Sept 10 2010
Prince and I had an amazing playtime and ride today. We did some review on some things that we had been playing with over the past couple months and then we did some new things.
We did circles and played with change of directions and cantering. Prince did really well cantering to the right and he cantered 10 laps no problem. But to the left he was having more trouble. He would canter on the left lead for a couple strides and then start counter cantering and then he would try to get back on the correct lead again but he was having a really hard time so we played with that and finally he got the left lead and relaxed into the canter and cantered about 4 laps or so. He was trying so hard, I was really proud of him!
Then we did some Point to point at the canter from barrel to barrel. Prince did well and this time he would almost do a sliding stop at each barrel! He knew exactly where he was supposed to go ;) It was funny watch him canter along and his ears would be fixed on that barrel and then he would stop right in front of it and put his nose right in the center of the barrel. It was funny. I made sure to spend a little extra time at the barrel that Prince would have to be cantering to the left for because I knew that he would most likely have a harder time cantering in that direction.
We also did the Backward "S" pattern, Falling Leaf with Simple lead changes every time, and some sideways. Then we rode!!
We didn't do a whole lot. Just Point to point at the canter, the Bowtie pattern and some sideways, indirect and direct rein with out reins. Prince was so incredibly light even at the trot he was light! It was amazing. We didn't stay long at doing Point to point because Prince got it. It wasn't perfect but I switched to the Bowtie pattern because I felt that it would help Prince more with picking up the left lead. He was having a really hard time and so once we got onto the Bowtie pattern he did much better. He was able to get the left lead a lot easier and part of the problem was that I was still going through my phases to quickly. Once I really slowed down he picked up the canter at a phase 1 maybe 2 and we were off. It was really something.
The last Bowtie we did was amazing. Prince cantered to the left on the left lead and he cantered almost the complete way. It was so wonderful! Prince tried so hard and I could definitely feel the difference!! I think that we are going to have a lot more success on this pattern than on Follow the rail. Yes we will go back to cantering on the rail soon but I think that this pattern has more purpose for both Prince and I. We both see the point in it!! (Yes even though I am a RBI I still have a bit of that LBI in me...)
We ended right there and I got off, sat on a barrel and helped my mom with Knightly. Even after I let Prince go he stayed with me and what was really cool was that even when Knightly was running by or when mom was doing something with Knightly that had a lot of energy that was close to us, Prince stayed right with me and wasn't worried.
Then after we had stayed there for a while I went to leave to get ready for work and Prince followed me around every where I went so we trotted from the barrel we were at to the other one and then cantered back to the other one, at Liberty and I was about 15ft away from Prince. It was really fun!
I think Prince knows that patterns!! So I can now say that we are playing with Simple Lead Changes!!! It is amazing to actually be saying that!! I know we have a long way to go still but I am excited about our start!!
Naturally,
~Keri
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