August 25 2010
Today Prince and I had a much more successful playtime in both the tasks we did, the results we got, and the progress we make. I planned my work and worked my plan and it make a huge difference!
I decided to do 20 laps on the circle, each direction at a trot. We haven't that in a while so I thought it would be good to see where they were at and how we could improve them. Well they were beyond amazing, Prince blew my socks off!! He found the rhythm, relaxation and connection after one lap and from there he kept it through out the whole 20 laps. It was incredible!! To the right he cantered the first 3 laps so I asked him to come down into the trot and he then trotted the rest. I was simple blown away! It was like all of a sudden Prince was so connected to me and it was incredible!!
Then we did a couple other things just to make sure Prince was ready to ride. We did jumping a single barrel, all I have to do now is point and Prince will either walk or trot up to the barrel (depending on what I ask for) and Prince will jump it and 9 out of 10 times he will clear it. Then we did some sideways at a a trot with out a fence, oh and can't forget Figure eights! Prince did really, really well. He softly trotted them and I was in neutral the whole time.
After that we rode!!! I decided not to canter today because I knew that it wouldn't be fair to Prince. I knew that I had done something to mess up my body and that was why I couldn't get the canter departures right. So I decided to play with our walk and trot. We did Follow the rail. with just my body and a savvy string for back up if Prince didn't respond. Then we did circles. Prince was so light and I only had to use my reins once or twice. The rest of the time Prince responded to me body. We did some really nice circles, it helped that Prince had made a pretty nice track in the dirt when he was doing the circles Online ;) I could see where we were supposed to be going.
We also did Figure eights, which were the best that they have every been!! We stayed at the walk and after a couple Figure eights Prince walked the whole pattern and I didn't have to use my carrot stick once!! It was amazing!! Prince was so light and I could feel him responding to my body. It felt like we were truly one and that we were working together to do the pattern. What a feeling!
Then after that I wanted to play with some transitions more. Prince would still get faster at the trot around the ends and at certain spots in the riding ring so every time he got faster we would go in a circle away from the fence and back again and keep going in the same direction. Slowly but surely Prince started to relax. It took a while though but Prince started getting the rhythm and relaxation. Plus we got some really nice small circles. It felt really good to have a plan and even though it didn't work right from the start it still worked and I was able to stay calm, cool and collected even though Prince wasn't totally calm and relaxed, and that made a big difference.
The whole time I just rode with my carrot stick and savvy string as back up for my body but Prince did so well and was so light that even when we trotted the circles I only needed to use my carrot stick lightly. It was really cool. We then went into the center and relaxed on the pedestal and then I got off.
It is definitely a new feeling to have Prince to light and responsive, and I don't even know how it happened!! I think that watching the Level 4 Freestyle DVD really helped me gain a new expectation of where I want our riding to be, and Prince must read that in me because he is trying harder and we are making so much progress!! It is really amazing.
Until next time!
Naturally,
~Keri
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