Here is a video of what Prince and I were up to in early December, before all the snow got here ;)
Naturally,
~Keri-Lynn
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
The Game of Contact - Day Three
Today was day three. I was only able to do bridling and bit isolations as circumstances didn't allow me to do anything else.
Bridling was good. Prince is starting to go directly for the bit instead of exploring most of the bridle looking for a treat. That is an improvement. Prince didn't mouth the bit as much as I was doing everything up either. Another improvement. Bit isolations were amazing! Prince was light and was stretching even more!
I also tried using the reins. Just to get a feel for what that would be like. At first Prince assumed lateral flexion but with some patient persistence he got it and would stretch nice and low. After I played with getting Prince to seek the bit even more and actually take it all by himself. He caught on fairly quickly. I did have to raise it a little once he had taken it as he kept dropping it but after a few tries he was able to take it all by himself and keep it. Also Prince had learned in the past to invade me space, with his head and neck, a little while I unbridled him so we played with him keeping his head/ neck straight and still low. He figured it out and so we ended with a really nice bridling and unbridling.
I started playing with bridling with Twosox as he was curious about it all. It took a few times before he figured out how to get the treat, and it was not by pushing the bit away and taking it ;) The last one was really nice and smooth! So we ended on that one.
Anyways, tomorrow is my last full day at home before back to work I go for the rest of the week. So I am really hoping to be able to ride! I want to play with some Game of Contact stuff with Prince, and Lord willing ride Twosox and maybe Knightly. My plan is to focus on their freestyle for the next few months and get that going well and build on their foundation.
Until tomorrow!
Naturally,
~Keri-Lynn
Bridling was good. Prince is starting to go directly for the bit instead of exploring most of the bridle looking for a treat. That is an improvement. Prince didn't mouth the bit as much as I was doing everything up either. Another improvement. Bit isolations were amazing! Prince was light and was stretching even more!
I also tried using the reins. Just to get a feel for what that would be like. At first Prince assumed lateral flexion but with some patient persistence he got it and would stretch nice and low. After I played with getting Prince to seek the bit even more and actually take it all by himself. He caught on fairly quickly. I did have to raise it a little once he had taken it as he kept dropping it but after a few tries he was able to take it all by himself and keep it. Also Prince had learned in the past to invade me space, with his head and neck, a little while I unbridled him so we played with him keeping his head/ neck straight and still low. He figured it out and so we ended with a really nice bridling and unbridling.
I started playing with bridling with Twosox as he was curious about it all. It took a few times before he figured out how to get the treat, and it was not by pushing the bit away and taking it ;) The last one was really nice and smooth! So we ended on that one.
Anyways, tomorrow is my last full day at home before back to work I go for the rest of the week. So I am really hoping to be able to ride! I want to play with some Game of Contact stuff with Prince, and Lord willing ride Twosox and maybe Knightly. My plan is to focus on their freestyle for the next few months and get that going well and build on their foundation.
Until tomorrow!
Naturally,
~Keri-Lynn
Monday, January 23, 2012
The Game of Contact - The beginning of the journey.
Hello all! I know, it has been a while!
I have decided to start blogging a little more regularly. Mainly regarding my journey with the Game of Contact. Having no traditional background before Parelli Finesse is my weakest savvy. I know that just like the other three savvies this one will be just as much as a learning experience and that is why I am so thankful for the Game of Contact home study program that will be walking me through it. Needless to say, I am very excited and looking forward to taking this next step in my horsemanship journey.
Prince and I have just started as the DVD's just arrived the other day. We are still playing with getting him to want to be bridled and also bit isolations. We had been playing previously with bridling so we already had that going well. Prince was putting effort into taking the bit so that he could get the treat.
As for the bit isolation, they are going well. Day one was good. Outwardly Prince seemed to be ignoring me but I know that on the inside he wasn't, his wheels were turning no doubt. Mrs. Parelli's line of "It is not 'if' but 'when' " kept running through my mind. I knew that it was doing to work and it was just going to take time. I was playing for tomorrow. After about fifteen minutes of slowly putting on the pressure and then releasing the instant Prince thought about moving his head down he started putting a little bit more effort into trying and we ended when he was responded at a much lighter phase. I would have kept going but I was frozen as it was -25 (Celsius).
Today was Day Two and although it was pouring rain we still had a great session. It was proven that Prince was thinking last day although on the outside it looked like paint drying, it was very interesting paint drying though I must add. I loved every minute of it! Being an introvert myself I can identify with my introverted horses.
So today Prince was eager to see the bridle and enthusiastic about taking it. Bit Isolations were instant! All I had to do was put the slightest bit of pressure on the bit and his head when down! Perfect! To advance it I looked for Prince to put a little bit more effort into really putting his head down instead of just a little tiny bit down. Prince caught on really fast and so we ended and played a little bit with getting more understanding in regards to bridling. Prince is eager to get the treat but isn't quite going straight for the bit, he is more going for the bridle, verses the bit. We played with that and after a couple times Prince was actually picking up the bit by himself with softness and understanding.
There you have it, day one and two of playing with some of the beginning stages of stage one in the Game of Contact!
Naturally,
~Keri-Lynn
 |
| Fall 2011 ~ Dabbling in finesse |
Prince and I have just started as the DVD's just arrived the other day. We are still playing with getting him to want to be bridled and also bit isolations. We had been playing previously with bridling so we already had that going well. Prince was putting effort into taking the bit so that he could get the treat.
 |
| Sept~ Fawn Anderson clinic |
Today was Day Two and although it was pouring rain we still had a great session. It was proven that Prince was thinking last day although on the outside it looked like paint drying, it was very interesting paint drying though I must add. I loved every minute of it! Being an introvert myself I can identify with my introverted horses.
 |
| September ~ Level 3/4 Clinic ~ Playing with some finesse |
So today Prince was eager to see the bridle and enthusiastic about taking it. Bit Isolations were instant! All I had to do was put the slightest bit of pressure on the bit and his head when down! Perfect! To advance it I looked for Prince to put a little bit more effort into really putting his head down instead of just a little tiny bit down. Prince caught on really fast and so we ended and played a little bit with getting more understanding in regards to bridling. Prince is eager to get the treat but isn't quite going straight for the bit, he is more going for the bridle, verses the bit. We played with that and after a couple times Prince was actually picking up the bit by himself with softness and understanding.
There you have it, day one and two of playing with some of the beginning stages of stage one in the Game of Contact!
Naturally,
~Keri-Lynn
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Ruffian and Twosox - Together Online
Here is a video of my second session of playing with Ruffian and Twosox:
Naturally,
~Keri-Lynn
Naturally,
~Keri-Lynn
Monday, October 31, 2011
Hello!
Hello all! Some exciting things are quite possibly on there way but I shall let you all know when things become more definite!
I have been quite busy lately and just now enjoying having three weeks off from work as the restuarant if closed for hunting season! I knew there was a reason I liked hunting season ;)
Anyways, in my spare time I put together a video with some footage from this fall. It highlights some of the things we have been playing with recently...
The weather is getting colder and with it comes the expectation of snow, I am looking forward to it but at the same time I know certain things that can be so easily taken for granted shall be revealed... such as warm toes :)
Nevertheless November shall be upon us very shortly and so with all do regard, let us wish it in well and enjoy the prospect of Christmas and all that snow soon upon us.
Have a wonderful November!
Naturally,
~Keri-Lynn
I have been quite busy lately and just now enjoying having three weeks off from work as the restuarant if closed for hunting season! I knew there was a reason I liked hunting season ;)
Anyways, in my spare time I put together a video with some footage from this fall. It highlights some of the things we have been playing with recently...
The weather is getting colder and with it comes the expectation of snow, I am looking forward to it but at the same time I know certain things that can be so easily taken for granted shall be revealed... such as warm toes :)
Nevertheless November shall be upon us very shortly and so with all do regard, let us wish it in well and enjoy the prospect of Christmas and all that snow soon upon us.
Have a wonderful November!
Naturally,
~Keri-Lynn
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Putting our principles to a purpose, and having FUN!
Firstly, I must apologize for the lack of updates. Life has been a roller-coaster of events and so much has happened of late that it would be hard to even begin to write it down. Prince and I are preparing for the clinic that is approaching at a very very quick pace and along with that, a wide range of emotions.
For the past two weeks Prince and Twosox have been staying at a friends place. I am overwhelmed by how well Twosox is doing and how far he has come in the past two weeks having had the consistency of being played with and ridden almost everyday. He truly is a special horse with a lot of potential.
I will leave you with this short video taken on Saturday of Prince and I playing with something very exciting and fun, this is day one of putting some principles to a purpose and let me say this, we both had a lot of fun doing so!
Naturally,
~Keri-Lynn
For the past two weeks Prince and Twosox have been staying at a friends place. I am overwhelmed by how well Twosox is doing and how far he has come in the past two weeks having had the consistency of being played with and ridden almost everyday. He truly is a special horse with a lot of potential.
I will leave you with this short video taken on Saturday of Prince and I playing with something very exciting and fun, this is day one of putting some principles to a purpose and let me say this, we both had a lot of fun doing so!
Naturally,
~Keri-Lynn
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Approach and Retreat
When you hear the term "Approach and Retreat" in Parelli Land we normally think about taking a scary ball away from the horse and then bringing it toward him then retreating with it, walking away before walking toward, finding the threshold and then moving back, etc which are all correct and properly used. But recently I have learned to apply that same term in a slightly different way while playing with Prince.
It is amazing the impact it makes for Prince when we play with something, then leave it and go play with something else, then come back to it a while later and play with it again, normally on the opposite side as the first time. Doing this has made a huge difference in each of our patterns especially if Prince has a hard time getting it one way and neither him or I really want to attempt it on the other side right after. So I have adopted the strategy and what a difference!
As an example, recently Prince and I were playing with bridling. We started our session with this and at first although Prince wasn't really resisting it, he wasn't to thrilled about it either. So I would ask him to take the bit and then give him treats, thus giving him incentive to take the bit with a little more effort and enthusiasm the next time, and also giving him a good impression of it over all. The next time around he was a little bit better and slightly more willing to participate with the whole process. I decided that it was a good time to leave it and go play with something else. Then after we had finished playing with another pattern we came back to bridling and Prince was much more willing to take the bit, to the extent that he was reaching for it and asking for the bit even before I had everything in the proper place, he wasn't being rude but you could tell that he was definitely interested in having it in his mouth.
It just confirmed in my mind that this
is a great way for me to approach advancing things with Prince because it keeps things interesting and fun! Even more so when it comes to riding. Neither Prince or myself find cantering Follow the rail to the left and then having to do it to the right directly after that very interesting, although it is important build to being able to do that eventually. But this way Prince stays interested and offers way more on the second try.
So maybe give it a try the next time you go out and play! We want our horses to be equal on both sides but that doesn't mean we have to do each side directly after the other, especially for those Left brain horses that like variety ;) Keep things interesting, give yourself and your horse some time to lick and chew over it and chances are, he will have a better understanding of the pattern when you come back to it, if you have ended on a good note the first time, make sure to get that some sort of improvement before leaving it.
Naturally,
~Keri-Lynn
It is amazing the impact it makes for Prince when we play with something, then leave it and go play with something else, then come back to it a while later and play with it again, normally on the opposite side as the first time. Doing this has made a huge difference in each of our patterns especially if Prince has a hard time getting it one way and neither him or I really want to attempt it on the other side right after. So I have adopted the strategy and what a difference!
As an example, recently Prince and I were playing with bridling. We started our session with this and at first although Prince wasn't really resisting it, he wasn't to thrilled about it either. So I would ask him to take the bit and then give him treats, thus giving him incentive to take the bit with a little more effort and enthusiasm the next time, and also giving him a good impression of it over all. The next time around he was a little bit better and slightly more willing to participate with the whole process. I decided that it was a good time to leave it and go play with something else. Then after we had finished playing with another pattern we came back to bridling and Prince was much more willing to take the bit, to the extent that he was reaching for it and asking for the bit even before I had everything in the proper place, he wasn't being rude but you could tell that he was definitely interested in having it in his mouth.
It just confirmed in my mind that this
is a great way for me to approach advancing things with Prince because it keeps things interesting and fun! Even more so when it comes to riding. Neither Prince or myself find cantering Follow the rail to the left and then having to do it to the right directly after that very interesting, although it is important build to being able to do that eventually. But this way Prince stays interested and offers way more on the second try.
So maybe give it a try the next time you go out and play! We want our horses to be equal on both sides but that doesn't mean we have to do each side directly after the other, especially for those Left brain horses that like variety ;) Keep things interesting, give yourself and your horse some time to lick and chew over it and chances are, he will have a better understanding of the pattern when you come back to it, if you have ended on a good note the first time, make sure to get that some sort of improvement before leaving it.
Naturally,
~Keri-Lynn
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