With Cathy & Bow at Wilder Ranch

So.  I decided several months ago that I wanted to do NATRC with Sunny.  The last ride of the season is 10 October, and I sent in our application, so I’m now in the “What have I done?!” stage.  I’ve really been trying to get Sunny out and about, and on the trail, to develop both muscles and savoir faire.  Our latest adventures were with Cathy & Bow (above) at Wilder Ranch State Park, and with Sylvia & Doolitter (below) at Salinas State Beach.  We have had great rides both times and we got invited back, so we think that our chaperones had good times, too. 

Sylvia & Doolittle at Salinas State Beach

Anyhow.  Bow boards at one of the most beautiful facilities I’ve ever seen. It’s on a bluff overlooking Monterey Bay; the Bay is probably less than a mile from the ranch, and the view is wide open.  Also, the ranch features an extensive obstacle course, complete with carwash. 

When we got there, and Sunny got out of the trailer, she was as fired up as I’ve ever seen her – she acted like an Arab, for cripe’s sake!  I hand-walked her around for about 10 minutes, with no change, so I decided to pull up my socks, saddle her up, and get on with the ride.  We marched back to the trailer and she danced around while I got out her tack, leaving me wondering if this was a good idea or not. 

However, the instant the saddle pad hit her back, she was back to Sleepy Sunny again.  I hand-walked her to the trailhead, just because I was a little concerned, but she was back in her body.  The ride was totally new to her, she led and followed, we ran into hikers and very polite mtn bikers (I’m dreading the day when we meet a jerk on a bike), and crossed a very loud wooden bridge - and she was practically perfect.  She was definitely on high alert, but she listened to my leg and rein and was a polite partner for Bow, as far as I could see. 

A few days later, Sylvia & Doolittle and Sunny & I trailered out to the beach for a ride.  When we pulled into the parking lot, there were already 3 horse trailers there.  I was really concerned about what would happen as we all left at different times. The answer is: nothing. Sunny didn’t appear to notice.  Again, as soon as I started tacking her up, she exhaled and settled.  Again, on the ride, she was dubious about my choice of “trails”, but she went along with the plan, although their were way too many birds and waves.  (We didn’t get wet – but there’s always next time!)

Finally to the point of this post:  after thinking about it, then reading MB’s post about habits, I think that Sunny has developed a “waggle”.  It’s a thing that golfers do: a sequence that they run through before each shot – so, for example,  they’ll take their stance, look at the target, take one half swing, settle their left foot, then right, look at the target, then, and only then, start their actual swing. 

Every good player has their own waggle; the key is that they do it for EVERY shot. The idea is that by the time you’ve finished the waggle, muscle memory will have taken over and you’ll always make your same patterned swing, pressure won’t get to you.  Tennis players do it, too, when they serve, and I’m sure if I knew more about other sports, I’d recognize it there, too.  And I think that getting the saddle pad on her back is Sunny’s waggle – once that happens, she can predict what’s coming next, and she knows that we can handle it. 

Based on this, I’m trying to figure out what other waggles I can set up to relieve Sunny’s anxiety, for example, when she got out of the trailer at Bow’s place.  I’m hoping I can figure out a repeatable sequence to get her quickly to the same mindset that she has when the saddle pad goes on.

So.  MB – what do you think?  Is this a reasonable interpretation of her behavior?  Any suggestions as to easy patterns to work?

PS. For Wilder Ranch fans, we got to Wilder via a connecting trail to Cowboy Trail, then climbed on Englemann’s, went across the ridge on Wilder Ridge Trail, then back to Cowboy.  And that IS the Bay you can see in the distance.