Talk about energy!

June 12 2009

I played with Ruffy this morning! He had so much energy!! At first all he wanted to do was canter and gallop around so I let him but I every once and a while I would ask him to go faster or slower, change direction, go around something etc just to keep it all interesting.

It was interesting to see that Ruffy has gotten a lot better and listening to your body and not just the rope or stick. One thing that I caught myself doing was using my rope to much i.e. when I wanted him to stop or if he wasn't doing a downward transitions etc I would use my rope and then Ruffy would put his head high and brace against it. Hmmmmmm How interesting! So I started using my carrot stick more and Ruffy got so much better! He really started to get in tune with me and then I hardly needed to use my carrot stick or rope!!

After a bit I switched the game. We worked on Weaving. I wanted to directed his energy even more so we started at the trot but then he had this look on his face like he had no idea what to do so we slowed down and did it at a walk then when he got really good at the walk we went to the trot and he got it!!

I knew that Ruffy probably wouldn't jump the barrels standing on end [not that he couldn't but before when my sister has asked him to jump them when they are standing on end Ruffy hasn't] So what I did was I put two barrels standing on end and then one barrel lying between them but I made it so there was just a small gap for Ruffy to jump through. Then we walked away from the barrels [it is not about the barrels] and we started a traveling circle game. Then I just put the barrels in Ruffy's way. The first couple times he just went in between me and the barrels but that was more my fault because I didn't line it up right. Then one time Ruffy was cantering towards the barrels and when he got to then he stopped, looked at them then leaped right over them!!!! I mean he like leaped from a stand still about 4ft in the air, landed on the other side and looked at me like "Bet you didn't think I could do THAT" hehe I was rather shocked to say the least!! It was SO cool!! I have seen Ruffy jump the barrels when they were in the exact same way but he never cleared it like that!!

Then since I wanted to in some way advance our Online we did some zone 4/5 driving. Ruffy was a lot more confident then he was in the winter [thanks to my sister doing a lot of friendly in zone 5] We walked a long the fence then everyone and I while I would stop and back up. Ruffy did everything I wanted! It was great!!

Then before I let Ruffy go I wanted to do some Liberty. So I took the halter off. Ruffy trotted tot he other side of the riding ring and started eating so I started walking towards zone 5. Then he turned and faced me so I walked away he came up to me. I knew that he would probably leave again because we weren't in a round corral. He did. So I decided that it was no use trying to get him back because he will just leave again. So I started running with him. Then one time I stopped really fast and Ruffy did the same!! Then I started running again, Ruffy did the same. I had caught Ruffy and I wasn't even trying!!!! Then we changed directions and went the other way. Ruffy was glued to me!! He didn't even try leaving!! Then one time I just "put" the barrels in the way and Ruffy flew right over them!!!!

We went over to the gate and I let him go he slowly walked down the hill. We only played for 30 minutes but it was amazing!! I wasn't sure what Ruffy would be like since I hadn't played with him in a while but he was fabulous!!!

~K