Prince: Lightness, speed and distance on the circle...

January 4 2010

Prince came over to me after I had unhaltered Ruffian so I haltered him and then I decided to start by playing with and around the log. We stared by doing some yo-yo's, looking for lightness, speed and distance. Then we did sideways in zone 1 from 22ft away. At first Prince was being a little slow and sluggish but then I asked him to trot to me and jump the big log then back up to it. This really got his attention, I don't think he was expecting it ;) 

After that we did circles! I drove him from zone 5 over to a clear area and then sent Prince off on the circle from zone 5. It was an different way to send him but he figured it out right away. Once I saw that he had the rhythm, relaxation and connection at the trot on the circle we played with some changes of directions. At first they were really rusty so we had to play with them and get them lighter and more snappy. Our drive was good but our draw was what we were having issues with today. So we did quite a few of those until Prince got lighter and until over all the change of direction got better.  

Then we played with getting rhythm, relaxation and connection at the canter on the 22ft line circling. We haven't played a lot with this recently because of all the ice and such so it was nice to be able to play with it again. Prince did really well and even though he had a hard time at first getting the rhythm he was able to find it and in the end he cantered very nicely with rhythm, relaxation and connection! Pretty much the whole time he kept the slack in the rope which was really nice to see! 

Going to the left was a little bit harder but that was no surprise because that is Prince's harder side. We just kept with it until he was able to get the correct lead and maintain gait while also keeping the slack in the rope. He tried really hard and pretty soon he got it nicely.

After that we took a little break and then went and played with some more yo-yo's, sideways, and then I just wanted to do a little bit more with our changes of directions because where we left them it was good but I didn't have a really good idea of where we had left them because we went into playing with the canter. Prince was really light and we got some really nice changes of directions at the trot. They were 100% better than they were when we first started at the beginning of our session. 

We ended there and Prince stuck with me for a long time even after I let him go. He actually took a little nap and then all of us, mom, myself and all four horses, went home :) 

Naturally,

~Keri

Ruffian: Having fun with circles!

January 4 2010

This morning the horses weren't in so Mom and I went out to find them and to play. Since we had a couple really warm days there is a lot ice so that made things extra interesting. We couldn't play or ride in the riding ring because it was almost complete ice so we decided to stay in the turn around and play there. The horses were playing when we got there but they came over to us when they saw us. Ruffian really wanted to be played with and we got a really nice draw at the trot all the way from the other end of the turn around! So I haltered him and we set off. 

We were doing some really nice Falling Leaf but then Ruffian suddenly stopped, there was a ice everywhere under the snow. So we headed back to where it was better and we did some circles. They were going fairly well so we did some changes of directions. Just as I was thinking that I had to be careful not to do to many changes of directions because they get his adrenaline up and then Ruffian gets worried and might take off... well just as I was thinking that Ruffian took off. 

After I got him back, which wasn't hard because he just went to the other horses and then came back to me when I asked him too, we went over and played with the big log. We did Changes of directions there except I would ask Ruffian to jump the log every time. That way he had to think about it and not get so worried. 

This worked really well and Ruffian stayed relaxed and connected. They got really good at the end and so we stopped. Then we went out and played with some zone 3 driving/touch it. Ruffian wasn't totally confident with me being in zone 3 while we were walking to different places but after we did some Touch it he gained his confidence back fairly quickly. 

One thing we needed to play with though was when ever Ruffian was trying to avoid some ice he would come into my space. So I had to get firm and make sure that he wasn't coming into my space. Once he got that though he ended. The last thing I wanted was to have Ruffian think that the best place to go when gets worried is into my personal space :)

Ruffian was really relaxed when we ended and he was also motivated and obedient! It was great! It was nice to get out and play in a different place also :)

Naturally,

~Keri

Prince: Liberty and Bridleless

December 30 2010

Today we some friends of my parents came over and they wanted to see a little bit of what we were doing with the horses so Prince and I played at Liberty in the riding ring and then I got up and rode bareback and bridleless. 

While we played at Liberty we did Stick to me at the walk/trot/canter/ and back up, Touch it from about 15ft away, sideways over some barrel from zone one at about 20ft away from me, and (to my surprise) we jumped a single barrel from a stand still and Prince cleared it!!! I was really surprised that (1) he jumped it because just recently (over the last couple months) got it good Online and to the point where Prince won't try to go around it (2) that Prince cleared the barrel. Normally from a stand still he will knock it with his back legs, we have been playing with getting more effort and it is coming along but I didn't expect at Liberty yet :) So needless to say, I was happy :) We ended with a draw at a trot for a good 50ft or so then I mounted up. 

Since I hadn't ridden Prince in almost a week we started off with some hindquarter disengagements and forequarter yields. Prince was superb and we got some really nice forequarter pivots with Prince responding just to my body, no leg!!! It was really cool!! 

Then we did some sideways, back-up's and Follow the rail with walk/trot/halt/back-up transitions. Prince did so well and everything felt so smooth!! We also walked over to the pedestal and I asked Prince to put all four feet on it and then I stood on him and swung my carrot stick and savvy string around. 

So we didn't do a whole lot but I was still really pleased with how well Prince did, especially while we were riding. He responded so well!! It was really incredible! 

Then my youngest brother got up with me and we rode around for a short while. He loves to ride! This was his second bridleless ride too :) I had him focusing with me where we were going and dropping his energy when we were stopping. It was fun :) Then we got off and Prince and I spent some undemanding time together for a while before we went back down to the corral. 

So considering I was not even planning on playing with any horse today because we had company over, I was very happy to be able to play :) And to have such a great session was just a bonus :)

Naturally,

~Keri

Prince: Reviewing circles...

December 28 2010

Today my plan was to review our circles. We haven't really focused on our circles for a couple sessions because we have been focusing on Figure eights. So we set out for 30 laps at the trot in each direction. We haven't done this in a long time so I wasn't sure how it was going to go but Prince did really well and going to the right he didn't need any corrections. While going to the left it was two but that was only because both times the rope got caught on a ball of snow (with it being so cold lately the snow is kind of weird and the rope was catching on it) and Prince turned and faced me. But that was okay. At least he was being sensitive!! The whole time Prince had rhythm, relaxation and connection. It was amazing!

I did however get a little bit bored while he was circling to the left. Prince found a good rhythm alright but it was a slooooooooooow trot. That is my LBI for you ;) I timed it and it took 10 minutes for him to trot 30 laps to the left... so I kept myself interested enough by every time Prince circled a complete lap I would try and think of what that number reminded me of. So that helped ;)

Then after a little rest we did Figure eights. Prince was so engaged! He almost cantered a complete figure eight! It was really cool! We ended though when he trotted a couple nice Figure eights and maintained gait through out the whole Figure eight.

Then we took a nice long rest and then went down to the riding ring. It was a shorter session but still really fun!

Naturally,

~Keri

Ruffian: Progressing!

December 28 2010

Ruffian and I had a really good session. This just keep getting better and better!

Our Figure eights were great. Ruffian maintained the rhythm, relaxation and connection the whole time. It really was amazing. He was spectacular! We also did some circles and again Ruffian, even though playful, was connected and we got some really nice circles and changes of direction.

We also played around with jumping the single barrel. Ruffian jumped it from a stand still on the first try. He put a lot of effort into it and literally jumped at least 1ft higher than necessary. I love playing with this horse! :)

I am really enjoying that fact that Ruffian is more playful now and less introverted! It is something I never want to take for granted :)

Naturally,

~Keri

Twosox: Connection... in a different way.

December 28 2010

Just after I haltered Twosox this morning and as we were heading up towards the riding ring I had a BFO that I don't find it easy to connect with Twosox. Maybe because he is a more challenging horse so I find it hard to really connect but for what ever reason I just have a really hard time finding what makes him tick and what motivates him? 

One thing that I haven't tried really is using treats to motivate him. I know that Twosox is more confident more now but I have never really viewed him as a LBI so I haven't really used that as a strategy. So today I decided to try that and also to just play around and see if I could find how to get into Twosox's mind. 

We started out by doing some circles. I asked Twosox to trot 4 laps in both directions, which he did very well so then we played with Changes of directions. At first Twosox would do an okay change of direction but he was only responding when he felt the rope and so he wasn't really listening to my body. Then when he did change direction he would take off and we would loose connection. So we played with them until he was more connected to me and he was able to maintain gait, which was the trot, through out the whole change of direction. 

I think doing these first really helped because it got both Twosox and I into a good frame of mind and I was able to have a pretty good idea of where Twosox was mentally. Also using treats at a reward seemed to make a positive difference in Twosox. 

Up next were Figure eights! These went a lot better than the last time we did them. We used the same type of pattern that I am using with the other horses, using circles and Figure eights to keep things interesting and different. Twosox did really well and we ended when we got one really nice figure eight at the trot with rhythm, relaxation and connection. 

We also did some sideways, Touch it and some other smaller, but fun, things. One thing we did was I asked Twosox to jump a single barrel that was lying down in the middle of the riding ring. Twosox did it on the first try which was really cool because we haven't done that in a long time and never when the barrel was away from the fence. 

We ended after that. It was a great session. I am still processing it all and trying to figure out how this session will effect our next session and all but I am really happy with how well this play time went. 

Naturally,

~Keri

Prince: Motivation!

December 27 2010

Prince and I had a short but very fun session today. I really felt that when we were doing Figure eights he was motivated and I had his mind completely engaged. It was amazing. 

We started out with some Falling Leaf and Backwards "S" which Prince did really well. We had to play a little bit with him not making assumptions about when I wanted him to turn and such but he did well and maintained gait really well. 

Then we went and did Figure eights. The pattern today was one circle, one Figure eight, one circle two Figure eights, one circle, one Figure eight, etc etc. I knew that if I didn't switch up the pattern some how Prince would loose interest but doing this pattern did the trick and Prince was complete in tune with me. As he was coming around each barrel he would ask a question and then I would either ask him to do the Figure eight or if I stayed in neutral he knew to keep circling. It was really incredible! Prince did so well with maintained the rhythm, relaxation and connection when I asked for two Figure eights. It was really, really, nice! 

We ended with the Figure eights and I brought Prince in for a rest. Then I un-haltered Prince but he stayed with me for a while then we both walked down to the corral together. 

Naturally,

~Keri