Of puppies and ponies

Yesterday Sasha went to agility class.  I can't believe how much fun it is.  I'm not surprised *she* loves it -- I am surprised how much *I* enjoy it.  hahaha We're still practicing the teeter-totter, now with more speed which goes much better.  But everything else is starting to be put together.  We got to do some courses and it was highly entertaining.  Puppy did everything she was asked to.  Passed with flying colours.

Her handler otoh...  Oh dear.  Off course two...?  three? times.  Omg.  You'd think after the, what?  Couple thousand courses and dessage tests I've memorized over the years an eight-obstacle course would be fairly simple.  And tbh the order of the obstacles wasn't even remotely an issue.  But running the course I'd get pointed slightly the wrong way and send Sasha off to never never land.  And this is why we walk our courses *sigh*   You'd think I'd know better by now >;-P   Not that I didn't know where we were supposed to go, but I didn't manage to convey that info to my wonderful puppy.  hahaha but since *she* didn't get to see the course map ahead of time she still got rewarded and play time.  After all - she went where she was told, it wasn't her fault I didn't tell her to go where I actually wanted her to.  My coach is quite good with the details of how my body alignment directs Sasha and when I can implement them all it goes reasonably well.  hahaha I think that's part of why I'm enjoying it so much -- firstly because it's a lot of fun to play with Sash, esp when she's clearly having a blast.  But also because it's actually an entirely new challenge to learn.  I didn't really expect that, but it is.  So entertaining.

And with the critter I *do* sort of know how to direct, my  lesson this am was somewhat bemusing.  Since my horse is not fit enough to really work for an hour and, quite frankly, doesn't have the attention span either, I don't warm her up before my coach gets there like I usually would.  End result is that if he's early, I'm still tacking up.  So was the case this am and we chatted while I was getting her ready and I put her on the lunge line for a few minutes -- all good.  He put some poles down for her to go over.  No problem.  So I stopped her and was going to turn around and go the other way but I guess paused just a little too long and my coach came over, took the lunge line from me, "let me help with that..."  hahaha oh dear, you know it's been a rough day when...  In what three years?  Four?  I'm not sure exactly but a long while, he's taken over exactly once before (although in that case it was riding rather than lunging).   But since my hands were blocks of ice at this point and I wasn't entirely functioning well I just handed her over and exited the circle.  hahaha warmed myself back up, set a few poles, and eventually when he was done lunging her I got on to ride.  Get less than half way around "are you okay today?"  hahaha I must've been in quite some state.  I know it's been a long week and I'm tired but I didn't think it was *that* bad >;-P

Ah well - I redeemed myself and Lexi chose to behave herself and in the end we had a reasonably good ride.  Still mostly working on forward.  Seriously basic.  Taking me way longer with this mare than anything I've ever started.  Esp as I didn't even really start her - she'd been backed and had two n a half gaits before she came home.  But it is getting better now.  And I suspect when the light goes on, it's *really* going to shine.  But for now three gaits, two directions and zero meltdowns is pretty much all I'm asking for.

This has been....  Quite the week.