May 24, 2011
You may have noticed a gap between today and the last session but that can be explained in the simple fact that I was sick and the weather was uncooperative. Today it was cloudy and looked like rain but we went out and played anyway. The sky cleared up in the end and it was even more beautiful outside!
Prince and I had so much fun today it was unbelievable! We played on the 45ft line like planned and we backed up the hill and into the riding ring. We got a little stuck at the gate because there is a rock wall there to --try-- and stop the riding ring dirt from washing down the hill. But in the end we made it over the wall and continued to back to the end of the 45ft line.
Then we went sideways without a fence to the end of the 45ft line and then I asked Prince to touch the barrel with his nose. Then we turn and went sideways over the another barrel and back over it the other way, then I asked Prince to back up to the rope gate and touch it with his tail, all at the end of the 45ft line and with me keeping my feet still 90% of the time.
It was really fun to be able to challenge our communication at 45ft away, something we haven't been able to do in a long time. We finished with Prince jumping a single barrel on a yo-yo and trotting towards me. It was really cool especially because of the distance we were doing it.
Then we played with some circles. Getting more and more circles at the canter with rhythm, relaxation and connection. Prince really put a lot of effort into it and we got some nice traveling circles at the canter as well as normal ones. While going to the left Prince had a harder time maintaining gait so we played the game "Don't make me come out of neutral" This worked really well and after a couple times Prince had it figured out and cantered without breaking gait.
We played at Liberty a little bit also and did some traveling circles at the trot, stick to me, and jumping barrels that are on end. Prince did really well and was so connected! So we didn't play long because I wanted to end when Prince was really connected.
Mounting from the ground went really well. It was easy and I got it on the first try. I felt even more stable and confident, so much so that we even tried the canter. I rode around bridleless for a while. Doing Follow the rail, circles off of the rail, sideways, backing up refined, indirect and direct rein.
We also played with speeds within gaits. We focused on the trot mostly and got a really slow jog all by my energy. It was incredible!! I put my hackamore on for the canter. Prince did so well! He went into the canter smoothly and we cantered around half of the riding ring. It wasn't actually that bad. The hardest part was the canter transition downwards but then I realized that it was because I wasn't focusing up when I went to stop, as soon as I did that I was able to ride the transition to the walk (or halt) well and it was so much more comfortable.
I couldn't get over how well Prince went into the canter, at a phase one consistently, and he maintained gait so well, not like before when if he went into the canter softly he couldn't maintain it for very long. Then I realized that it was because Online we have been playing with the exact same thing, getting more and more circles from a phase one. It has paid off!!
We finished shortly after that and then went over to the pedestal and hung out there for a while. It was a lot of fun and I can see how bareback riding will definitely improve my fluidity :)
Naturally
~Keri
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