Silly Me

Today, despite knee injury, I figured Try and I could at least do a little slow, careful liberty behind the barn. I was pleased with how it went and was glad I filmed it.

Got home and viewed the video--wow--knee or not we need sharpness, more lively, greater contact, more energy, more, more, more--looked like I needed to light a fire under the both of us. Time off? The weather? More warmup time needed?

Thinking about this, I wonder, if next time I'm up for this (??Sunday) if it would be a good idea to repeat some of the stuff on line and film to see the difference. Am I going slow and begging hoping to keep Try from going LBE and disobedient????

More to come....

Wednesday How Interesting

Today: went to the barn with the idea of doing just a little to be careful of the knee.

Learned: Beth Anna rode Try for me yesterday and Try was wonderful--rode her on the buckle in the ring, walk, trot canter--just lovely. BA left the ring and Try went balistic with where SHE wanted to go--over the top dominance behavior. How interesting!!

So today Try and I spent a couple minutes in the round corral--I took off the halter and we did a few seconds of stick to me walk stop back and then one lovely figure 8. So I called it a day for liberty. We then went to the ring where we did a few walk/trot and walk/canter transitions--most of it really lovely. Tho Try pinned her ears like crazy at other horses. She is really in a mood right now. We left the ring and walked a little near the barn with backup, sideways and some turns on the haunches BUT she really wasn't relaxed or thinking just responding to cues but revved for it to be over and get back to the barn!! (Not something new--(being up leaving the ring and the trip back to the barn carrying a rider) but surely interesting to consider.)

Then bath/catch ups of grooming stuff etc.

Vacation

Took a little time off from the barn last week with knee injury. Frustrating at first then realized it was a good mental break, time to catch up on stuff. Hosted play day group at my house on Saturday with topic of patterns--study, discussion, simulations, time to visit and great eats. Now I am stoked to get back to the barn to see Try and hopefully Keystone--surely he will be well enough for at least a little On Line play.

Rode my first real buck!

Monday--started slow with some nice liberty, stick to me, fig 8, circling transitions etc. Followed by standard workout in close contact saddle for my strength--i.e. 2 point, posting trot, no stirrups posting trot laps. Then canter but Try was feeling super exuberant and was cantering very fast (hand gallop??) and ignoring rein aids, sooo I went to the western saddle so I could encourage her to explore her need to move.  I think the change of saddles ticked her off--that she thought she was done--so when we cantered again she gave me my first real buck--cantered a couple more laps before going to the round corral. We played with the circling game/stopped asking Bethanna if I should go back and ride again--she said yes--so we played some more liberty circling until Try let me know she had the p--- and vinegar out of her system. We went back to canter in western saddle in the ring and it was lovely--turns largely from eyes bellybutton etc.  Big day!!

I think we are renegotiating our relationship. I just feel the desire to be more assertive, energetic and want Try to come along with me. If its not her idea, she would like to try some intimidation to maintain the status quo. I think anyway......

canter bareback cloverleaf

Highpoint of the day: I cantered the cloverleaf pattern bareback. Part of the developing self confidence goals for July.

Liberty: was a bit lacking in particularity as I was tired and low energy--Try was really laid back also. I had set out a group of strongid buckets--Try immediately went to them and started weaving--2nd day--we are really close. stick to me turn pretty good--low energy. pedestal--Try offered so we played with walking across--stepped off the the side again.

Freestyle bare back pad: Try was awesome. So much is happening from body weight--eyes belly button and lightly leg. Including sideways over some cones, and turn on the haunches. We did passenger walk for awhile, then posting trot on the rail with stops in the shade, serpentines and clover leaf.

patterns

Try and I have been using cloverleaf and question box patterns to help find a nice relaxed, positive canter gait (no pinned ears). Today I had the idea of a reverse on the rail/circle in the corners pattern--Bethanna helped us with it and it blew Try's mind at first--was good because it took mental energy from us both and Try was relaxed and had a positive attitude and quickly settled into a relaxed trot after cantering.

The pattern: trot/canter on the inside track along one side of the ring--posting or picking up the canter lead opposite from the one you would use on the rail--then go back to the rail to circle and repeat on the remaining three sides. It is good also because it mixes circles and straight lines equalize go and whoa.

  

A Little Liberty

Still catching up with myself and low energy so Try and I played together with a little liberty in the round play pen.

We played stick to me with lots of transitions especially my turning and asking Try to speed up to stay at my shoulder--for future reference, this was way better on her left side. We went back on line occasionally so Try would understand the game.

Try offered the pedestal (and other touch its) so we played with the idea of walking across. She did move her back feet to touch the pedestal and step down in front with front feet then walked off sideways rather than walk across with her back feet.

We played circling game: downward transitions once Try was cantering took a little time tho--downward using draw to me or game over HQ look were great.

We finished with a lovely bath on the hot day to get rid of the salty dried sweat that I think makes her cranky. Certainly a cool bath on a hot day is very relaxing for Try.