Monday

wow!!!

When I arrived Try was in her stall for a hot weather day and happy to get out to play. I backed her into the round pen and took off halter and asked her where she would like to wear it. GGG

Then
1. figure 8 was fabulous and she got the special treat
2. pedestal, extreme friendly and helicopter also everything I would want to see plus added backing off the pedestal from back from horse tail few hairs, then hocks then 2-3 hairs.
3. sideways away and toward over the barrels
4. stick to me--took a little reminding which was fine. walk trot halt back transitions
5. circled over the "jump" at a walk stopping 1/2 way and sideways to me THEN at a trot turn and face that took a try or two and we had some good exuberance
6. circle game at trot only 2 circles each way and I got some ear pinning. I stood on pedestal and used stick string to ask for walk, halt and back.

Then
to the arena/bareback pad for 4 sorta laps of no stirrups posting trot as passenger--put bridle on Try's neck with just a few reminders

Relaxation

Possible ways to promote relaxation:

1. friendly rubs and scratches
2. dwell time
3. bathe/shower
4. after good physical activity
5. light cueing
6. rewards, promoting sense of having "got it"
7. passenger time

yesterday attempted liberty after a riding lesson--not a good idea, took awhile for Try and I to get together mentally, physically, emotionally LOL

Great news: we are back in business for riding at a trot--did about a mile of trotting with no adverse affects.

Today: lovely figure 8 at liberty and a little bareback riding with Cathy and Shirley including 4 laps of no stirrups.

New goal: relaxation at a 1, "magic"

LB what??

Some thoughts:

Looking for relaxation,rhythm, contact--I am thinking differently about relaxation. Try as an extreme left brain I/orE, often has an "edge" to her that I have not thought about as tension but it is not relaxation. I think it is a dominance/type tension. It feels like a lack of "sweetness" or a separation from me.

How do I break thru this?
how do I keep from putting her here?

Monday

Vet says ok to ride: walk/jog!!

liberty yesterday:
1. figure 8--Try seems to really get it now
2. stick to me--good at walk trot stop back, my use of stick
3. circle transitions trot to walk to halt to back good

Thursday

Keystone: warmup and then trot and canter cloverleaf patterns. Then round pen for first attempt at carrot stick riding. Keystone was great--we were turning fluidly with the stick aided by body weight, leg and just a touch of rein. Great start and what a sweet guy!

Try: still no riding, walking only. Great day also--the best liberty figure 8 ever, the best lead by the tail ever. etc. light and late.

Keystone Thursday

Lesson w/BA freestyle riding: some confusion as to what is level 1/2 freestyle as I was at double D when Try and I learned this AND it was a complete non issue for Try and I.

point to point: wow--Keystone really sped up in trot and nearly cantered!!
lateral flexion/disengage HQ coming along
sideways on the fence better (online)
9 step back up--confusion between BA and I--not as good as yesterday.

In lesson setting I did not get as much dwell and hang out and take my time etc time as yesterday with just Keyston and I.

Today did one rein riding throwing rope over Keystone's head--was glad to have BA. Standing still Keystone was good--walking and tossing--first time Keystone took off (remember next time one rein stop.) so did walk stop toss, then figure 8 stop in the middle toss and then did not need the stop.

next time w/BA--regular lesson then start carrot stick riding in the round pen. Keystone is head shy so this is good for him but different for me because with Try the issue was that she ignored the stick or just got annoyed.

Try and figure 8

1. Try didn't offer the figure 8 but we did it 3x at liberty--I stayed pretty close and cued the send lightly and used lots of draw cues.
2. Stop over the "jump" and sideways towards--have started thinking about cueing the sideways towards from farther away.
3. circle transitions: stop, back, walk etc did on the rail as stick to me--good to try farther away and to re-establish clarity in cue of stick in front as slow down and back cue.
4. backed out of round pen--Try has tendency to rush--session over.
Light, sweet, responsive--sometimes offering sideways towards to snuggle close.

Keystone's first freestyle ride

Rode Keystone bareback with rope "haltamore."

Observations:
1. As LBI, point to point really does work to lengthen a "short" horse.
2. 9 step back up: Keystone stopped on step 1 and quickly began backing on step 5!
3. direct rein--not an issue--duh
4. indirect rein--we did not have it the first few tries, came back to it later and used a little leg on HQ and got a good step (and stopped, rest/reward) each direction.
5. lateral flexion: Keystone did not have the idea at first--gave one treat reward and he was waaaaaaaaaaay lighter from then on.
6. he was less girthy, offered to stand still to mount
7. weave pattern: he moved off my leg in the direction toward the gate. LOL. He ignored my leg in the other direction. However--he is used to hunter hack--turning from rein cues--tho of course he knows to move off leg--just not to turn.

this all in preparation for a freestyle lesson with Keystone, Bethanna and I.
I think he wants us to be together--no brainer, rest, treats, rubs, easy work.

Try offered figure 8

Wow Try offered figure 8 today. She knew the pattern just wasn't motivated before--DUH!! LBI/motivation--right. I gave no treats until I asked for 8 online--when it was correct she got treat--did that a few times. Then stopped thinking about what else to do and Try set out on her own to do figure 8!!!