Prince: The need for maintaining the patterns...

November 24 2010

Today Prince, Knightly, myself and my mom went out to a friends place (where I kept Prince for two and a half weeks) for a play day. It turned out to be a nice day even though it was cold and windy, but at least the sun was shining!

The ground was hard in the arena because of the -11 temperatures over night so Prince and I mainly played in the field. We did some circles at the trot. About 8 each way. Prince wanted to see the new horses so he would take the slack out of the rope when ever he got to the one side but then he started to blow and stay connected the whole circle. Going in the other direction was of course easier because he had already figured out what I wanted. We also did some cantering on the circle. Prince had to figure out what I was asking but he got it in the end. It is amazing how when you do not do something for a while how it almost falls apart! I noticed that a lot today.

When Prince was there for those two and a half weeks we were getting things like drop to trot simple lead changes on a change of direction, 6-10 laps at the canter with rhythm, relaxation and connection... but now that we have been back home and do not have the same space to do those kind of things they have gone down hill.

We did play in the arena a bit and did some jumping, straddling the log, sideways towards and away from me and some other things. Then we headed out into the field to ride. We started with Follow the rail on the outside of the arena, which was grass so it was easier to ride on. Prince wasn't responding to my body at all. So we had to play with that quite a bit. Eventually he started getting better and I didn't have to make as many correction with my rein or carrot stick.

Then we went to circles. These were much the same as the Follow the rail. I had to make lots of corrections. Eventually Prince started to get it and when we got some nicer circles going in both
directions at the trot we finished. After that mom and I went for a ride up and down the road. We trotted for a long ways and then headed back over to the others. I felt even more in harmony with Prince today which was really cool considering it felt good before. We didn't do any cantering because of the ground being frozen but that was okay.

When we loaded the horses into the trailer, both leaving and going home we tied the horses last. So Prince had to wait quite some time because he was loaded first. I was really proud of how well he stood in the trailer, untied with nobody holding him, and he just waited patiently while Knightly was loaded and everything was ready! It was really neat!!

This was the last time that we are going to take the horses out there because winter is just around the corner!!! It is getting really cold now but in the spring I have the opportunity to take Prince out there again for two weeks!! So I am looking forward to that!

Naturally,
~Keri

Prince: So far in so little time!

November 19 2010

 I was so proud of Prince today!! Words can not describe how incredible he was! Today my older brother and Prince went on a trail ride with mom and Knightly. I walked with them the whole way just to make sure everything went okay but both my brother and Prince were incredible! 

Before we went on the ride though I played with Prince and got him saddled then my brother came and played with him. He got Prince to jump the barrels, yo-yo's, circles, Touch it and some other simple but important things. We went over lateral flexions on the ground before mounting up and then he got up. They did some Follow the rail, lateral flexions, 9 step back ups and some over things that would be important on the trail. 

For the first part I walked beside Prince and he was basically following me but later I was able to walk farther on a head or behind and Matt was able to keep Prince on track. He even directed him around some trees and to some nice grass (Prince liked him for that!) 

I was so proud of both of them! Prince took really good care of Matt and Matt, who had only ridden a handful of times before was so gentle but also he knew when he needed to get firmer. He was patiently persistent!!

On the way home my youngest brother who had tagged a long with us got to ride Prince home and I led Prince. I can't believe how far Prince had come in such a short time. It really made both of my brothers day I think. They both had to much fun and Prince enjoyed himself also. He was to motivated on the way out and then coming back he was walking so slowly! I guess he enjoyed himself quite a bit not to want to go home. 

Prince also seemed to do better on the gravel. He seemed to be walked better. So that was good too. It was nice to get out of the riding rind because the ground was frozen in there and really hard for the horses to walk on. Let a long trot and canter. Hopefully mom and I will be able to do even more trail riding this winter and I am hoping to take Twosox on more and more trail rides. It should be a lot of fun! 

Naturally,

~Keri

Ruffian: Making the riding ring a friendly place...

November 19 2010

Today while on the way up to the riding ring Ruffian and I came across a couple thresholds. I am not sure if it was just because he hadn't been up there in a while, or if he saw something different, or if it was because when ever we go up there we play and recently we have been advancing some things and I am asking for more. No matter what I reason was, we didn't cross the threshold until Ruffian was ready. When we got up there I decided to play a little bit and get some good things going and then end on a really good note and then just hang out. 

We did some circles, Falling Leaf and jumping the single barrel and then we went and hung out on the pedestal. Ruffian fell asleep and even after I took the halter off he stayed there so one of my younger brothers grabbed a brush and brushed him. Ruffian really enjoyed that because when my brother walked away Ruffian followed him! It was really sweet. 

It was good for both Ruffian and I to just hang out in the riding ring after we had a really good, provocative session.

Naturally,

~Keri

Prince: Online...

November 18 2010

Prince and I had a short but really good Online session today. We did some circles and played a little bit with our cantering on the circle. Prince stayed well connected and cantered a couple laps each direction and while maintaining connection the whole time. 

Our sideways at a trot is getting so much better! Prince picked up the trot while going sideways today... which is something he has been having a hard time doing. It was beautiful and he trotted sideways quite a few steps before I stopped. Even to his hard side he is starting to get it and we are making lots of progress with it!! 

Then we played with circles with a single barrel on Prince's circle and his job was to jump the barrel each time. He had a bit more trouble with it this time so I kept with it expecting a lot, excepting a little and rewarding often and by the end he circled at a trot twice in each direction and jumped the barrel each time. 

We ended with me putting my fingers in his mouth and he was perfectly fine with it! I did it a couple times and was able to move my fingers around a bit also :) Just another lesson for me in taking the time it takes and it will take less time!

Naturally,

~Keri

Twosox: Circles, pushing the ball and more!

November 18 2010

Today Twosox and I had a great playtime. We started out with playing with the ball. Twosox really likes pushing it around and kicking at it. I think of all the horses he is the one that puts the most effort into it and gets the most enjoyment out of it! Prince will push it when I ask and it will do it really well and Ruffian will sort of play with it but neither of them really get into it as much as Twosox! Which is really interesting because he is a RBI!! Who would have thought!!

Then we did circles! 10 laps each direction with out any correction! The first time we tried the other horses kept getting in the way so I had to move them. But after I did that Twosox did them really well and maintained the rhythm, relaxation and connection really well!!

We also played with some little things like straddling a pole lengthwise... one front foot and one hind foot on each side. Twosox caught onto that really quickly so I then asked him to back up and come forward while still keeping that same position! It was fun!

The session wasn't long but we did a lot more than we normally do. I wanted to test a couple things that I had marked off on the self assessment sheet months ago but we hadn't done them in a long time so I wasn't sure if we could still do them! But we still could and Twosox did very well with each task!

Naturally,
~Keri

Prince: Getting back into the swing of things...

November 15 2010

Prince and I played in the field first today. We started with taking our yo-yo's game to the next step, getting it even lighter and with more speed. When we got that the distance came really easily. Even though Prince was backing up he was putting just enough effort in so that it looked like he was responding well. But he wasn't asking questions. That is what started it. I noticed that and so we played with a couple different things and it took me getting to an effective phase 4 for Prince to realize that I was asking him for more. Gotta love that long phase 1 quick 2,3,4! Prince started asking more and more questions because he was starting to get interested in what I was asking.

Then once that was going well I had to change things up a bit or else Prince would get bored again. So I would back Prince up and then send him off on the circle, allow him to circle for a lap or two and then bring him in. The next time I would just back him up and either bring him in to me or I would go to him. Just keeping it interesting!

Once all that was going well and I felt that Prince was prepared enough we played with circles at the canter.... something we haven't done in about a week because both Prince and I were taking a break of sorts. Prince did really well. At first he kept breaking gait so every time he did I would ask him for a change of direction. He caught on really quickly but was pulling a bit. So I just gently asked him to come off of the pressure and he did it really nicely. We got about 1 lap each direction so I stopped. We will just build it back up again from there... and hopefully this time keep it!!

Then we headed home and saddled up. Once in the riding ring we played with some circles at a trot with jumping a single barrel each time. Prince caught on really quickly to my surprise and we got 3 laps each direction and each time he jumped the barrel really nicely!

Next we did a little bit of friendly in Prince's mouth. He is getting so much better and accepting it really well. Then we played with sideways at a trot. Prince did really well and he is starting to get it figured out. Slow and right beats fast and wrong!!

Then we rode! The footing in the riding ring wasn't the best so we didn't canter but we did some Follow the rail, transitions, guiding him through a weave with my figure tips, sideways over things and jumping the barrels... all bridleless. Jumping was definitely a lot of fun!! After that I climbed down and we hung out for a bit before ending.

Naturally,
~Keri

Ruffian: Where did those circles come from??

November 12 2010

 

Ruffian and I had a really fun but interesting playtime today. He totally blew my mind away with his circles! He trotted around with rhythm, relaxation and connection on the 22ft line but he was trotting a 15ft circle or so and he kept the same amount of slack in the rope the whole time. They were by far the best circles we have ever gotten.

We also did some changes of directions and again Ruffian was so in tune with me that the belly of the rope was on the ground for 90% of the time!! Our transitions were smooth and Ruffian was really connected. But of course every LBE has to have a LBE moment here and there and one time as he was circling around he leaped in the air, bucked and then kicked almost all at the same time, then the next moment he was peacefully trotting around again. I just had to smile. That is Ruffian for you!

The next thing we did was some stick to me with Ruffian behind me. I wanted him to keep the same amount of slack in the rope no matter how fast or slow we were going. At first our draw was really good and Ruffian came off the pressure really easily but when I melted down to a stop he didn't stop until he was at my shoulder. So I would back him up to where he should have stopped, gave him a little time to think about it and then we tried it again. Then things switched and Ruffian started to stop really nicely but he wouldn't come off of the feel very good. We just continued to play with it until Ruffian trotted when I ran, walked when I walked, stopped when I stopped, and  backed up when I backed up. It Ruffian came forward one step when I stopped but we still ended with that one because it was the best we had gotten yet and it was still pretty good. Next time we will build on it and it will hopefully just keep getting better and better. 

After that we hung out for a little bit then I un-haltered him and mom and I headed home. It was nice to play out in the field and have a bit more space. Even though I know that soon I will have to go back to playing and riding in the riding ring.... or at least riding. I guess I will have to use my imagination a little and see what new things I can come up with! :)

Naturally,

~Keri