Prince: Setting up for success

Oct 12 2010

Prince and I had a really good playtime and ride today. We started by playing in the field. We did traveling circles on the 22ft line on and down the hills, getting our yo-yo's lighter and quicker, sideways and some other things. Prince was really connected and we were even able to get some good cantering on the 22ft line! Then we switched to the 45f line and played with cantering on the circle. Prince did so well! He cantered 10 laps to the right and was connected 90% of the time but I was asking him to keep the connection on the one side. So we played with that for a while until he offered a little bit of connection and then I brought him in. 

Again I saw the importance of having a really good send. Our send to the right has gotten a lot better over the last couple sessions and so that was how Prince would canter 10 laps with no corrections. What surprised me even more was when I sent Prince out to the left, we got a snappy and happy send and then after about 1/4 of a lap, Prince found the rhythm, relaxation and connection and we cantered 1/2 a lap just like that. Of course I brought him in and we left it there. I was really, really happy with that!!!

Earlier when I sent Prince over to the 45ft line that was on the ground he went over and touched it with him nose and then picked it up in his teeth. So I decided to try teaching Prince to pick up ropes and hand them to me. We were able to get it to where he will pick up with his teeth and lift it up then I will take it. It isn't much but I figured it would be fun to try and I know that Prince likes to bite things, he will pick up his grain pan and carry it around, tossing it, etc. So it should be fun! We did it with both the 45ft line and the 22ft line. He caught on pretty quickly! 

We then went home. We played around with different ways to lead while we were walking home. We did leading from zone 1, then with Prince at the end of the 22ft line, and lots of other ways. Prince figured it out really quickly. Then when we got to the road I jumped aboard and rode Prince all the way home and up into the riding ring as that was where my saddle was. It was lots of fun, with just one rein and my carrot stick, I am so blessed to have Prince he has come so far in the short time I have had him. He is a wonderful horse!

One I had saddled up Prince and I did some Figure eights at the trot. Prince was very light and he doing the pattern but not making assumptions like he used too. After those we did the Weave at the trot. Prince again was light and kept the slack in the line. He maintained gait and did really well. 

The last thing we did was Stick to me. Prince missed the left lead a couple times but pretty soon we got it. Then I got on and rode. The main thing I wanted to do was set Prince up for getting the correct lead. Before I went out I watched a DVD where Mrs. Parelli taught how to set your horse up getting the correct lead. I had watched it a long time ago but I didn't need it then so I had forgotten some of it. I felt really confident about it so off we went. 

We started off to the right because that was our easy side and so I wanted to start on that side so we would both get success. It took a while of playing around with it but eventually we started getting results. Our upward transitions into the canter were getting more and more snappy and Prince was starting to pick up the right lead more and more. But things weren't quite where I wanted to end on. Prince still rushed into the canter a bit and even though he picked up the correct lead I wanted to get our canter transitions a bit more smooth. The one we ended on was amazing. Prince bend softly and I was in the right place, Prince wasn't bracing so when I asked for the canter he picked up the canter and the correct lead really nicely. We cantered for a long stretch and when I relaxed Prince came down smoothly and was able to calmly walk a ways before we stopped. 

To the left was a bit harder because (1) that is Prince's hard side and (2) Prince got on adrenaline a lot quicker and so he braced a lot. But I knew what I needed to do and so I just had to wait for him to relaxed. Slowly we started getting more and more success and the last one we did was so smooth and it was amazing!! Prince bent nicely, relaxed and without brace and then when I asked for the canter he picked up canter beautifully from the walk and we cantered a really nice, long distance because I stopped him. It was the most amazing feeling and Prince had so much power in his hindquarters!! 

We ended there. The horses hadn't followed us in so Mom, Prince and I went back out. On the way back Prince and I played at Liberty. We did Stick to me, jumping, and some other fun stuff. Prince stayed right beside me the whole time. It was a great ending for a great session!!

Naturally,

~Keri