Sorry it's been so long bloggers, but the Girls had to take a little breather after all that hard work. With Bec preparing to leave and business to attend to, things have been a little slow out at the Ranch, but not with the Cowboy Girls. Here's a look at August 10, our last team practice.
Brandi with Jesse
Bec and Alyssa with Cisco
Aly with Buddy
Jennifer with Wyatt
Bec with Taos
Life Lessons Learned on Horseback
While recounting old stories about the Ranch, before many of the group had been born, Jennifer noted that a lot has changed since the time she joined the Ranch. One thing that hasn't changed is the level of horsemanship that needs to be executed in order to maintain the standard set by Riata Ranch. Since taking over and having the professional career of 33 years and couting, Jennifer has set the bar a little bit higher this year with horsemanship. Not only do the girls have to trick ride, they have to use the skills taught to them throughout their lives to communicate with the horses; read the horse, feel the horse and think just like the horse. Horsemanship is not only a requirement for a Riata Ranch Cowboy Girl; it's a necessity.
Overview of Trick Riding
Today was a great day for everyone. Progress is a mountain that we climb by putting one foot in front of the other. The group did much like many practices before and continued on to deviate from the normal trick riding pattern. Using stops, circles and bending, the horses were asked to be soft and supple; riders alert and keyed in to their horses.
Buddy did well with this exercise. Bending around the pressure isn't Buddy's favourite task, and that's exactly what Aly asked him to do today. After a long, tiring workout for the both of them, Buddy worked excellent into the bridle, and rounded very nicely. Later, he ran smoothly for Aly as she worked on some vaulting skills, and again for Bec as she tried out shoulder stand.
Jennifer put Wyatt through his paces, and once again ladies and gentlemen, this is not an easy horse to ride. He hasn't had much riding besides trail riding, so it's like starting from square one. His biggest obstacle to overcome is collecting himself, using his body to give impulsion and drive into his lope. Who better a rider to help him than Jennifer?
Brandi and Jesse worked on station issues today. Jesse is the most honest running horse on the team; he knows his job and does it with little to no hesitation. Brandi has been noticing that Jesse tends to lean away towards station; that he wants to do his job as fast as possible and be done with it. Brandi had a great day with Jesse.
Bec and Taos make an amazing team. They really work as one, rider blending seamlessly with horse. Taos is such a sensitive horse that if one shifts weight ever so slightly, it will cue him to switch leads. We found that out the hard way, wondering WHY Taos was crossfiring in the back! But with her usual horse sense, Bec zoned in on the problem and had him straightened back out. She also trick rode a little on Buddy, and has improved so much on her vaults.
Alyssa is a fantastic girl, and each day gets better and better. She worked on her stroud layout today with Cisco, and was right back into her old ways. Cisco ran very true in the trick riding, but is a sneaky devil in the riding. He senses a rider's weak spots and exploits them, leaving Alyssa on the wrong lead a few times. With encouragement from the senior girls, Alyssa had him back on the correct lead in no time.
It's always great to get back out to the Ranch and work with the horses. The air and the sun combined with the good feeling coming from the work done really cheers the soul.
No comments:
Post a Comment