My Ponies Are So Hard Done By

Lesson Recap:

Me: "I just can't even."
Bridget: "I can't either."
Me: "Cut me some slack?"
Bridget: "No, I hate you."

The end. Somehow we both got a great workout by accomplishing absolutely nothing beyond being frustrated with each other :)

Ginger Update:

We've been marketing her towards an experienced, motivated rider, because although she is the kindest mare around, she's really fussy about her rider. 

EC is totally going with the opposite approach and "poor" Ginger is in bootcamp to be an easier ride for the average person. She's currently getting ridden every day by a different rider, and the end plan is to put even the less advanced kids on her. Essentially, the expectation is that she is just going to have to suck it up and deal with less than perfect riders and less than familiar or predictable faces and surroundings.

This look is the one you can expect if she doesn't know you and you ask her to do something. It's about 99% successful in getting people to back down/scratch her ears/feed her treats/tell her she's a good girl. True story, she's convinced multiple people she has never been blanketed/tied/had her feet handled/worn tack/had some kind of abusive past, etc, etc. Nope, she just knows how to trick new people and work her cuteness to her advantage.

 I have no idea why none of us have considered this as an option before. It's always been just the accepted thing that she's sensitive and needs someone experienced. Every single trainer that's ridden or helped me has told me that. Yet when EC basically says we are spoiling/limiting Ginger's options by catering to that...it really rings true for me. Particularly when I consider how easily she gets people she doesn't know to back off/do what she wants (pets, treats, loving) on the ground when she is perfectly capable of being a big girl and calmly doing anything I ask of her without drama. It would make sense that would carry over in the saddle too. 

So traumatized. Don't believe it for a second.

Sad, neglected, hard done by pony whinnied for me today when I pulled into the barn. I must remain strong...I must not give into her powers of manipulation via her needy adorableness ;)