t23

Yesterday had a good day of training. Felice came but I worked with Haycee myself running her through the dailies and lunging her. She still demonstrates attitude. I got on her and she moved out good then, as usual wanted to trot and then canter without being asked. So this time I let her go but when she wanted to stop I wouldn't let her. Then I asked for transition down and she readily complied. When I asked for a trot she moved up into it without much ado. But when I asked for canter, I tried to time my ask when I could feel her wanted to move faster, then she would go up into it for a few strides then back down without being asked. If I try to keep her going she will just shut down and stop at least at the beginning. I would then keep her moving in a small circle, sometimes just a shoulders over until she would move back to the rail. Then I would get a trot out of her when I asked. But a canter she doesn't like to do. She pitched a fit, however small, when I asked her to canter, the counter clockwise was worse then the clockwise. In fact, a couple times I think was thinking about bucking but she ran into my rein and so didn't. Now I was purposely staying off the bit as much as possible both with stopping and turning or just to hold her from bucking. I also was laying off the leg. She is very hard mouthed and sided. Very dull to both, still. So I am trying to back her off that and rebuild some softness to the feel of the rein and the leg. After about 30 minutes of trotting and trying to get her to canter I let her stop. I was running out of time and I wanted Felice to work with her on the ground to reinforce the things I have been teaching her. She is not as assertive with Haycee as she will need to be but she is starting to get it. She can do all the exercises I have taught her, but still needs a little more intensity in order to get haycee to move away from her when she asks. She did finally get the process of lunging with relation to Haycee moving forward and her own body position and maintaining it. I was proud of her cause I could tell she finally got it. Let me tell you anyone who thinks this stuff is easy hasn't done it. It really does take paying attention to the details of body position, rein or lead pressure etc. and lots of time and repetitions. But she is coming along nicely.
My own two horses are doing well. I worked with both of them yesterday and had the best rides ever on them. I am trying to work at liberty with Raven, not using the rein except when I have to to reinforce my leg and seat. She did well. I got her backing and moving through transitions without much rein, in fact alot of it I didn't have the rein in my hands. She is moving off my leg and seat pretty good. We still have a long way to go, but man am I pleased. I have been training her to kneel as well and she did that with slight pressure on the rein with me just holding her foot with my hand. We are making progress there. I also worked her on the ground after riding and she was so hooked on to me that I could move her shoulders, disengage her hindquarters, leg yield and side pass without any connection to her by a lead rope or rein. I was so thrilled.
Then I went and did similar things on Jake. He responded softer too. He is not far behind Raven in his progress, and I haven't dealt with him nearly as much. I attribute that to the fact that when I started with him I had already learned alot on Raven. We did the same thing with kneeling and he responded well too.
All I can say is that this is when it really gets fun!.
And after riding such a dull horse as Haycee getting on one of my horses is like really fun. It is like hiking with a 5o poind pack for a few miles. It is heavy and tiresome. When you take it off you are so light and almost floaty in feel. That is what it is like to go from a dull horse to a light horse. I love it.
By for now. I have to go feed the horses their lunch.