It's the little things that make the big things...

I just got in from playing with Prince. All I can say is WOW!!!!!! I didn't ride because I just wanted to play on the ground and see what we can improve. I took the old Level 3 task list out with me just to see how well Prince could to the Online tasks. On our way to the riding ring I figured that I could use that big hill to see if Prince would back up it. We walked part way up then I asked him to back up the rest of the hill. Prince did pretty well the first time but when I asked him to do it again he didn't want too. So we played Don't make me move off my spot. Then Prince got more responsive.

I realized that even I needed to take our play up the next stage and advance what we already can do but do it even better. So we worked on our back up, sideways towards me, transitions, change of directions, figure 8's, Weaving from z5 at a trot, leading by the tail and Stick to me.

We started out with Transitions. Prince cantered really well and all of our upward transitions were really good but our downward transitions needed some work. So we played with them till all I had to do was relax and Prince would slow down. Our trot to walk transitions will still need work but they are getting there. Prince cantered 3 laps too!!! Plus there was A LOT of slack in the rope!!!

We then did weaving at the trot from zone 5. Prince trotted most of it then broke gait. Now normally I would just take that because we were almost done but today I asked him to keep trotting and he did. It was really cool because we did it with one line too!!! Prince responded REALLY well to the carrot stick. Even better then I thought he would!!!

Then we did some Figure 8's. Prince will trot around the one barrel and through the middle but then break gait for about 3 steps while he is going around the other barrel. So I wanted to work on that. We got some pretty good figure 8's then I asked Prince to canter through the middle and GUESS WHAT!?!?!?!??! Prince CANTERED through the middle, around the barrel and then went the other way!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was TOTALLY surprised!!!! I was NOT expecting that!!!

I gave Prince a big rest then we went and played with our circles again, doing short range circle at the walk and trot then cantering medium circle then again Prince shocked me when I asked him to change direction at the canter and HE DID!!!! He did a flying lead change too!!!!!!!!!!! Prince looked like he had been doing this more ever!!! It was SO much fun!!!!

I also asked Prince to smell his tail. We didn't quite get it but it should take long before he will get it!!! He is such a fast learner!!!

We went back to the figure 8's and Prince was a lot better. He cantered most of them. But he would pull while he was going around the one barrel so I asked him softly to push his rips to the out side and he did and then stopped pulling!! So every time he would pull I would just ask him to move his rips out of the way and pretty soon we were getting perfect figure 8's!!!!!!

Then we did some stick to me. We did a little bit at the canter but I wanted to focus more on the walk and trot and when those are really good then the canter will come. Prince was so in tune with me it was totally amazing!!!!!!!! We also did leading by the tail. I asked Prince to do it faster too. It is getting there!! We also worked on different things we can do with sideways, we did sideways from zone 5, sideways towards me over a tire, sideways from 15ft away and lots of other cool sideways things!!! We also played around with our draw, how far will Prince come in at a trot, and other things!

After I took the halter off Prince and I played at Liberty a little bit. We did some stick to me, sideways, drawing in at a trot and leading by the tail. Then we just hung out together for a bit before I let him go.

Prince offered me SOOOOOO much today and even when I asked him to do things that we have never done before he tried so hard and in the end we both had a blast!!!!

~K