Saturday - Joey Barley

Photos: Today was a shared lesson with Stefan and Sarafina.
More later when video is edited. But we did--
Walk with leg yield back to the rail--one step forward and one step over.
Trot lengthen and shorter and also trot to one step of walk--keep mentally posting and trot again.
Canter--head to rail to ask to engage HQ. Also played with "flying" change and emotional fitness.

This was not a good day and a step back for us in a number of ways. Try got really fired up, inverted, tail swishing--in raging season with cute geldings beside the ring etc. Too bad but we have so many great days--oh well. I still had a good time and actually I think most of the time Try did too--perhaps just too much unfocused energy at times. I think the exercises fired her up BUT I worry that I was overcueing her to get the exercises right--RELATIONSHIP first--NOT. I did ask for a chance to just stop and let Try chill and she did just that.

youtube video:

Joey lesson 1

walk with leg yield: one step forward, one step over

trotting with one step of walk for timing

Joey lesson - second video

more trotting

canter departs

lengthening and shortening trotting

Friday - Joey Barley

Try and I were able to do a lesson with NC hunter trainer Joey Barley at Rollover.

Try and I both appreciated how much time Joey took getting to know Try. Also Try seemed to have fun and enjoy being given permission to turn loose.

I asked for help in being able for us to get a quality trot.

We started with the walk and Joey said it would help with Try's canter.

We walked with lateral flexion on the inside around the ring several times. Maintaining the flexion--not asking until Try softened. Then we began walking with a good energy--tap tap--and repeat asking for the lateral bend of her neck if she lifts her head/inverts. We were able to have a good, powerful walk. The test was how long could we sustain it. Then stretch and take a break. This is the new WARMUP.

Then repeat a good walk into the trot.
We played with lengthening the trot on the long side of the dressage ring and slowing on the short side. Joey asked me to cue that the lengthening is coming with taptaptap and slow with sitting deep and pressure of two legs.

He helped us to really push the lengthening as far as she could go--with a great powerful trot as opposed to a fast or "runny" trot

Stretch down and walk to take a break.

Canter lead changes. 1/2 eye glass pattern--if she doesn't get it and has a counter canter then bend her neck to the rail to fix it. Homework: take our time with this so Try can be relaxed.

For fun we finished with turn on the haunches and forehand. That was the first time I have done turn on the forehand away from the rail I think. Also Try backed up to Joey and synced with him.

We showed him a couple of our tricks: Try being my partner and getting into place at the mounting block and sideways away and toward on the ground.

Catching Up - What a zoo of a week

House renovations full tilt--roofers hammering outside, painters inside, carpenters outside. YIKES

Anyway, Thursday

Try
Grooming, easy WTC ride and nice canter, shower and dwell time in preparation for likely clinic weekend with hunter trainer Joey Barley. Try is in raging season to add to the excitement--Richmond was nearly beside himself. BA is considering adding another gate into the ring in a different location! LOL

Nickers
What a cool, sweet pony. Grooming at liberty in her pasture and she stayed right with me and was sweet as any pony could be. Catching game: I leaned back from ?30yards and said Nickers and she RAN to me. She has already learned that I am her Rollover human. Also we played some Parelli games: backup, hide the hiney, sideways away AND towards and circling. We did that on line--her pasture is a bit too big for liberty with us just getting to know each other.

Phone coaching with Dawn Roth

We spent much of this phone coaching session discussing Nickers.
see Nickers blog on tieing, grooming, face

Try
1. The energy field of a horse's heart
2. Trot and impulsion changes--see notes on trotting and short video clips
3. L4--see separate blog entry on this.

How did it go the past week?

I. Cueing thoughts to consider: best friend and bridging etc--thought about and applied. Tapping for thinking away from me/druthers--did successfully with Devon but didn't do with Try.

Thinking as we do something about refining and reinforcing--like bridging we seem to do this unconsciously. I did get to thinking about phases for reinforcing and facial expression as a phase 3/4--often this is enough. Also about cueing--keep going/you almost have it.

II Riding 50% yeehaw and 50% precision
Try got a heavy dose of precision last week. She was ok with it but I want to even things up this week.
My goal for precision is to film us trotting and check out Try's reaction to my cueing visually to see how close we come to the trot I have in my mind.

III. Distance/On Line/Liberty
I want to progress this with playing with sideways towards after sideways away to see at what distance she comes back to me on line and at liberty.

IV. Pilates dvd--did not do this--why don't I want to? Loving the zumba class for now. Continuing pilates on my own, some stretching and free weights--why not the dvd?

V. See Nickers

Monday Nickers and then Ultimate Magic day with Try

See Nickers blog.

Try: magic day

My plan was to play with the concept of distance. This was a read each other's mind, rosy glow, best friends day. I am not sure I remember what we did and it didn't matter.  First she was across the ditch making friends with Nickers...thank you Try...Nickers needed that. Then Try came to me easily, stayed with me at liberty...I pointed across the ditch and she crossed. I followed and got ankle deep in the mud. We then took our time turning some easy on line circling into looser patterns adding in gait changes from syncing at about 20 feet. Tried stick to me increasing the distance and she didn't get the idea that we could play the game any way but close...when I would turn she would stay with me.

Everything felt so light and easy as we experimented and we both felt happy to be together. From my point of view the contrast between Nickers and Try in connection, understanding and corny as it sounds...love...was astounding. So one benefit to playing with another horse is to be able to see and appreciate what you have. I want to play with filming trot but not today with it raining off and on.

Today exceeded my expectations for what a relationship and working together could ever be!!

Sunday...Try and Nickers

I got to the barn early and had time for catch up good grooming and ride Try. Bethanna was riding Serafina the new mare who has a lovely light trot with a lot of suspension...BA said I should ride her sometime to feel that trot. Interestingly Try wanted to keep up with Serafina. Also I have. Optic end lately some gorgeous trot for Try...given her conformation...how interesting.

Then Sara pulled in with Nickers. She did not stay long and conferred with BA about feed etc. while I went out back with Nickers I am happy to feel comfortable with her. I have started a separate blog for her and will eventually get it printed out as a thank you for Sara. Link to her blog at top right.