Bareback and Bitless

I got kind of frustrated with myself during yesterday's lesson. I don't think I was communicating clearly enough or being as confidant as I needed to be with Baby Doll. I had a difficult time getting her to turn right and go straight, as well as backing up.

Baby Doll is a well trained and sensitive horse, so I think I expect her to teach me and/or just be patient while I mess up. She is very patient, but yesterday I think she was trying to tell me something and was getting frustrated that I wasn't getting it.

In addition I was riding in a saddle in the arena and I hadn't done any ground work with her in the round pen first before saddling up. I've ridden Baby Doll on a saddle in the round pen and felt pretty good, but I really prefer to ride her bareback. Lorie doesn't have Baby Doll wear a bit for lessons, so her mouth stays soft, which is good, because Baby Doll is very responsive with a super light touch. I only need to barely touch the reins with my finger to get her to go the way I want, and I never need to use my feet into her sides at all. A cluck or two and we're on our way.

This was so different than the Appendix Q. Horse/T. bred horse I later rode after I finished my lesson with Baby Doll. He is a trail horse on a dude ranch and was there at Lorie's for remedial work. All he wanted to do was plod along, and even that was hard to do. We all took turns on him, Lorie and another gal, and me. The one gal was even wearing mild spurs. We all had to give him some kicks to make him even walk. But he was 'iron-sided' and basically ignored them. He is a neck rein horse, which was a bit different for me to ride that way, but we worked pretty well together a few rounds around the arena, but he acted barn-sour and whenever we got close to the gate he tugged to go thet way.
I have a feeling that he was a line-horse ridden by vacationers with hard hands and feet and he just gave up doing anything other than following the tail in front of him.

Such a stark contrast between that horse and my Baby Doll!

And today while riding bareback and bitless on Baby Doll in the round pen, I realized and was reminded what I was doing wrong yesterday. On Baby Doll's left side, she turns no matter what however she is asked. But on her right side, she balks if too much pressure is used. All that is required is a whisper light finger tap on the reins to get her to turn right. What an epiphany!!

Today was so much more enjoyable. And even in the round pen doing ground work, Baby Doll minded me almost every time I had her change direction or speed. And when I invited her into the middle with me, she came right up and walked by my side and stopped when I stopped. It really felt good to be communicating so easily with my horse.

Lorie took some great pictures of me and my horse today.