Prince: Follow the rail!!

April 25, 2011

Prince and I had a big session today. We started by played at Liberty a bit and played with close range circles at the walk and trot. The walk and really great but the trot Prince will loose connection and leave. So I decided to cause his idea to be my idea and when Prince started to leave I would send him. He would canter around the area and then come back. We did this a couple times and Prince was started to get it but then he figured out that he could still not do what I wanted by leaving. I realize now, looking back, when I should have stopped, which was when Prince thought about leaving but decided to trot past that spot. But hindsight is 20/20 right :)

I decided to go Online and play with it there so we did and then once that was going well we played with cantering on the circle. Six laps each direction. Going to the right was the easiest but the left was a bit harder but in the end we got it and so I brought Prince in for a rest. I know that Prince can do to and I don't want to make the body do it, I want Prince's mind to be engaged! So that is the challenge but it is fun and I can see we are getting it more and more each day.

I then saddled and played with some Figure eights, changes of directions, jumping, sideways towards and away and a few other things just to move Prince around in with the saddle. Then I bridled and mounted up. I decided to ride with just my bridle and but I had a carrot stick and also a savvy string around Prince's neck. We started with the lateral flexions and indirect rein and Prince did a beautiful job and was very light. He wasn't bothered by the bit at all.

Then we set out to ride the rail! We started at the walk and did it in both directions with my arms folded. Once that was going well we went into the trot. The walk and trot were fairly easy, there were just a couple small things that we had to play with but all in all I only had to pick up my reins once or twice. I did both the walk and trot with my arms folded and went in both directions. I was looking for Prince to really understand the pattern and find the rhythm, relaxation and connection.

Then I decided to try the canter! We haven't cantered in the riding ring in some time because we have been mostly cantering on the trail because there is more room. But I wanted to give it a try. So off we went. Prince did so well!! At first I wasn't sure what to expect but pretty soon my goal was for one lap. Prince would canter three-quarters of a lap but then at one spot consistently have a hard time maintaining the correct lead. So we cantered about five laps 90% of which were on the correct lead but I was looking for that complete lap. On sixth lap Prince got it and we cantered a complete lap.

One thing that I really had to get right was mental focus and keeping the energy in my body correct for what I was asking of Prince, especially in the spots where he had a hard time maintaining the canter.

Going to the left Prince had a bit harder of the time getting the correct left lead but pretty soon he was cantering three-quarters of a lap and just breaking gait at one spot at the one end. Again we cantered five almost complete laps before Prince was able to canter a complete lap. But in the end it was completely worth it. I can understand now how you can easily spend forty-five minutes doing just Follow the rail!! I love it :)

The best part was that the whole time we were cantering those laps I only had to make one correction each lap, which was asking Prince to pick up the canter again. He knew that he was supposed to stay on the rail :) That was something about which I was really happy.

After Prince got that one complete lap to the left I dismounted, unbridled and let him out to eat on the side patch of grass beside the riding ring. I was so happy about how the whole ride went and Prince blew my socks off with how much he tried!!

Naturally,

~Keri