Blog Hop: Appreciating What You Have

I've been meaning to participate in several of Viva Carlos's awesome blog hops, but life has gotten in the way each time: by the time I can sit down to participate in one, the next one has rolled out! L. Williams, thank you for these blog hops! I love getting to "meet" new bloggers through these!

Let's take a moment to appreciate the Pros of our current ponies, whether you own them or just ride them in lessons.

Lily has so many pros, many that I have come to take for granted.

- Best ground manners of any horse, ever. She is very responsive to body language, always politely staying "in her box", never ever crowding you. This is not just with me: she is like this with anyone who handles her. There have been rare moments when she's spooked or acted out at the end of the lead line (I can count these moments in one hand), and even then she has still stayed at the end of the lead line. She came to me already like this and it is a quality that has been easy to maintain.

Walking with Charles

- She is absolutely perfect for having her feet handled, even when there is other stuff going on in the barn. I have been known to sit on the ground with a hoof in my lap to trim her bars. (Kids, don't try this at home.)

I mean, seriously.

- She is not an in-your-pocket kind of horse, but she is very, very sweet, especially for a mare! She has never, ever tried to bite, is never mouthy, and she loves head hugs, even though she won't seek them out.

Like I said, sweetest mare ever.

- I have never met a horse that can move laterally so easily. She taught me lateral work; I had never been able to get a horse to do this properly and I've learned the cues with her. I am not kidding. If I don't ask correctly, if my posture is not correct when requesting it, I'll either get the opposite of what I want or an angry swished tail with pinned ears. "Nope, try again."

Lateral movement, even from the ground!

- She is incredibly sensitive to what I'm feeling to the point where I used to consider this a con. She has taught me to check any irritation/frustration at the door. If she's overreacting to something I'm doing, I've learned to take a step back and assess what I'm feeling, what I'm projecting at her. 99.9% of the time, it really is me. Having to be more cautious and analytical about my emotions is something that has positively influenced the way I interact with people and other animals, especially at work. It's given me the ability to read Lily better and also the ability to read people and other animals better without the use of words.

- She used to trust me on the ground more than anywhere else. I could walk through fire and she'd follow. Not only that, I can send her forward to confront things, be it jumps, bridges, water crossings, mud, or the entrance to the field. I stand aside, point, maybe cluck, and on she goes ahead, then turns around and waits for me. She now trusts me in the saddle as well. I feel like we are an invincible team when I ride her now.

- She will willingly work in the arena for me, but man she loves those trails, especially now that she is not afraid anymore. One of my goals with her has been to be able to do pretty much anything with her, and so far, so good. There is a bunch of stuff that I still want to  at least try with her, one of them being cutting/sorting. I think she'd have a ball chasing cattle once she realized what it's about.

Arena work

Pointy attentive ears!

- The fact that this mare inspired me enough to start this blog. I say it regularly, but it never ceases to amaze me the number of people I've met and the things I've tried and done thanks to the Blogosphere. There is something very special about knowing there is a group of people out there that not only enjoys reading our story, they really care. Thank you guys. :')