Here is a photo of my beautiful Violet, being ridden over Thanksgiving 2011 by Emily. And the video shows Renny and Kelsey. So much has happened over the past month. I'm writing this entry on Sunday, October 14th and early in September, St. George switched trainers from Stacey to Jill Jewett. Jill is solidifying everyone's skills and giving excellent training about how to control your horse and place them where you choose. She's working to get me to ride Renny to the base of jumps and count strides and control the length and pace of strides. And she's working to get me to be in charge of Violet who is often bossy and opinionated. And it's been wonderful. Our technical lessons are just so instructive. But this week, Violet and I had a mix of rides -- some really wonderful and some truly wretched. And the wonderful rides were when we just hacked quietly and worked on rhythm, suppleness, and straightness. This past Friday, I went out to the barn early on a cold bright cloudless Fall day and rode her in the outdoor arena. We took time to just stop by the pond and relax. And we worked hard on upward and downward transitions. And it was great. I think Violet would like me to ease up on her -- we've been working so hard. I've decided to take more free rides and hack rides to be bonded and sweet with her and not just ride her in technical tough lessons!