'Bites' refer to the first part of the outdoor adventure. I shot some more video. I haven't looked at it yet, however, so I can't tell you how it looks. Anyway, I got some more creek shots (overflowed creek, by the way), and some of me standing there blabbing. I'm toying with a 'teaser trailer' idea. I found out that I can turn the LCD screen all the way around and so I can stand in front of the camera and watch myself! That was pretty neat. And no, I'm not being narcissitic--it really is helpful...that way I didn't have to record--then go check where I showed up at in the frame. I also used a filter, so I look forward to seeing how that turned out.

'Bits', 'Bucks', and 'Bounces' refers to the second, more grueling part of the afternoon. I first had to fight the bit into Snip's mouth. I didn't exactly lose my temper, but I came awful close. I'm tired of his dumb fighting. He knows how to take the bit--he just makes me work at it. Brat.

Almost as soon as I got on him and took him through the gate ('the' gate...ha! as many gates as there is on this property that is rather undiscriptive), the bad boy started to actually buck! Now this wasn't any of that half-hearted trying stuff that he's done before, either. I guess I'm an okay horsewoman 'cause I stayed on--even after my feet (or at least one of them) came out of the stirrups. I kept my head and a steady pressure on the reins. I'm a tad sore in a strange place, but I don't know if that is from the bucking or the other almost 'Racheal went flying' moment. That happened at the other end of the pasture.

Snip decided, as he streached his neck into a faster run, that he wanted to go down that little hill to the wet creek area. Uh-huh. Well, all was fine (as far as my seat went) until he skipped through a bull hole and continued his left-ward drift; speeding up as he did so. Left foot took to the sky. I came *this close* (hold up fingers) to cracking my head into the ground again. (If I had, at least it would have been squishy--that whole area is wet and boggy right now.) I hung on to the saddle horn, pulled on the reins, squoze with my knees (as hard as I could while bouncing down a hill), and tried to throw my weight to the left. Well, I guess it worked because I stayed on and got the stinker stopped.

He really wanted to RUN RUN RUN today. So even though it was hot, I ran him. There were no 'sweet Snippy' feelings today. It was 'Boy, you are going to behave.' I was somewhat more forceful--I'm thinking that is what he needs. Reading pro's writing they make it sound so easy: you ask--and give the animal time to respond--but some how I think they do a bit more 'making' the horse behave than they let on. Snip finally decided that he would at least pretend he was paying attention to me. It was after that that I quit. I needed a drink.

Stink pot. Anyhow...it isn't like I have even been naughty! :)

        Racheal




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