Back on Track

My fundamentals are mostly back in place.  Once again I can play all the really basic seven games on a 12' line without opposition reflex.  Today Cal almost made it through the squeeze from the house pasture to the upper pasture with me.  I'm feeling pretty good about our progress.  It may seem silly all the little stuff, but I know Cal's confidence is the big issue here.  If he's confident when we play, we progress like crazy.  Unfortunately, I get those spells where I'm impatient and agressive and ruin his confidence.  So it's important that I make sure we've got a good foundation and that he feels safe leaving the herd with me and going through the scary places in our yard.

My hope is that at the end of this week I'll be able to take him to the arena confidently, and be able to start spending some more time riding.  I just really need to remind myself to not have expectations.

Yesterday I went out and it was wickedly windy out.  I played, and things went well, but I knew if I pushed him too hard, because he was already on the edge, it would just be a disaster.  So I used the day as a retreat.  I didn't go for progress in anything, but just did the easy things we're working on.

I need to remember that there are times when you have to go back and take it slow.  It's okay to have a down day, to relax and not push the comfort zone.  And to realize that the comfort zone can shrink somedays, and recognizing and acknowledging that will help it grow in the end.