Monday, June 1

Small paddock:
1. Try liked (and trotted) circling game w/three barrels set up in circle w/treats!
2. Our new trick is weave with sidepass away and toward--Try has been offering sidepass towards as the answer to everything. gggg.

Freestyle review:
1. Saddling--did this in the small paddock w/English saddle--awkward, visualize smooth transitions. Try send to saddle good. She was eating grass in paddock and didn't care about tightening the girth! (Tightened in about 10 stages. Unclear about how to work on girthiness.)
2. Mounting: I have this pretty smooth--rock her to be sure she has her feet planted and wait once mounted need to be part of program.
3. Lateral flextion and disengage HQ are better than they were at Double D two+ years ago. Try willing and seemingly easy for her to do. Did not get as up on the disengage HQ as she used to do.
4. Go and whoa: Go easy from bringing up life; whoa took slight lift of rein as she didn't want to be in the arena--other horses had left.
5. Casual rein and turning: good--eyes, belly button, leg were sufficient--would have been nice not to need leg. Practiced the old diagonal direct rein to turn.
6. Will add on next time--probably Wed in western saddle

4 laps no stirrups (2/3 mile)--Try was going to town on the trot--instead of usual urging trot on, I was asking her to slow--exhale, voice, couple of half-halts, etc.

BA says Thur lesson: play with online circling game transitions and phases--that I am nagging at a phase two. Then no stirrups etc. Next week: ride Cricket (winning TB hunter/jumper) for smooth canter, good bending, taking a bit of contact, etc. Probably just trot the first lesson. That will be fun and different and give me more time for freestyle riding with Try.

Saturday, May 30

Quiet Day

circling game 45' line in small pasture by barn--walk and eat, trot a little
arena: sideways towards and away. Try thought the answer to everything was sideways towards. circling game 22' line--walk and change directions. weave w/sidepass.

no stirrups 4 laps, cleaned ears etc

Friday, May 29 Day off

Not going to the barn today. Need catch up day around the house.
Maybe go to barn and mist Try off and give a few treats--graze a little???

Anyway: holes to patch/stuff to do

1. program: girthy
2. circle game
3. make habit to clean ALL 4 feet from same side.
4. program: clean teats
5. program: tilt head to me to halter
6. make habit to mount parelli way-western
7. using vocal cues
8. review basics of freestyle riding

idea for new game: sidepass away and toward the weave pattern.

Thursday, May 28

Filmed today:
some stuff good, some not so
trailer loading was good
weave bad around the ends--needed to be farther away
extreme friendly good
sideways towards not straight
lead by leg good; lead by tail stopped in middle
pedestal good
barrels good--better if I could be farther away
circling game: yuck had to work to get 6 laps at canter then rest was messy.
cavaletti good--better with less cueing

transitions from one to another need to be smoothed out--I don't practice these

More on Wednesday: Teleseminar/Hot Line

See Circling game blog for info on hot line call/Julia on
How can I make the circling game fun?

Teleseminar notes:

• Eating grass: don't ask them to raise their head
• patterns, patterns, patterns
• leadership: about having a plan
• cleaning privates--can use carrot stick for approach/retreat in beginning
• stiff shoulders riding--think pulling armpits down
• welcome to new level of incompetence

Wed May 27 Stinky Day

Wow what an off day. Was it me? Was it her? Was it us?

Trailer load, lead by hocks and tail and pedestal were great.

Extreme friendly she moved on 5th slap
Weave: soso took some time
barrel sidepass--not clean
Knocked over barrel with cone with gusto
Cavaletti: unclear about sidepass away and toward. Rest was good.

Circle game: yuck. Only part I liked was when she got ticked and took off with exuberance and I egged her on. That was fun for me.