Marsy the sniffer!

     I got Marsan out today and my, we had a great time!  At first things went slow, but going slow paid off.  As always I did some friendly with her, rubbing her legs and swinging the cs* over her head without touching her(she doesn't like that very much).  After friendly we did circles which seem to be very hard for Marsy.  For quite a time I was completely stumped over how to get her to go a whole circle.  Again and again I let her come, in or waited long periods of time for her to blow out or chew(she did a couple of times, but she could never complete one lap.  I was near frustration when I a last had the common sense to just ask her to continue one whenever she stopped.  I know this is a rather abnormal thing to do, but when I brought her back to me, she licked and was quite LB.  I think that is how she really was for the whole circling thing, she knew she could just come in or stand still and she prefered it.  Hmmmmmmmm, I guess I shall see the affects this had next time we revisit circling.


     After all of the circling we had a pleasant little break.  Then I got my helmet, checked her lateral flexion on both sides, and mounted.  This is the point at which I was most astonished.  Once I had determined that she should head toward the road and had directed her that way with the reins she went without a hitch.  This is rather hard for me to believe because normally she resist stubbornly about going onto the road.  Once we were out there I decided to throw a treat so we could go find it and she could eat it LOL.  I do this with her on the ground all of the time and she loves it, so why not from on top of her.  We went to the treat and stood there with her not knowing that it was on the ground.  Just as a whim, I reached up to her pole(between her ears) and pressed gently.  She dropped  her head obediently and of course found the treat.  After that she could not be convinced to stop sniffing everywhere.  I could feel her sides heaving much the way a dog's does when it's panting.  I played the passenger and let her wander at will and she did wander.  First to one side of the road, then to the other, and back the way we came.  I did at last take control and ask her to go as far as she dared up toward the house, but a gust of wind blew up behind her and she spooked a little, so we both thought it best to go back toward the barn.  I never quite got her to give me her full attention, but it was fun to sit on her and follow all of her silly paths.