Christi and I finally took Sabrina and Cooper up to that place with the training track, cross-country course, etc. We signed our waivers, paid our 10 bucks, and got into horsey Disneyland. It was even better than it looked from the parking lot.
We did a little walking, and a lot of trotting, and some chatting with people, and hopped over a few little cross-rails (OK, Cooper and Christi cantered over them). Then we went around the track once doing some trotting and some cantering (OK, hand galloping, maybe). I think I only had to *ask* Sabrina to trot or canter once or twice - the rest of the time she was volunteering. (Don't remind me that *I* should be the one deciding when to trot - we were just out yahooing today - no discipline anywhere to be seen.)
Then we rode around the cross country course (on the infield of the track) - just looking at the jumps - not jumping them. They have a really nice water jump - it's about a 20' square, about a foot deep, with a little jump on one side. It's fed with fresh water (pumped from the lake), so it's not gross. I asked Sabrina to trot through it - no dice - too many lake weeds. I didn't want to just forget about it, and she usually likes to play in water, so I kept asking her to approach it. Once she got used to the idea she figured she could drink out of it, and while she was drinking she discovered that lakeweed is edible. She was slurping up globs of green slime, like a hippo. Then she was willing to walk in, and did her usual PAW-PAW-PAW in the water, splashing it everywhere, and I couldn't get her to walk out of it. PAW-PAW-PAW Big goof! And Christi starting yelling "Linda, she's going down! KICK!" So I'm kicking and yelling and swatting her on the butt, and I can feel her knees buckling - so I take the long end of the reins (I *never* do this) and smack her on the butt with 'em. She finally agreed to slowly walk out. Christi said Sabrina had her butt halfway down, and was pretty serious about laying in the water. That was close. Someday I'll be glad I have a synthetic saddle.
I hadn't cantered Sabrina much before - just little bursts on trails - so this was kinda to find out how she'd handle it. I didn't know if she'd get carried away and buck, just for fun, or get really carried away and refuse to slow down. She did good. :-) She's as disobedient, fast (er... "forward"), and strong-willed at the canter as she is in the rest of life, but she is willing to (eventually) slow down, go generally in the direction I ask, and she didn't buck at all. She does like to get her head down and GO though. Wahoo. I hadn't felt safe letting her get up much speed before, 'cause I didn't know if I could stop her, but now I feel pretty good about it. This was a great place to try it, 'cause if she wanted to run all day, we had the room to do it safely.
By the way, the footing there was *heaven* - everywhere too, not just in the arenas and the track, but everywhere inbetween, too. No rocks, no hard spots, no gopher holes. Wow. Y'know how I always let Sabrina roll after a workout? Well this was definitely the nicest, softest, cushiest stuff ever to roll in. :-) She went over, and over, and over - and made sure to get every inch of her body, neck, face, everything, totally covered in wonderful, dusty dirt.
Now I just have to work all day Sunday 'cause I was playing hookey today. Small price to pay. :-)
We're definitely going back there. :-) Thanks for letting me share. I hope you all get to go out yahooing this weekend. Linda