Today was more of the same for Ruby and me. We tacked up and went to the small arena. After warming up, we trotted a pole a few times. She still gets close to chickening out but when I keep posting, she will actually trot over it, funny girl. At one point I asked her to trot a straight line in between a row of barrels and some poles...poor Ruby kept asking, 'Around the barrel? No? Then over the pole? No? Maybe around the next barrel?' She really tries so hard. And she's starting to respond to my seat when it comes to trot rhythm, yay! She has started collapsing her inside shoulder during sharper turns, so no more baby steering for her - I'm going to have to start supporting her through the turns with the outside rein and inside leg. I haven't had any luck so far in finding a local dressage trainer for lessons so I might have to *shudder* haul Ruby. I don't mind hauling other than the time it takes to hook up the trailer, pack all the stuff, load the horse, and repeat in reverse. To do all of that for an hour-long lesson seems so wasteful.
After our time in the arena, we went for a walk down the road. She was great, no spooking even when a truck and a four-wheeler drove by us. Mind you, I was on foot but I decided to swing up when we got back to our street. She was rushy so I decided to keep going passed the gate back into the barnyard - she looked at the gate (on our left) but kept going straight with just a tiny squeeze of my right hand. No fussing, no drifting, awesome.
On another note, Ruby is being bitten by something that is leaving huge welts and holes in her skin. It caused the knot Ruby's face a month ago or so. It also caused the welt that made Heather and I cancel our last trail ride before her vacation. I've never seen anything like it, so bizarre.
And, I ordered Integri-Hoof supplement for Ruby. I finally figured out that she hates her vitamin supplement (doh!) so it's time to figure something else out. This is supposed to be a great vitamin and hoof supplement, so fingers crossed that she likes it!
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