LOOK AT MY GORGEOUS GIRL!

Double click on this picture to see it larger. Do it! Doesn't she look great? And yes, I wince when I look at my leg position. I can't tell you the number of times I thought to myself, "Self, your leg is sliding forward. Quit that!" Oy. But there you have it. Ignore that. LOOK AT MY GORGEOUS FILLY!"

Katie and I traveled to a clinic with Mark Rashid last weekend and India was a star! She got lots of compliments for she started out a wild thing and I'm sure that the other riders were thinking, "Oh my, this is a train wreck waiting to happen!" as we zoomed around the large arena as India had a quiet freak. Then a transformation occurred because Chrissy, Mark's wife reminded me of one simple thing, a thing I know but had forgotten and that thing is to breathe. BREATHE! Breathe deeply and I did and India felt the tension release and her tension released and twenty minutes later she had lost that nervous edge and was walking calmly around our end of the arena. We walked for 45 minutes, serpentine and figure eight patterns and worked on our right turns, which started out very bracey and got better and better and then it was our turn to work with Mark and India and I listened and by the end of the first day she was looking like a grown up horse, moving in a collected frame and giving me soft stops and finding that soft spot that every rider dreams about, when the horse is moving well, all in frame, and listening. Quite literally I would think "stop now" and India would. No cues, just my thought translating into her action.

It was the COOLEST THING EVER. And we did it not once, but many times over two days. I can't wait to ride my filly again.

Now I really want to figure out a way to travel to Mark's home in Colorado this summer and participate in one of his week-long clinics. I really hope that this is the week I win the Georgia lottery. Y'all keep your fingers crossed for if I win, I'll take you with me. Hey, this is my fantasy; I can afford to be generous. ;0)

And many thanks to Katie for taking me and India to the clinic in style. We took her Taj Mahorse, a three-horse slant, goose with deluxe living quarters. Oh my! It was so comfortable and warm and sleeping right on the grounds is truly a wonderful thing. I got up an hour and fifteen minutes before the start time and had more than enough time to feed POTU, myself, get dressed, get India dressed and warmed up. What luxury to sleep in. Thank you, Katie!

Tune in later for more. There's plenty, but the dryer needs to be emptied so the next load can go in and I'm just wiped out. Having fun is wonderful, but exhausting. Hope y'all had fun last weekend. Tell me about it!