Here is a beautiful photo and video of Violet working with the talented Emily on January 3rd! I'm writing this entry on January 21st, and my beautiful girl and I have had a rocky start to the year. We have some truly amazing rides and days together and then some crappy ones. I know she and I are both tired of the indoor arena and that we are trying newer more difficult tasks, but we've got to get braver about the gates. I think what's happening is that she knows that she can get my goat by acting afraid of the gate (and thus get out of work), and also that she can tell that I am afraid of the gate, AND, worst of all, she gets punished at the gate routinely -- by my stiffening up, holding her tight, pulling at her mouth, etc. She hates it. I know that if I am going to have a good obedient mare who can work at hunter fences and dressage that I've got to learn how to be disciplined and firm with a good strong inside leg and not ride her face so hard. And I've got to be firm about going by the gate without transmitting thoughts of fear to her or preemptively sending her messages of fear or freezing up on her. I've got to be patient!