the envelope when there was a chance we could get good work elsewhere? No need to utterly piss her off to the point where she doesn't want to do anything at all.

I took her and took the sidereins and lunge off. She stood still and quiet like "Yessss! That was so boring mom, why do we have to do that again?"

I got on, and she waited for me to give her the okay to go. She was definitely just bored. She was a little forward in the walk, but not being silly. Just a little wiggly, but mostly just feeling her oats I think. She was excited to be out there. I was happy to see it.

I had fixed our trot poles again. This time, I was fortunate enough to find some of her hoof prints that were at a trot. I know they were hers. Only one of her back feet is really bad on the toes now. The other one still has the white line on the toe. I found the squared off toe pretty easy where the sand had been wet and it left good impressions. I measured with my own strides and counted out between poles.

I set one side up at two strides, the other at four. I will eventually set them to one stride only, but for now I want her to have to really think about pacing herself through them. And having to pace more than one stride between them does make her do that. Ideally, when we start jumping again, the work we are doing on this will help her learn how to judge distance and adjust her stride based on what speed I'm asking for on her own.

We warmed up, working on some bending and paying attention, and then I asked for a trot. She was READY. She wanted to be a little quick, but responded very, very well when I asked for a little less. She only "hopped" the poles a couple of times - we got real strides across today. I was able to give her her head over them instead of having to hold her back from cantering.

Just one time she took it upon herself to canter across them. Otherwise, she did awesome.

She started to get a little too excited after we had done the poles a few times. She was getting bored with them a bit, because she had figured out her strides, so I changed it up and took her around once and bent her and half halted, and she responded very quickly to what I was asking for. Then we cantered a couple of times around, very nice canter. A little quick on the long sides, BUT she responded to my half halts.

Now, what I was REALLY impressed with was the 25m canter circles she gave me. She was soooo good. Really deep and low. Beautiful bend and super soft and supple in my hands. Very relaxed. What I would describe as a perfect working canter. I can honestly say if we had been doing that in a dressage test, she'd have gotten an 8 or a 9 for it.

I let her be done on that note. She was such a good girl! We only worked 30 minutes under saddle...10 before that was just the lunging fail. But she worked hard and I was proud! Less toe dragging too, I might add. And she definitely knew I was proud. When I got off, she was like "OMG! OMG! I did it right! I did it!"

She was pretty sweaty so I hosed her off. She really hates the indoor wash pit though. She hates the hose for some reason, because it's on a hanger up in the air. I'm sure she will get used to it. I just have to be careful in the event she decides it would be a good idea to kick her owner for spraying her with the scary hose. ;) And she would learn too quickly that it is NOT a good idea. Ha.

So! I've been thinking as of late of changing her show name. When I came up with Evening Sunsong, I didn't know she was registered, and I thought we'd be a strictly dressage pair. She likes to jump, I like to jump...when we get in shape a little more, we will be jumping! And I hope eventing. I picked Evening Sunsong because it had a super-classy, classical sound to it. For hunter/jumpers and eventing...I think I'd prefer something with a little more "bite" to it. So to speak.

I really liked the name "Let It Burn". That would sound AWESOME being called out at a show. But...I looked it up on all breed pedigree and there is ANOTHER 7 year old, chestnut QH mare named Let It Burn. I just can't feel good about using that name on her, especially if it were one she'd start being associated with, being a registered QH as well.

Sooo. I have complied a list of names. A friend of mine helped me brainstorm. Let me know what you guys think! I've really got to give it some time to think on it myself, but opinions are welcome! And suggestions of course.

Easy A
Born This Way
Fire At Will
Girl I Know
Seeing Red
Plan A
Have A Nice Day
Stop And Stare
Better Luck Next Time
Sorry You're Not A Winner
Can't Touch This
No Doubt
Look Before You Leap
Just Better
Next Please
The Following Is Not A Test