Cantering, 45' line, and Awesomeness...

As you guessed by the title I've been playing with our riding :).  I've played with other things too but I've forgotten what I've done!  And I only remember one time of riding too ;P.  I know I've done more but I just can't seem to remember what!  Except for some 45' fun :).

Riding wise I worked on our canter figure-8's bridle-less.  They're coming along slowly but surely!  I still have to use a LOT of stick but I *hope* that I'll only have to use the string by the end of August, and even then only use it sparingly...


I'm playing with the 45' again!  YAY!  lol ;)!  Sonny, Toby, and I all *LOVE* the 45'.  It's insane awesomeness!  lol!  Sonny thinks it was sent by heaven for him to run around on and fart around with ;).  He's a goober.


Toby and I are playing with using the 45' as a cordeo* and leadline playing with him doing all 7 games with out having to touch the halter (just the cordeo) :).  I think I'll play with Sonny and that today :D!  And maybe next week (or month) I'll start trying a flank-rope on them...  Hmmmm *licks lips* that's some food for thought...
~Shalom, Savvy Out, and God Bless~

PS: I'm *hoping* to make a movie soon *plus* I have an awesome idea for a post so watch out! It has something to do with Rascal Flatts ;).

Figure 8's, New Mindsets, Work in Progress, and Interrupting Patterns...

I'm back!  I will start with the first part of my title...  Figure 8's!

For a while I didn't do the patterns because I just, well, I just thought they were plain stupid and they were also EXTREMELY boring (so I thought...).  I had already bought the online and freestyle so I decided, Why Not?  Lets go for 'em!  So I did.  Within FIVE MINUTES I had Sonny, mind you this was our 1st time doing it, TROTTING the pattern!!!!!!  He was also pretty much doing it without my help too!  YEE HAW!  When he gave me that trot eight I almost cried!  The next time I did it he CANTERED IT!!!!!  With drop to walk/trot transitions ;).  I'm SOOOO happy right now!  I was pretty positive before but am now SURE that my horse is *the* smartest horse EVER!!!!

 

 New Mindsets

I, over the past couple of days, have learned a new mindset.  I noticed that I never really changed my old "traditional" mindset...  So about a week ago I made myself change the mindset I had.  One thing I changed is NEVER to force them to anything but instead offer it to them.  I did that the other night and Sonny doesn't like to jump all that much but I gave him the option of going between me and the jump (which was probably a 10-15 foot gap) or go over the jump.  The first couple of times he went between me and the jump but then all I did was focus on the jump and he jumped it!  YAY!  I also got him to maintain gait (which is hard for him) 2-3 times around all because I did not nag!  Instead when he passed a certain area I would ask him to canter and when he caught on he MAINTAINED THE CANTER THE WHOLE WAY AROUND!!!!  That is HUGE for him!  YAY Sonny!  I am really liking the results I am getting with this mindset.  I think I will keep it!

Work in Progress

The next part of my title is about Toby.  He is definitely a "Work in Progress".  He is so hard to work with but at the same time fun!  You never know what you will get.  Will he be a RBI, a LBI, a LBE, or a RBE today?  He can also switch between all four horsenalities in one play session!  Lately I have been playing with Sonny more than Toby but I have worked with him.  I rode him Saturday and he did AWESOME!  We worked on stopping and moving off my leg into a walk without me having to follow through with a bump or hand slap on the butt.  By the end I got him moving off of a squeeze pretty consistently.  Mostly though I have been spending more undemanding time with them.  Which is fun!

Interrupting Patterns

I just wanted to ask a question.  What do y'all do to interrupt your horses patterns?  Be it if they are acting RBI or RBE or LBI or LBE.  I'm curious!  If my horse (Toby specifically) turns RBI I stop and wait until they lick their lips.  But if they are RBE I send them in a circle and put my back against a fence so that then they have to stop and turn every half circle.  Now for LBI and LBE if they are doing like dominance games with me I send them out onto a circle and make sure they are listening mighty well!  Do you do any of those things?  If so tell me!  I am curious!

~Shalom, Savvy Out, and God Bless~