A rainy day, so perfect to learn a new skill...video editing. Mike has taught me just enough to be dangerous. While this isn't nearly the quality of a "Michael Troxler Multi Media" production...I shot it and edited 95% of it myself! When he got in from the barn today, poor guy had to immediately sit down and review my work, then explain some of the finer points of editing in Premier...like how to zoom in to the work area on my timeline for starters! Then I learned how to do "cross disolves", create a title and a "fade to black"!
So, here's my first production...Moochie's Solo!
This isn't Moochie's first time out in the big field by himself...it's his 3rd. But I've been working a lot on making him think it's not such a big deal and schooling quite a bit of lateral work in the long lines and in the saddle so that we have a "language" in place to answer Moochie's questions like "how close to I have to go to that scary stuff". So, Moochie's almost mastered cluck means go, and whoa means stop and is coming along on his lateral work like leg yields. I say almost mastered because, if you look very closely you can find a couple of spots where Moochie still debates about submitting to the pressure of the bit (or bosal) when told to stop. It's not a big debate anymore, but he still needs practice to make it second nature to defer to his riders command versus making a debate out of it.
I was thrilled with this ride. BUT! He did get a little bit "pushy" the closer we got to the barn. So, in the interests of having him realize that coming back doesn't mean the work day is done, he finished with work in the arena. Circles at the trot with leg yielding...and then some pushed up trot and a bit of cantering....then....we were done!