My Test of Savvy

Belle really is my test of savvy. I'm getting some great transitions, change of directions and sideways w/out a fence with Okie, and I've been playing with these tasksfor FAR less time than I have with Belle. Granted, I have not been playing with her consisitently and I really need to do that. She NEEDS to be played with every day, or else she never progresses, which the normal for many horses.

So I had a bit of a BFO today... I know Belle is super sensitive, everything about her says that, right down to the way she reacts to flys and such. So why haven't I adjusted my phases for that?!?!??!?!???? DUH DUH DUH! I thought I had, but not nearly enough, it takes SO little for her to become offended. I'm used to having to use some big phases with Okie and forget to make that switch to my belle phases, which are considerably less pressure. I've pretty much got what a phase one is to her, have yet to see what really is her phase 4. I noticed it today when I was playing the squeeze game with the shed and when I yielded her HQ, she did a sliding stop/turn and threw her head up like "WOAH!!!!!!!! NO NEED TO YELL!!!!" whereas, with okie, that would have been a nice polite yield.

One thing that Belle is being really bad with is rearing. Everytime she doesn't want to do something, or gets confused, she goes up. I ignore it, give her a sec when she comes down and ask again.. I think it's right.. but I'm not really confident about that. The possibility of her rearing while I'm on her back scares me, it always had, so I think until she gets over this rearing thing, me riding her is kinda out of the question, well, it is anyways until we get the arena, which may be never. The rearing never used to be this bad, just has gotten bad because of me not playing with consistently.

I think that I can get through this thing with Belle by myself, but it would be so nice to have some help, to know what to do. I've needed a clinic or something with this horse for a LONG time, but they're are SO expensive.