Apricot Brandi (a.k.a Brandi)

[ariana]

Today was awesome. She did everything i asked (walk,trot,lope,slowed when asked,etc). She also stood when asked and her steering was amazing ! The only thing bad was she cut herself on our ride and it was bleeding like crazy :S It was ok though. Didn't even phase her cause before i realized it was there i was running her and never felt a limp. She's ok though and she's getting the next 2-3 days off cause I'm heading out to SB tomorrow morning. I'm so happy with her progress and how much she has changed in the last few months

[ariana]

Those 2-3 days changed into basically a week off as I only saw her today ! Didn't rider her because by the time i got up there I had only about five minutes of daylight left. . . Instead I groomed her while she munched away and she has almost all her winter coat gone (YAHHHHHH). After I groomed her I took her out and went through ground work which was fantastic. The only thing we had trouble with was her energy level ! She has so much enemy from not working in the past week that she was reving to go and was walking ahead and just not calm and focused like she normally is....can't blame her, I would be too after a week of no work to get my energy out everyday Anyway, I just put her back after all the ground work stuff and I can't wait to get back in the saddle tomorrow !

[ariana]

No riding today, it's pouring rain out . . . however, went up anyway to see her and she came right to the gate and let me pet her (this is great cause she doesn't do this) ! I gave her some mints and then went to wipe off her face/halter with a little rag and she freaked a bit. I got her back and grabbed her halter then got her used to it. After a few minutes I was able to wipe all over her face and clean her halter without her shying away.

[ariana]

If I could always have a ride like I had today, I so would. I figured i'd have a non-focused, stubborn little pony to deal with today but she proved me wrong! She did all her ground stuff, i picked her feet (she moved a bit, but she was REVING to go), saddled up, and when i went to bridle her she put her head towards me and down so perfect I swear my jaw dropped. Anyway, she walked down the driveway like it was nothing (no fuss at all) and we continued on. She was trotting, slowing, walking all with just my voice and minimal rein. When we got to the field she was steering great and giving to the bit. PLUS she was stopping on command and she backed with just my leg at one point ! Basically everything i asked, she did. Makes me feel at ease leaving her rest for a week right before the clinic

[ariana]

She was iffy today. She wouldn't stand for me to do her back feet so in circles she went. I did that twice and finally she stood for me. I saddled her up and bridled (that went great) and mounted with only having to discipline her once for moving (that's pretty good considering she used to move 3+ times). Then I walked down to a smaller field cause I had my friend with me and she was walking When I got down there I mostly trotted cause there wasn't a lot of room for anything else and worked on steering/giving to the bit. We also worked on backing,whoaing, and walking on commands. At first she wasn't doing well with whoa, but by the end of it she was stopping like a pro. We headed back , untacked, and I got her ready for the night. While she was eating I flicked off all her feet and she never budged when doing any of her feet so that's also an improvement! Pretty good day, nothing major bad, but not really any improvements as such either.

[ariana]

Fell off todayy It was my fault anyway, I got on her bareback in the pen and apparently she didn't like it! Anywho, Felicity rode today so I decided that I wasn't going to make her work anymore and lately she's been getting iffy with her back feet again (i've been letting things slide, i know. awful.) I let her into the stall and went to pick out her feet which of course no problems with the front, but then came the back. She moved immediatly and the minute she did, circles she went ! I think we did circles about 3-5 times ? In the end, she stood. Then she stood all prim and proper for me to wipe them down. While mom was filling the water bucket I decided to see if she still was little scared of the towel. I flinged it next to me, nothing. Threw it over her back, nothing. Rubbed it on her, and flcked it off her butt, nothing ! The only time she did move was when I flinged it across her chest. It only took a few minutes to get her used to that part so I was happy ! I'm praying I get to ride or at least lunge her tomorrow.

[ariana]

Never got to ride yesterday cause of homework and basketball. I went up however cause I had to put her in her stall for the night, feed her, and clean her feet. She did really good with her feet and only moved on the last hoof which was her right hind. I put her in a few circles and that was the end of our problems and she never moved anytime for when I was drying them off with a towel which is great ! It was also nice to see that when I come in to do something with her hay pile that she backs away and waits until I walk away to go up and eat again Hopefully I get to ride today !

[ariana]

Got to ride today and it was fantastic. Before the ride however, came the ground stuff. FANTASTIC TOO. She stood for everything i did, including her feet ! Tacked her up and bridled like a dream too. She moved once when I tried to mount but after a few circles, she stood. She walked out of the driveway and on our trail ride to the field we went. No fuss, no muss. I did a lot of steering and she was really giving to the bit . . just the slightest of movement with my reins to one side and she would go that direction. She also stopped and even walked on with only my voice a good few times ! And for the most happiest time of my life. . . SHE BACK WITH JUST MY LEG AND VOICE, NO REIN WHAT SO EVER !!!!!! When I did some exercises in the field, we headed back. She did really good, then only time I had a bit of trouble was trying to get her to back down a hill and where it's new to her and she was using new muscles, she fought a bit, but eventually gave in. That's all for today !

[ariana]

Haven't updated in a while simply b/c. . .I haven't done anything with her ! (I know, I'm bad!) Few days ago I went up to see her (literally just go in and feed her BOSS then leave) and that's been it. I'm hoping I can get in some riding time/ground time atleast before she heads off to CRS in about a week and a half ! Is anyone else just as excited as I am for the Jim Clinic ?

[katie muise]

Yes haha but you know that

[ariana]

Got to see the pony face today! I walked right on up to her with the lead in my hand and she stood like a princess. Then I lead her perfectly, flung the lead over her neck and let her graze away at the grass while I groomed her and picked out her feet. Had a few little tiffs *tried to pull away* with her feet, but once I told her to stop she did and let me get at them. Then I took her up to a little more grass for her to graze on and we just chilled I quickly ran through ground work with her *back up, whoa, leading* and she did great on all! The only trouble I had at first was her stopping, but after a bit of backing she remembered what I expected. After that, I fed her her BOSS and put her back in the pen.
-> QUICK QUESTION: Is it possible for Brandi to change from the color she is now to dark brown? I'm thinking she's a chestnut, but I'm no good for colors

[ariana]

Finally rode the beast after 2 weeks of chilling . . . she was pretty good. I was letting her graze while I groomed her so she moved around, but that was fine. Only had trouble with one of her back feet and after some discipline, she gave in. Then came to saddling which she was some hassle too, but after circles she realized that stand meant stand. She did great for bridling and stood perfectly still for mounting however ! Then came the riding. . .she was amazing for her steering, stopping, and ques for walk and trot. The only thing I had trouble with was backing up. By the end of our session she was all back to normal (still full of energy though!) She will be getting some good butt kickings as this is her last week before she leaves

[ariana]

Went for like a hour and a half ride today with Ashley and Kevin ! She was a gem and although she didn't like stopping when I asked while the other horses went on, she did after multiple times of backing up. Then Kevin got on her and ran around *ahaha* then went bush-wacking with her I didn't mind, she needs to build muscle so some rough terrain/hills wouldn't do her any harm !
Then he came back and I got to work at her. She was AMAZING. She would stop when asked and she definatly remembered back up today ! I was doing almost with just leg. I only used rein at the begining to refresh her mind on what the leg movement meant. She also was steering really good! Fuzz and Gunner were on one side and although she fought a bit, it got better and better each circle we made. We did this at a walk, trot, and lope. We worked on giving to the bit somewhat too and she gave almost right away which made me very happy. All in all, I think she is amazing for being so good after so long

[ariana]

Mostly went up to groom her today (she needed it ) ! Then I went for a little joy ride, which was alright. . . We went a new way and she was taking a few fits every so often , wanting to go back. I kept her going and when she calmed down and was listening pretty good we went back. She was doing her "whoa" really well and her back was good too ! She stood for me to pick her feet and saddle her. She moved a few times when I tried to mount but after a good many circles she stood still. that's about it

[ariana]

Yesterday I didn't ride, I played with her ! All three of them broke the fence so they put her down in the other pen whileit got fixed up and after she was done eating her feed I decided to distract her from the other ponies by playing I've tried playing with her before, but she wasn't interested. . .that day she was ! It was sorta just like doing ground work *back,whoa,circles,walk on* but it was still so fun ! I would walk up to her and say "come on" and she would follow me around then I would ask her to whoa, and I would step back. If she didn't back up before I even got a chance to touch her chest to direct her more she would shake her head and she did this everytime she made a mistake, it was SO cute ! Then we would do circles in each direction, then walk around. . .and she loved it ! I'm hoping she will do it at CRS so I can show mom :$