June 18 2010
Today's playtime with Prince just didn't seem real. He was incredible! I saddled him at Liberty again and then we played in the corral. We did sideways down the fence while I kept my feet still. Touch it from about 20ft away, yo-yo's over things, backing up by the hocks, leading by the tail, spins (we even did a double spin!) and lots of other fun things. Then we went up to the riding ring. First we did Figure eights. Prince wasn't as connected with me as he was before so we stayed at the trot until he was able to do that well and then we went into the canter. Prince did pretty good at that. He even cantered around the one barrel and through the middle once. Which was really cool.
Then we did circles. Prince did very well. We did 13 circles to the left and 10 to the right. The last 4 circles to the left were amazing. Prince circled really, really nicely and stayed connected the the whole time. After that my mom and I made up some puzzles for us to do. The first one was I set a pole about 20ft away from a tarp that we had hung in the tree {I wanted to stand on Prince to tie the other end to the branch but mom said that it was to close to us going away ;) that's okay. I had to stand on a wobbly barrel instead :)]. So here was the task, we had to send our horse sideways over the pole, then back over the pole, between the fence and the standing up tire and then back through the tarp, stop, wait and then come back to us, stop over the pole, go sideways off of it and then that was the end.
It was really fun. Since the task wasn't super hard for Prince and I we focused more on being particular and doing simple things with excellence. After that we set three barrels in the middle of the riding ring and the plan was to send the horses around and have then jump it. Well that was interesting. They both did well but Prince wasn't so sure he wanted to jump it. So we played with that and pretty soon he jumped it nicely. :)
Seeing as the barrels were now not where they started but more in a shape of something we could weave through we did a weave over to the fence, I got on the fence asked Prince to come sideways over and then I got on. We then rode over to my helmet and I got that on. Here is something interesting... (don't worry, it is a good thing) Before I got my new helmet I would ride a lot with out one. The ones we had didn't really fit me and so I didn't like them. But I really like my new helmet and I actually feel safer when I am riding when I am wearing it. Not that I didn't feel safe before but I guess I just know that my head is protected :) Even though I still fully believe that it is what is in your head that will save you not what's on your head. BUT things happen and this way at least I have something on my head too :)
Anyways. Our ride was incredible to say the least. Prince was fabulous. We rode over to the gate which was still open and we closed it. This was when I realized just how light Prince has gotten. Before it was a struggle to close the gate, now it is so easy!! After that we went over and rode some figure eights at the walk. Prince wasn't as in tune with me at first but then he got it and we got some really nice figure eights. Then we did a little bit of follow the rail. At one point we were trotting around and we came around the one end and there were two barrels that mom had set up for Knightly to jump. Now I wasn't about to jump them so I softly asked Prince move over and around the barrels and then back over to the fence. There was nothing to extraordinary about that except that I only used my legs!! Prince responded to just my body and legs and it was so smooth! Prince is also offering some really nice slow trot. I think it is because he is finally relaxing on the circle and so he is starting to relax when we ride, which is nice.
Then we did circles! This time I changed things up a little. Normally when I ride circles I have my carrot stick in one hand and my reins in the other. I don't use my reins unless I really really need to, which doesn't really happen. So I decided that today I wanted to try not holding my reins. So we started out. I was holding my savvy string though, and my carrot stick. But then I decided to go outside my comfort zone a little and not even hold my savvy string. Just my carrot stick. It was so much fun! I thought it would be outside my comfort zone but it wasn't at all. I was totally confident. You see if I had of tried that 4 months ago. I would have felt a lot of things, fear mainly. But through taking the time is takes it did take less time and here we are today.
Prince did really well on the circles too. It didn't take long before we rode two circles each way with out any corrections with my carrot stick. I did have to use my body and leg once or twice but mostly Prince was just responding to my focus. Which was incredible! After the circles we took a rest and Prince took a nice nap. I love this horse to much! God has been so good to me in giving my the family, horses, friends, and life that I have.
Naturally,
~Keri
It was really fun. Since the task wasn't super hard for Prince and I we focused more on being particular and doing simple things with excellence. After that we set three barrels in the middle of the riding ring and the plan was to send the horses around and have then jump it. Well that was interesting. They both did well but Prince wasn't so sure he wanted to jump it. So we played with that and pretty soon he jumped it nicely. :)
Seeing as the barrels were now not where they started but more in a shape of something we could weave through we did a weave over to the fence, I got on the fence asked Prince to come sideways over and then I got on. We then rode over to my helmet and I got that on. Here is something interesting... (don't worry, it is a good thing) Before I got my new helmet I would ride a lot with out one. The ones we had didn't really fit me and so I didn't like them. But I really like my new helmet and I actually feel safer when I am riding when I am wearing it. Not that I didn't feel safe before but I guess I just know that my head is protected :) Even though I still fully believe that it is what is in your head that will save you not what's on your head. BUT things happen and this way at least I have something on my head too :)
Anyways. Our ride was incredible to say the least. Prince was fabulous. We rode over to the gate which was still open and we closed it. This was when I realized just how light Prince has gotten. Before it was a struggle to close the gate, now it is so easy!! After that we went over and rode some figure eights at the walk. Prince wasn't as in tune with me at first but then he got it and we got some really nice figure eights. Then we did a little bit of follow the rail. At one point we were trotting around and we came around the one end and there were two barrels that mom had set up for Knightly to jump. Now I wasn't about to jump them so I softly asked Prince move over and around the barrels and then back over to the fence. There was nothing to extraordinary about that except that I only used my legs!! Prince responded to just my body and legs and it was so smooth! Prince is also offering some really nice slow trot. I think it is because he is finally relaxing on the circle and so he is starting to relax when we ride, which is nice.
Then we did circles! This time I changed things up a little. Normally when I ride circles I have my carrot stick in one hand and my reins in the other. I don't use my reins unless I really really need to, which doesn't really happen. So I decided that today I wanted to try not holding my reins. So we started out. I was holding my savvy string though, and my carrot stick. But then I decided to go outside my comfort zone a little and not even hold my savvy string. Just my carrot stick. It was so much fun! I thought it would be outside my comfort zone but it wasn't at all. I was totally confident. You see if I had of tried that 4 months ago. I would have felt a lot of things, fear mainly. But through taking the time is takes it did take less time and here we are today.
Prince did really well on the circles too. It didn't take long before we rode two circles each way with out any corrections with my carrot stick. I did have to use my body and leg once or twice but mostly Prince was just responding to my focus. Which was incredible! After the circles we took a rest and Prince took a nice nap. I love this horse to much! God has been so good to me in giving my the family, horses, friends, and life that I have.
Naturally,
~Keri
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