For All That Tomorrow Brings: Prince: Picking up the pace.

Monday, July 26, 2010

Prince: Picking up the pace.

July 26 2010

Prince and I had a wonderful play time today. Over the last day and a bit since our Saturday play time I have been thinking and I realized what I could have done better. Yes we did our patterns and such, which were all good and amazing but I think that it got a little to slow and that is why when we went to play at Liberty Prince kept running off and all.

So I decided that today I would see what I could do to pick up the pace and make things even more interesting. Doing the Falling Leaf seemed like a pretty good idea because that worked well with Twosox and I figured that it would probably help our circles too. So that is what we started with. At first Prince wanted to canter around in circles and not do the Falling Leaf pattern at all. But we stuck with it until he offered me some really nice smooth turns (which was the thing he was having problems with) Prince cantered most of it and so that was really cool. The look on his face when we ended was incredible!

Then we did circles. Wow. What an improvement! Prince cantered a laps and a half to the right and cantered a lap to the left! Just like that! Not he wasn't 100% connected so we are going to have to play that. But is a start and I think that if I can get out transitions from the trot to the canter with rhythm, relaxation and connection then that will be the most important thing.

After that we did Figure eights. They were even better then on Saturday and it really felt that Prince was doing the pattern by himself! It was amazing! He trotted/cantered the whole thing and it was really something. The look on his face when we finished was priceless. He turned to me and asked the biggest question (I have a picture of it that I will post farther down).

Then we did the Weave, sideways, and yo-yo's. I asked Prince to back onto the pedestal. At first I felt that he wasn't quite sure what I wanted but then once he figured it out he tried so hard! He did make it and he backed all the way up and stood there with all four feet on the pedestal. What an amazing horse!

We weren't going to play at Liberty but Prince wouldn't leave me (for the last couple play sessions Prince would stay with me for a couple minutes and then wander off, normally he stays with me until I leave so I noticed that he started leaving me sooner so today when he stayed with me it shows that I must have done something right) so I decided to do just a little bit. We did Stick to me at the walk, trot and back up, we played with the ball (Prince pushed it every where and followed it around), and we did Figure eights! They were much better then last time. Prince did really well. We did all that with the gate open too!

Then I sat down on a barrel and we had some undemanding time then while still sitting on the barrel I sent Prince over to the pedestal which was about 20ft away. I asked Prince to climb up with all four feet and then turn and face me, all the while still keeping all of his feet on the pedestal. He did it perfectly! Then I brought him back to me. I was so proud of him!

By this time Twosox was waiting at the gate for me to let him in off the grass so Prince and I went over there to let him out. Then I played with Ruffian!

Here are some pictures...