The First OFFICIAL Patterns Session

Thanks to the grotesquely Hotter Than The Seventh Circle of Hell days of summer, we have spent a substantial amount of hours doing a whole lot of NOTHING with Jet. This has proven to be worth its weight in 24-karot gold (with platinum trimming). I am absolutely amazed by how just being with Jet and observing him has developed our relationship. We were able to all get to know each other without the hassle of frustration, fighting, injuries, or scary incidents.

Ok, we had a few of those in the beginning. But they were significantly minimal and I firmly believe those miserable sessions are behind us because WE are becoming more emotionally fit and are learning more and more how to deal with frustrations more LB and logically. "It's not about..."

The more time I spend with Jet, either playing games or just loafing with him and Blahnik, the more I in awe I am of how one's horse truly IS a mirror of oneself. Jet and I are alike in ways I never would have guessed. We both need time to think things over when something new happens. We are both extremely sensitive, mentally and physically; we get insulted quickly over nothing, we both crumble under too much, too fast, but we forgive faster than we get upset. When Jet gets claustrophobic, he gets itchy and starts constantly scratching - just as I do. Maybe I'm anthropromorphizing him, maybe what I'm describing sounds meaningless, but I just never realized I would have such subtle things in common with my horse.

We've also had a new little breakthrough that has been causing my mother's and my hearts to soar: the last 3 times we've gone up to Shiloh, Jet's been waiting at the gate for us, ears up, and sticking his nose out for kisses when we arrive.

So, last time we introduced him to the figure eight and Sniff This games. This time we actually put it to the test. The LBI in Jet likes Sniff This, particularly if there is hay or a turd pile at the end of the tunnel. Mom was doing quite nicely showing him the F8 and I saw first-hand what makes it such a good game. Anytime Jet started getting worried because his Lordship was asked to go somewhere before he had time to think about it, he had to turn around. The changing directions kept him VERY focused. Even when he broke into a trot, wanting to get upset and take off, he COULDN'T because he had to keep turning around. So he just kept trotting and dealt with it. Double bonus - a pleasant trot AND he was actually LISTENING to Mom's driving cues, not just throwing it all to the wind because he got worried.

Then it was my turn. By now, Jet had done GORGEOUS F8's for Ma. The two of them even had a blunder and corrected it in record time. The problem (direction change) was solved so fast I almost didn't see it. It was time to hand the reins (pun intended) to me.

To my disadvantage, I haven't watched Online as much as Mom has, since it's been at her house mostly since we bought it. Good thing the segments are short, but Pat needs to be watched, with the sound off, at least a zillion times in order to pick up the subtlties in his hands and body movement. This was really the first time I was trying a F8. And Jet KNEW IT.

Mr. LBE came out. He took my un-skilledness and ran with it. Around the first cone he stopped in front of it, picked it up and flopped it around. I couldn't help it. I just dropped the rope and laughed. Then he turned around to the next cone and proudly demonstrated the same behavior, then trotted merrily behind me. SO naughty, but I couldn't get mad at him for getting playful.
The send was the hardest for me, and I was also driving him in the wrong zone, which was one of the reasons he was going in the opposite way of where I was trying to drive him. It was quite obvious he knew exactly what he was supposed to do around the cones by now but his feeling was, "Oh, I'll go where YOU tell me to. Ha, ha!"

On the third try, Mom yelled, "Zone 2!" at the perfect moment. I waved the carrot stick there and Jet's face literally read, "Rats, she figured it out," but he completed the F8 sans any more funny business. We did one more for good measure, then practiced sidepassing (his sidesteps are getting GORGEOUS. I've been growing more interested in dressage and think he might really enjoy that in the future) before a hay break.

A few minutes into munching, I decided to oil and pick out his feet. His right side was scrunched up parallel to the rail. I thought about how I had to move him over as I walked to that side and, almost as a joke, snapped my fingers and mumbled, "Move over, babe."

HE DID.

These little moments of unity never cease to blow my mind. even for the most mundane tasks. Coincidence? Could be. But I don't believe in coincidence and nothing means nothing to a horse.

We took the boy back to his pasture where an anxious Blahnik was waiting. He hung around long enough to let us cover his Kissy Spot before he spotted a glorious hay pile.

As if the day couldn't have gone better, back at the Mare Motel Jill was riding her gorgeous Fresian, Tanis. We stood around shooting the breeze for a minute when out of the clear blue, Jill asked if I wanted to take Tanis for a spin around the ranch. You'd have thought she'd just told me I won a cruise to Hawaii.

Although my form looked HORRIFIC in the pictures, puttering around the ranch on Tanis only convinced me further that I have GOT to get me one like him someday. Fresians are so laid back, so kind, and it's like riding a sofa. I always say I'm going to buy the Fresian in the Tournament of Kings show. But any future Fresian will have to get along with Jet, and Jet prefers mares. And since Jet gets whatever he wants...