Thursday, November 18, 2010

Prince: Struggling to adjust...

November 12 2010

Today I was having a really hard time with trying to adjust to being back home with Prince and having to play in our much smaller riding ring and not being able to advance with the patterns and tasks we were having so much fun and success with over the last couple weeks. I didn't even want to think about playing with Prince because I knew that I would have to think about really changing the whole way we have been playing. It is frustrating but I know that God has placed us here for this time and I want to be content with what He has given me. He knows best.


I seriously debated not playing with Prince today but I was able to gather myself up enough to do a little bit with him. The horses were in the field and so mom and I decided to just stay out there and play. Prince and I played at Liberty and then rode bareback and bridleless.

While played at Liberty we started with some w/t/c/back up stick to me and then did some sideways from different zones, hindquarter yields,  Figure eights at the walk around two rocks, Touch it, jumping a log while drawing at a trot and some other fun things. Prince stayed with me the whole time and was really interested. We both had fun and it was nice to switch things up a bit and get my mind off of what was depressing and frustrating me.

Then I mounted up bareback and bridleless but of course armed with my trusty carrot stick and savvy string ;) We did some basic things like sideways, back-ups, indirect rein without reins, and lateral flexions (can't forget those!). Then we put it all to a purpose and we rode over to where mom and Knightly were standing, took mom's coat and then went and hung it up on a tree branch for her. Prince did really well and responded to my focus really well.

Mom then challenged us to back a Figure eight. Of course me being the type of person that if somebody challenges me to do something, in regards to my horsemanship/ Parelli that is, I am always willing to try. We may not get it right away but we shall work towards it. I love a good challenge!! They make we think!

So off we went. Before we started though I thought back to one of the Horseman's Apprentice episodes where Mr. Parelli was teaching the Mastery students how to back a horse in a circle. I couldn't remember all of it but I remembered some of the main points. At first it was a little messy but when we were coming around the second marker things really started to click! Both Prince and I seemed to just get it. When I changed my focus Prince would turn as he was backing up and we would continue on. It was really amazing! I, of course, missed the middle a little so we have to reposition ourselves but I was pretty happy with it for our first try!

We ended there and took a little nap for a while. Then we went and played with Ruffian!

Naturally,
~Keri

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