Prince: Taking it up a notch and having oh boy moments...

May 29 2010

Prince and I had an interesting play time this morning. We started off with some simple things. Sideways, jumping, and some other things then I wanted to play with our circles at the canter. I decided to change places in the riding ring so that Prince wouldn't have to feel the pressure from the fence as much. We started off with some circles at the trot. I had to stop part way through to move all the tires and barrels and such. The rope was getting caught on everything. So after that we started again. Prince did 20 circles with rhythm, relaxation and connection at the trot. I was really proud of him! Then I asked him to canter. He cantered 4 laps and wasn't pulling on me quite to much. I waited until he was a little bit more connected and then brought him in. The only reason that Prince cantered with slack in the rope when we normally are in the riding ring is because of the fence so I really want to get him to me truly connected to me. 

Going the other way was a lot more difficult. Prince didn't have rhythm, relaxation or connection. He was pulling the whole time. He did how ever cantered some thing like 40 laps... I lost count. It wasn't consistent but he did try! The only thing was that they weren't good circles :( I am really not sure what to do. I am thinking that maybe he just needs extra room because he is a stocky horse and is a LBI. But I can't put him on the 45ft line because there isn't enough room in the riding ring. Soooooooooo......... I have to figure something out. I was really proud of him for trying so hard to maintain gait though. Hopefully I shall be able to figure it out next play time. I have been doing a lot of thinking though and have some ideas. I will let you know how it goes :) 

Naturally,

~Keri

Ruffian: Circles, and leading by the tail

May 29 2010

This morning I played with Ruffian first. We had a lot of fun. We did some Touch it first. Then we did circles! I kind of realised that recently I haven't been letting Ruffian move enough. Not that would have stopped him if he wanted to but we just were doing smaller things and that isn't enough for Ruffian. So today I made sure that I let him move his feet. I decided to put a purpose to it though. I am going to start asking Ruffian to maintain gait at the canter on the circle. At first he would canter about half a circle and the start trotting so every time he broke gait I would change direction. Pretty soon he was cantered more and more. Once he cantered 1 complete lap I brought him. He had a lick and chew and then off in the other direction. It took a little bit but Ruffian figured out the game and he cantered 2 laps!!! Really good for him.

After that I was going to teach Ruffian to go sideways at a trot but when I asked him to go sideways in front of a fence he got really confused.... he started kicking, rearing etc. At first I thought it was dominance but then to me it looked more like he was confused. So I slowed down and he started going sideways really well. Ruffian can go sideways over almost anything and with out a fence... but we haven't done it with a fence in a long time. So once I slowed it down he caught on and did it really well. Interesting!!

Then we did leading by the tail. Our Online Challenge. Ruffian would back up no problem but he wouldn't go straight so we went to the fence to help with that and I had my carrot stick on the other side ready to help him if he needed any. This really made a difference and we got 5 straights steps. So that was good. After we did that a couple times we ended.

Ruffian stayed around and so I scratched him and then I went to get Prince!

Naturally,

~Keri

Prince: Just doing some little things

May 28 2010

Prince and I didn't go up to the riding ring but we just stayed in the corral and played. At first we just hung out and I scratched him for a while when we played with our Online Challenge: Smelling the tail. What I was doing was doing a lateral flexion to get Prince's head around, which was working but I found that if I held Prince's tail and then guided his nose around he wouldn't move his hindquarters away. It worked much better that way and Prince had a easier time too. So I think I shall do that from now on. After that we did a little bit of sideways and stick to me just at the walk and then we ended. It was really nice just hanging out with Prince and taking it easy.

Naturally,
~Keri

Twosox: Just playing...

May 28 2010

This morning I went out early again and played with Twosox first. For the last couple weeks Twosox has been coming over to me every time he sees me. He is so sweet! :) Today we didn't do a whole lot. We did some Touch it, circles, jumping, and then we practiced our Online Challenge: Smelling the tail. Twosox did really well on one side but the other side he had a really hard time bending to it so we had a little bit more trouble. Eventually we got it though and that is where we stopped. The mosquitoes were really bad so we went back down to the corral. I wanted to take a look at Twosox's feet so we spent the next little while doing that. Then I let him go he stayed with me for a while and then I had to go inside for a couple minutes and then came back out to play with Prince.

Naturally,
~Keri

Ruffian: Advancing our leading by the tail, and jumping.

May 27 2010

Ruffian and I had a lot to fun. We started out with the Falling leaf Pattern at the trot. Ruffian did really well with that. He loved it! Then we did some jumping. At first Ruffian wanted to go around the barrels so we played with that until he could jump them and not think about going around. It was fun! He was really interested!! When I felt that Ruffian was in a learning frame of mind we did our Online Challenge: Leading by the tail for 10 steps with the rope on the ground. Ruffian did REALLY well. At first I had to use the rope a little bit but then he remembered and go really light and put a lot of effort into it! It was really neat! I think I shall have to get a little bit more challenging with the tasks... all three horses are doing them so easily! :)

We didn't play long because it looked like rain. Ruffian stuck around for a bit and stayed with me and then he moseyed off to find some grass. :)

Naturally,
~Keri

Twosox: Jumping, close range circles, and more!

May 27 2010

After I played with Prince I played with Twosox. We didn't play long and we just did some small and slow things. It was still fun though. We did jumping from a stand still, straddling the barrels, sideways over the barrels, sideways towards me, close range circles, change of directions at the walk, and to end we started our Online Challege: Smelling the tail. Twosox caught on really fast. We only did it to one side today but I am going to make sure we can do it on both sides. Then I let Twosox out to graze on the side stripe of grass. And then went and played with Ruffian!!

Naturally,
~Keri

Prince: Online, Liberty and Freestyle

May 27 2010

This I played with all three horses. We had a huge thunderstorm last night so it was really nice out, even though it was wet. It isn't nearly as hot as it has been for the last couple days. The horses weren't we though so I saddled up Prince. But before I did that we played at Liberty for a little bit in the corral. We did our Liberty Challenge: Figure Eights Prince did so well and after we did a couple figure eights we stopped !! Yippee! Then we just hung out together for a while before I saddled Prince. Then we went up to the riding. We walked up there at Liberty then played for a while at Liberty. I had Prince haltered but just looped the lead rope over the saddle horn. We did jumping, stick to me, close range circles, sideways, touch it and lots of other fun stuff. Then we went and did our circles. I asked Prince to canter 5 laps each way this time. I figured out why Prince has a hard time cantering at a certain spot going each way, he has to canter straight the fence and then turn quickly so he feels the pressure of the fence and will break gait but once he is past that he will normally pick up the canter again. So I shall have to think about what I am going to do about that. 

After that we started our Online Challenge: Sniffing the tail. I haven't actually done this with Prince before. I have taught it to Ruffian but not Prince or Twosox. So I was excited to see how Prince would do. Well, he surpassed my expectations by a long shot! He caught so fast. We aren't any where near 30 seconds yet but it is an amazing start! I did it on both sides and both sides were really good.

Then it started to rain but that was okay. Prince and I headed over to the fence where there is a tree hanging over the fence. Then I decided to mount up and just sit there with Prince while we waited for the rain to stop. It wasn't to long before it let up enough for us to go back out. We did sideways over a barrel first, with out me touching my reins. Prince was so light!! It was really fun! Then we went and practiced our Freestyle Challenge: A full forequarter pivot, Prince pivoting on his hindquarters. Going to the right Prince did it beautifully, he put effort into it and we got our full pivot. It wasn't perfect, a little bit more practice and I think we shall have it just where I want it for the challenge. To the left was a little bit harder. We had a little misunderstanding near the beginning and that kind of messed it up but we still got it. :) 

As we were finishing up my mom was just finishing up doing circles with Knightly and since it had rained the ground was hard and so there was a beautiful circle where Knightly had trotted and where Prince had cantered earlier. I decided to try doing some circles with Prince... again he totally shocked me!! We trotted them and I mean Prince was incredible! We trotted 4 circles each way and I only had to make 3 corrections each way!! Plus I was able to sit his trot the whole time!! I was so happy! Prince was amazing!! :)

Then it started raining again. So back to the tree we went. This time it really poured!! While we were waiting for the rain to stop I was looking at the hill that we walk up every day to get to the riding ring... I have ridden up it but not down it... so I decided to try riding down it. So once the rain let up a bit off we went. IT WAS SO MUCH FUN!! Prince walked the whole way down, we took it in zig zags and we made it! Prince was totally cool and listened to my direction perfectly! Then we rode into the corral and straight for the shelter because it had started down pouring again. What a ride!! I unsaddled Prince in the shelter and then made a dash for the garage with my saddle and theraflex in hand, fortunately the rain was letting up a bit so it didn't get to wet... :) Then it was off to play with Twosox!

Naturally,
~Keri