And The Attitude Returns!!

When I went to the barn last night it wasn't raining so I put MissFire in the round pen and turned some of the other horses out in the arena. She was happy to be out, but really wanted to play with the others. I don't think she is ready for that. She must be feeling more comfortable because I caught her rolling in the really wet soupy sand. She looks like a mess now!

Well after chores were done and the others were in their stalls eating I put MissFire to work. So far she has been pretty easy to work with but last night she took a turn. I was asking her to move out in the round pen and all I was getting was hind feet flying in my direction. I had a lariat in my hand that I would swing in her direction. When that wasn't working I would toss it towards her hind end. I finally had to get a lunge whip to get my distance from her. She was kicking to kill and running backwards to do it. All I could think of was John Lyons saying you will know who's in charge in the round pen, you or the horse. Well I wasn't! Once I got the lunge whip and could be aggressive farther away I finally got some forward movement and felt like I was taking the reins again. We worked quite a while before I asked her to whoa and let me walk up to her. Surprisingly after the intensity of the workout she let me walk right up to her and pet her.

We then took a walk around the arena to cool down (both of us), we checked out all the scary cones and barrels. She never turns and runs when something is scary. She snorts and leans back then stretches way out.

Overall it was a good night. It was something I saw coming, I just didn't know when. Oh and yes I know she is a muddy mess. If you think she is muddy you should have seen what I looked like! I think I was worse off. I was going to go back out after she dried last night to brush her but I never made it. When I went to say Good Morning she greeted me with both hind feet! Gotta love them!! Up until this morning she has been really good at only giving me her face. She hadn't even put her hind end towards me. Oh well....