Patience is a Virtue

I bought the horses another bag of grain today, yikes prices just keep going up around here!

I went out and visited the girls and was in the mood for giving them lots of treat so they were pleased with the handouts. They did have to do some bowing to get them though. Dixie did spectacular with bowing today! She slipped a little bit on the ice under the snow the last time though and almost laid down on accident. Not quite ready for that one! Let's getting bowing down pat first.

I did a little Liberty with her in the corral first and some Friendly. She would come and pay attention then leave but I just waited her moments out. I had her stand on her tractor tire and then we headed out to the field to play. The only obstacle I have out there is a barrel since it isn't really our land. So we played with the barrel, A LOT! She did everything she possibly could of to it! lol Pawed it, scratched on it, lifted it, rolled it, licked it, jumped it, sidewaysed over it....etc.

Dixie had a couple RB moments which I patiently waited out all the while giggling at her silly antics. She's so cute and it's so funny when she gets riled. I helped her use her energy and we ran around for a bit, and tried to advance our rearing on cue a little farther.

Went back to the barrel and had her jump over it at a stand still to me. :) Then we just ambled all over the pasture and did some "I walk sideways and so would she" and then she would walk sideways towards me and then away. She was having fun with that. Finally it was time for church and I had to head it. I had her do one last bow for the treat she had patiently been waiting for.

Savvy Out,
Olivia, Cocoa, and Dixie

Cantering Dixie Pics...hopefully Video soon!

I hopped on Dixie and took her out on the backroad. We were walking along and met our neighbor on the backroad so Dixie wanted to stop and say 'hi'. Well then the little bugger decided she didn't feel like going any farther so I hopped off and walked a ways with her. Hopped back on and just walked along.

Then mom and dad came on the snowmobile with my camera. I wanted them to go alongside and get a video of one of Dixie's first canter. Well Dixie didn't know what to think of the snowmobile going beside us...so she was a little distracted but for the most part just snotty. Where as yesterday..she offered everything today all she offered was to back up. She just didn't feel like going at first and was giving me attitude. She trotted on fine but when I asked for a canter she would do this mini little crowhop it was so cute...it was so tiny. It made me laugh cause she's never tried to buck or anything and it was just so little. Eventually her energy came up and she had some fun. On the way back I had her cantering and mom and dad were going with the snowmobile in the ditch alongside the road and Dixie I could tell was trying to race them. My dad goes faster and Dixie speeds up. We were cruising!! I've never gone that fast on her before so that was a thrill...and I know she is competitive now too! haha She stopped when I asked her too just fine so I was really pleased. I hopped off and ran beside her while she cantered the rest of the way.


Savvy Out,
Olivia, Cocoa, and Dixie

Cantering Dixie on the backroad

I spent the morning hanging out with the horses and running around like a goon in the pasture. Finally we were all pooped and the horses had a good roll and laid down to doze in the afternoon warmth. Dixie is hilarious!! I will be standing there and she will just lay down right beside me and then start rolling. I am the one who has to move so she doesn't roll me over. She is definitely not nervous or cautious laying down by me. She has done this numerous times. She will also follow me around and lay down...I will eventually walk somewhere else and she will follow and lay down again by me. :)


So after they got down with their rest I grabbed Dixie's halter from the barn. When I walked out Cocoa immediately saw the halter and whinnied at me. I felt SO bad...it made me want to change my plans and Pick her, but it was Dixie's turn to go out and I had already taken Cocoa out for a walk. So I chose Dixie. Cocoa was not pleased. Dixie and I roamed around the yard then just walked on the road. Cocoa was running back and forth and our fence has been down lately so I was worried she was going to break something or hurt herself so we turned around and went in the pasture by the fence. I played with Dixie a bit and then decided to take her for a walk on the backroad. We walked till we got to the parking spot in the DNR then I stood on one of the stumps and hopped on Dixie. She immediately did lateral flexion and then we were off. At first she decided she wanted to go back home but I was persistant and wanted to go a little farther. When she broke into a trot I was a little taken aback..but pleased. Then I remembered I was wearing slippery snow pants and riding Dixie with her slippery stable blanket on...wonder how that will mix? But it wasn't that slippery or hard to stay on at all. Not compared to in the summer when I wear my waders and try and ride a sopping wet Cocoa at the canter!

We went down the road and trotted up the big hill to the old farm. I asked her for a bit of sideways just to see if she could figure it out..and sure enough she starts sidepassing. What a smart cookie. Then we continue down the road at a trot....I ask her for a faster trot and she complies.....then breaks into a CANTER! I am sitting there on her back shocked..she offered it and didn't even through in a buck or crow hop. WOW! She continues cantering without a falter for about 15 strides till we reach the end of the straight away and I ask her to slow down into a trot....which she does! We take a side trail and canter up the hill to that and then head back.. On the way home I ask for a canter and she canters. Controlled canter...on the way home and stops right when I ask her. We haven't done much riding and hardly any of it has been in an enclosed area...I can't believe how much she is offering and complying with everything I ask. I love Dixie's canter already! It is SO different than Cocoa's. Where Cocoa usually can't do a collected slow canter because of her back...Dixie's canter is fluid, slow, and has so much up momentum. It's like a powerful bunny hop!

I hopped off after our little canter down the stretch and gave her a treat and then walked with her the rest of the way home. Well we didn't really walk. I ran and she cantered beside me. Man do I have to run fast to keep up with her when she wants to race.

Savvy Out,
Olivia, Cocoa, and Dixie

Dixie's First Canter - Riding!

First off...Dixie decided she wanted to play around first. It was snowing a bit earlier and Cocoa managed to get her back wet (?) and Dixie was dry...Hmmm. So I let Dixie in the barn to roam and just munch on the hay in the back while I put a cooler on Cocoa so she'd be dry by the time Dixie and I got back. So Cocoa got some hay and I took Dixie out for a stroll. We played in the snowbanks and she walked right into my neighbors snow hill from their driveway that is like up past her chest. Silly girl. She strode in there and then spun around and out. I had her go dashing through the ditches that were up past her knees and then jump some of the other snow banks! haha Her jumps were so priceless, she usually gauged them wrong. Oh..Dixie! Then we continued on our way on the DNR backroad all the while keeping watch out for snowmobilers. Quite a few of them passed us today...luckily Dixie has no problem with that at all. I did some Yo-Yo on the road and Sideways with her. She did really good! Then I was working with her high energy and even got her to wheel around and 'cut' me a bit...and when I ran back on the 12 ft. line come cantering towards me. She was wheeling and dealing..and had so much energy since the cold snap we had..and they couldn't do much more than eat to stay warm!

Then we did some trotting and walking and stopping transitions. She was mirroring me beautifully and would stop on a dime. She was trotting and I was running beside and skidded to a stop and she literally put on the brakes and slid to a stop and stopped right beside me. She was definitely on her toes and paying attention! :)

Farther down the road I had her CANTERING right beside me! We did that for aways till I couldn't do it anymore with all my snow gear and big boots. haha She was so cute and pretty to watch, running beside me. We stopped in the ditches and I let her eat the seeds off the tall grass..only part that was left since the snow is so deep! I asked her to do some circling and she had a snotty LB 'no' for an answer when I asked her to go left. Went cantering around on the 12 ft. and kicked out. A few minutes later she came out of her RB moment and licked and chewed. I presumed to ask her again and she went with no problem. I love it when she's spunky...she's so fun to play with when she's sassy and has attitude. lol Most people don't really like that...but I guess since Cocoa never really gets like that anymore I really enjoy playing with Dixie when she does.

We got to one of the parking spots and I had her come sideways and I hopped on. We did lateral flexion and then walked on down the trail..She really wanted to trot down the hill...but this horse has hardy any withers, big butt, still growing, lots of butt momentum, and not even half as much mane as Cocoa, so I decided I didn't want to slide off the front of her so I asked her to walk. I still can't believe how good my baby is coming along. She hardly resists, and listens to everything I ask her, and we haven't even done much riding because she's young but she acts like she's a natural! :) We did some trotting UP the other hills..that pleased her. Then started heading back home. We trotted for about 300 yards! :) Loose rein, slow trot, Dixie totally at ease, down the road. After that we took the trail by my neighbors that had like 2 ft. of snow that nobody had gone through yet! haha...so...guess what we did?!? I asked Dixie to start trotting and of course she did....and then she CANTERED!!! She cantered while I was riding her bareback through the snow, first time ever! I felt it coming but I was still shocked...then I was expecting her to stop after one stride but she kept going. Dixie must have cantered about 7 strides or so...this is the first time I've ever cantered her...and we did it out in the open and on a loose rein. No bucks, resistance, nothing. I love her! Then she I asked her to slow and she slowed right away and I hopped off to Congratulate her! I walked the rest of the way home. :) We stopped and said hi to Michelle's horses from the road, they even stopped eating from their new road bale to look over the fence and nicker at Dixie.


Savvy Out,
Olivia, Cocoa, and Dixie

Tooth Fairy

We have a little bit of white blanketing the ground. The horses don't have to dig yet...but Dixie attempted to at the grass. Let them eat some in the yard then headed down the road for a walk. We went at a fast pace..due to the sheets of sleet pounding down and the cold. The road was a little slippery but the horses did fine. I let them eat some along the ditches and then we headed home. Dished out their suppers and had them stay in the barn for a bit. I tried to get as much wetness off as possible and then blanketed them for the bit they were in the barn..got a couple pics! My wet girls! I checked Dixie's baby teeth....and sure enough she lost one of the bottom ones!! My baby lost a tooth! Too bad I can't find it. So she had a tad bit more trouble eating...the one that came in is a little smaller but wider.

How exciting!!

Surprise Ride!

It rained yesterday morning but after I showed Michelle and Jerry how to take care of the horses while we're gone this weekend the sun finally started to shine! And boy was it hot and muggy then.

The little piglets got to eat in the grass the whole time so I put them in and let there bellies rest a little before I proceeded to take Dixie out. I brought her out in the the big pasture and I just had her on the 12 ft. line. We did a little bit of the Traveling Circling game. Then went on to the one obstacle other than trees out there right now, the barrel. So she jumped it and pawed it and all that good stuff. I tried a while back to get Dixie to go sideways over it and she has been slowly but SURELY getting better at it. Well today went great! I barely had to go to Phase 2 and she just was like "You mean do this?!" and sidways'ed herself over it with no hesitation! So I was like "Ok..that's great!! Now let's try the other side!" And Walhla! She did that with no problem either! I was so proud. Then we went on to the trees...which she loves to rub her head on then paw and paw and paw. It's so cute to watch her. Finally we just did some sideways with out a fence, some really fast sideways towards (She absolutely LOVES this!) and then just running around like lunies! :) Dixie got a kick out of this. At first we just did when I trot you trot, when I canter you canter beside me...but then we ran all up and down the hill and through all the tall weeds. She was bucking and kicking and having a good 'ole time!

Finally after some playtime we headed out down the gravel road for a walk. Cocoa wasn't necessarily pleased to be left behind but I told her it was Dixie's turn. Not much...just some Zone 3 driving...along the way. Found a goofy looking stump which Dixie pawed the crap out of and then to my surprise put one foot up and then the second!! She was standing up on it and it was like a 1 and 1/2 tall! She wasn't as graceful getting down...

We got to a car parking spot and I thought..."Mmm..perfect for mounting." Dixie lined her self up beside it and I hopped on. :) She didn't do anything so we proceeded to walk on and then after a little bit turned towards home. Now...it's such a good feeling to ride her! She has so much muscle and a really nice topline compared to Cocoa! I can't wait to see what she looks like when she's all grown up. Dixie has a long stride even though she toes out which is kinda a goofy feeling at the walk. So we just headed down the gravel road and Dixie acting like a seasoned trail horse not a 2 year old that has just been ridden a couple times. She turned great and we even had pickups passing us. She kept checking in and wanted to do lateral flexion and we did a lot of stop and backups. Then I got ambitious and was like I wonder how she would do if I asked her to trot...I've only trotted her once when my friend Katie hopped on Cocoa when we were coming back from the river and then I hopped on Dixie...and Dixie trotted to catch up. Well Dixie listens like a dream and immediately breaks into a trot. We trotted for about 10 strides and then I asked her to stop and she broke into a walk and then stopped and we backed up! Her trot was Ah-mazing, very controlled and smooth. Which surprised me the first time she trotted because she toes out...so I thought her trot would be rough but it was wonderful! So much easier to sit than Cocoa's, that's for sure. At that point I got off and then let her eat grass from the ditch! I was so proud of my baby! Walked the rest of the way home and she got a nice juicy apple I picked from the tree.