Saturday, June 5, 2010

#10

Today I had the indoor to myself. Yahoo. Played with figure 8 - still haven't figured out how to do it at the trot. Chewing on that. Played with weave and then figure 8s. Backing as always and circling at walk, trot and canter.

Cici is reluctant to go out and stay on the circle. I don't have my energy up? I get it up to back her, then relax, maybe I am not getting it back up for circle. So I use this as a great opportunity to practice her backing, since she will go out for maybe 1/4 of a the circle then come back in. 3/5ths and come back in.

Saddle her and played stick to me through the weave, figure 8 and then circling. I had watched level 2 freestyle with Pat the other night and he made the point that a buck is like a canter - three beats. So finally the importance of asking her to canter online click. Cici did another part buck - oops - and then cantered and quickly turned in to me.

I sent her out the opposite direction and asked for canter. I am amazed that she can canter the circle with slack in the rope! Have to admit that there are lots of time when I can't figure out which direction she was going LOL. Especially if I'm doing change of direction. Makes my head spin.

After saddling and circling with saddle when I went to put her bridle on I thought about what Margaret had said - noseband and browband being too tight. There is no noseband and the browband is loose. So I put my hands on her face where the noseband would be and waited for her to release. Did the same for the browband. Lick and chewing. And then put the bridle on. I was especially careful to make a clean split of her mane for the crown piece.

And she was wonderful with the bit! Started yawning just a bit after I mounted. And was light and listening and not brace. Yippee.

One more interesting note, after riding and circling and half circles back and lifting rein for stop and stopping by my just exhaling she stopped. And would not walk on. She felt tense. She stabbed her right foot forward. I thought - get off! So I dismounted and she bent around to snap at a fly that was under her belly.

The amazing thing is it felt she was taking care of me. That she could not do that with me on her back without upsetting me. So she wanted me to get off. And I heard that and got off.

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