First Bridleless Ride!

I hadn't intended to try riding bridleless during our session but everything felt right so I decided to just give it a go and it was awesome! Aspen felt calm and connected and was doing her best to read me and be responsive. We even tried cantering and jumping!

There's also some clips of our progress with backing on a circle, a little bit of sideways toward me, and some flying changes on the 45' line on the figure-8 pattern.

Samantha Thorning with Aspen,

Progress Entry: Sun 24 Feb 2013

Online Level 3
30 minutes

 

FreeStyle Level 3
30 minutes

Notes:

Holy amazing day today! :D Wowza!! Got our first circle going backward today - Aspen navigated all the turns on her own without me moving my feet at all! The FLCs are coming smoother on the F8 - had to get her life up a bit and warmed up to get the focus going on cantering through the whole pattern. She's also really stepping up her game doing the single down barrels - got two in a row today! Got on bareback, had the lead rope hooked through my belt loop and had my CS and neck string on. Got some responsive HQ and FQ yields and then some great circles and F8s. Got brave and took the halter off for our FIRST bridle-less ride - and she was awesome! We need to work on steering a bit - she was really drawn to Matt who was taking pictures for me so there was a lot of drifting toward him but overall she was really good! Got some jumps and all three gaits! Totally awesome!! She was also feeling really confident with me up there and let me lie back on her and get up and kneel on her back today - both first times for those too. Lots of licking and chewing! Very happy!!!!