Prince: A glimpse of true lightness...

March 28, 2011

Today Prince and I had an interesting session. We started off with bridling... with was definitely an "oh boy". Prince didn't want anything to do with the bit or bridle. I am not sure if it had do to with the fact that last session to started guiding him a little with my fingers in the rings of the bit, while Online, or it is had to do with the fact that Prince wasn't feeling to well. He had a cough and other signs of indigestion. I am hoping that it is the latter and that he just wasn't feeling well. We were basically back to square one again so first we played with getting Prince not to resist or try to avoid it and then once that was going well I held the bit and let Prince lick the honey off of it, which he wasn't interested in doing at all at first. 

After that we ended and went up to the riding ring to play. I didn't want to do a whole lot because I wasn't sure how Prince was feeling but he did okay at the walk and trot and only had a little bit pf breathing trouble at the canter. So we kept things short and fairly simple. 

We started off with a little obstacle course. We went sideways for about 15ft to a tire, then went sideways over the tire, changed direction and backed all the way to the end of the 22ft line, did Touch it over to the pedestal, asked for just his two back legs, then flowed into Figure eights at the trot. The two markers that we were using for Figure eights were really far a part but they were perfect because Prince liked a lot! We got some beautiful Figure eights at the trot and then stopped. 

Prince seemed a little disconnected though so I waited until he asked a question before we moved on. Then we did some circles. We started at the walk after two circles at the walk we did a upward transition to the trot, two circles at the trot, upward transition to the canter, where we had a bit of trouble. Prince had a hard time getting the correct lead and maintaining the canter so after he cantered about 1/4 of the lap on the correct lead I brought him in.

I knew exactly what I needed to fix... the send. All I had to do was have that intention and Prince cantered off on the circle from the send at a phase one and cantered one and a half laps to the right with rhythm, relaxation and connection. 

Going to the left was a little harder. Prince was able to pick up the correct lead but he wasn't able to maintain the canter. So we played with that and the really amazing part was that when I asked him to pick up the canter again it was the lightest transition into the canter that I have ever experienced!!! Prince maintained the canter along with the relaxation and connection for a whole lap and I brought him in for a rest. It was such an amazing feeling, one I didn't think I would experience for a long time!! 

We ended there and after a long rest we went down to the corral. I am not sure what I wrong with Prince but it could have been that the last couple bales of hay from our last load were a bit wet (it was a rainy day when they were delivered) and so I am hoping that is the reason and soon Prince shall be back to normal. Otherwise though he seems normal, he is still moving around a lot, playing with Ruffian and being his normal self. So hopefully it is a minor issue. 

Until he 100% again though I won't ride him but just play Online a bit. It will give me sometime to focus on Twosox's Freestyle!! Maybe a trail ride is in order :) 

Naturally,

~Keri