May 24 2010
Today I welcomed myself to a new level of conscious incompetence! I will go into details a little later on but basically I am learning that I have gotten Prince to be light and now I am basically yelling at him... anyways more on that later!
Mom and I went out early today because it was supposed to be really hot. I got up at 5:40 to get everything done in time so that we could go out at 6:30/7:00. It was really nice getting out early. The horses came in so that meant that we didn't have to go get them, which was nice. I played with Prince first. They were up in the riding ring when I got out so I went up there. Prince, Ruffian and Twosox came over to me when they saw me. Such sweet horses! I gave them all lots of scratches and rubs and then haltered Prince. We did some Stick to me and Touch it in the riding ring and then we went down to the corral. Then I saddled up. Then Prince and I played down there for a while. We did Touch it, Sideways, and some other things then we went to the riding ring.
We did some zone 3 driving. One thing I was particular about was that Prince kept me in zone 3. It took a little bit because Prince would slow down a little bit or speed up. So it was fun! Then we did circles. Going to the right Prince did well. He cantered 5 laps because for the first 4 he cantered 95% of the circle, he would break gait at one point and then pick the canter up again but I wanted at least one complete circle at the canter. So he did 5 to the right and 4 to the left. Prince did very well!
By this time it was getting hot and the bugs were getting bad but I still rode. Prince doesn't seem quite as bothered by the bugs as the other horses. We did Figure eights first. Prince wanted to trot so we did. It was so cool! Prince was responding to my body so well and if I had to correct him I could feel him correct himself! I did have to use my reins a little bit but I was okay with that. We kept with the pattern until Prince slowed his trot down and I was happy with it. One thing I had trouble with was staying totally focused and there were a couple times that I got mixed up so I really had to know what I wanted and what I was going to do to help Prince have success.
Then we did Point to point... at first when ever I had to correct Prince he would turn to far so we were kind of going in a zig zag. So I tried a couple different things. Then I figured it out. I have helped Prince get sensitive and now he has so sensitive that when I use my carrot stick to correct him I am being to big. So I played with it and it was incredible the change! When I had to correct Prince I would make sure to use my body and focus first and if I needed to use my carrot stick it came off my shoulder just the slightest bit and Prince would correct himself and we would carry on. It was a real eye opener!! Our point to point definitely got straighter ;) It was totally amazing just how light Prince is. I knew he was lighter but I had no idea he was this light!
Then when did a little bit of Follow the rail just to end the session and then I got down and unsaddled. Since it is really hot the bugs (House flies, horse flies and mosquitoes) are bad. I can't believe the size of the horse flies this year! I think they are getting bigger and bigger each year!!
Hope everyone had a great weekend!
Naturally,
~Keri
Then we did Point to point... at first when ever I had to correct Prince he would turn to far so we were kind of going in a zig zag. So I tried a couple different things. Then I figured it out. I have helped Prince get sensitive and now he has so sensitive that when I use my carrot stick to correct him I am being to big. So I played with it and it was incredible the change! When I had to correct Prince I would make sure to use my body and focus first and if I needed to use my carrot stick it came off my shoulder just the slightest bit and Prince would correct himself and we would carry on. It was a real eye opener!! Our point to point definitely got straighter ;) It was totally amazing just how light Prince is. I knew he was lighter but I had no idea he was this light!
Then when did a little bit of Follow the rail just to end the session and then I got down and unsaddled. Since it is really hot the bugs (House flies, horse flies and mosquitoes) are bad. I can't believe the size of the horse flies this year! I think they are getting bigger and bigger each year!!
Hope everyone had a great weekend!
Naturally,
~Keri
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