Thoughts on lessons

Every week or so, my person, Katie, rides me in this thing called a lesson. This is when Amy Barn Owner tells Katie how to ride me better. Sometimes, like today, Amy Barn Owner rides me before Katie. This is weird, because Katie is usually the only one to ride me, so I tell the People this by tail swishes and I look at Katie to make sure she is okay with this (she doesn't care). Amy Barn Owner rides me to figure out what kind of riding makes me work best, so she can better teach Katie. She asks for harder stuff than Katie does.

Over the course of these lessons, as well as generally being ridden, I have discovered something very important! When you try to say "I don't want to do that, I do what I want!" you get rein pulls, leg bumps and more working. This is not fun, so you make more grumps about it, but it only makes more work for you.

But, when you try what the rider is asking, even if you don't get it right, as long as you try, the asking goes away and you get "Good girl"'s and shoulder scritches. Also, even when the thing they ask you to do is hard (like trot with a bend and with one's head down, versus in the sky, like is my first preference), it usually feels better! When your head is in the air, it hurts your back and shoulder and hips, but when you use your back, it takes pressure away!

Dis ma game face - bring on the trots!

So I have decided I like shoulder scritches and "good girl"s and less ouches better than rein pulls, leg bumps and more work. So I think I will do what the People ask me from now on. With exceptions, of course. ;)

Good girls get their forelock braided! :)