Samantha Thorning with Aspen,
Progress Entry: Sun 03 Feb 2013
Online Level 3
40 minutes
40 minutes
Notes:
I haven't come up with my next 7 day challenge for OL yet but today I played with a few ideas that I think I'll use. One of the things I think I'll probably make a focus is backing on a circle, @MindySchroder posted a cool video of her horse Billy Blaze backing through the corner to help him figure out the pattern. Loved the idea so tried that today with Aspen. Lots of licking and chewing - I think this will be a fast one to make progress with.
We also played with sideways towards me - working on it being a more fluid step - not a shoulders then hind, with the hind really coming to me. And backing by her tail with me standing on the right side. Must build some more confidence over there.
Once she was all warmed up I had her on the 45' line and asked her to circle near a single down barrel in the middle of the arena. She could go around it, but I what I wanted her to do was offer to jump it. After many laps she finally did and gave me a great set of question ears asking to come in. Did this 3 more times and on the 4th time she went all the way out on her circle and aimed for that barrel and jumped it!
Had some AWESOME F8 today at a speedy canter/hand gallop with FLCs! She was very exuberant and playful with this!! So super cool!!!!
Then ended with a little Liberty STM and experimented with sending her to the barrels to touch it. Lost her a couple times but she always came back (usually at the trot or canter) and finished out the day with a liberty jump over a single down barrel.
Where did my super horse come from???!! :D
Samantha Thorning with Aspen,
Progress Entry: Sun 03 Feb 2013
Online Level 3
20 minutes
20 minutes
FreeStyle Level 3
20 minutes
20 minutes
Notes:
Day 7 - Weave
Day 4 - Riding, Canter
Goal - Aspen's understanding of the pattern and her responsibilities
Yesterday was the finish of the weave segment of the 7 day challenge for understanding. I am pleased to announce that Aspen has finally got the pattern down! While at times she decides she'd rather do something else (it's her cuspy LBE coming out!) she clearly is demonstrating that she knows what's coming next and where to go. And if she's in the right frame of mind she will maintain the whole thing at the trot with me anywhere from 22 to 30+ feet away.
Cantering was awesome again!!!! *happy dance!* She's hardly swishing her tail anymore if I can manage to keep my hips and shoulders congruent with her. Such exciting progress! We haven't done any patterns yet at the canter - just circling, allowing both of us to get a feel for each other as we experiment our way into harmony. She even took some breaths and blew out at the canter!
Samantha Thorning with Aspen,
Progress Entry: Fri 01 Feb 2013
Online Level 3
30 minutes
30 minutes
FreeStyle Level 3
20 minutes
20 minutes
Notes:
Yesterday was a mediocre day for ground skills and a way better day for riding! I can take that change up for once! :)
Day 6 - Weave / Zone Driving
Day 3 - Riding, Canter
Goal - Aspen's understanding of the pattern and her responsibilities
It was not my day with the 45' yesterday... I think I dropped it a bazillion times or it got tangled on the barrels or twisted. Argh! I hate bad rope days! lol Our weave was a little broken around the left end barrel, needed some reminding to go AROUND it, not over it or in front of it. Didn't do any zone driving yesterday.
Riding the canter was MUCH better. I think that I have begun to figure out how to move my body at the canter to keep in harmony with her. It's not just the shoulder going in time with her lead foot, it's also my same hip being flexible and mobile too! If I stopped moving my hips she'd start tail swishing, if I got my hips going the tail wringing stopped... how interesting... I noticed less sliding forward of my saddle and increased ability to keep my dots together if I wasn't static in the saddle. I'm much more athletic on the right side of my body for this (though I turn to the left better in general). Can't wait to get out there again today and see if I can keep her tail from swishing while cantering. Also, getting much better transitions and relaxation too!! :)
Samantha Thorning with Aspen,
Progress Entry: Thu 31 Jan 2013
Online Level 3
15 minutes
15 minutes
Liberty Level 3
15 minutes
15 minutes
Notes:
This definitely was the best session I've ever had with Aspen! It's taken me a couple days to decide what to write about it because I don't think I'll be able to capture the moment in words. We started out on the 45' line warming up with weave and F8. Calm? Check! Connected? Check! Check! Responsive? Check! Aspen was so interested in what I wanted her to do that she wouldn't take her eyes off me! She was doing FLCs, sticking to the pattern herself, and asking lots of questions.
At one point (my bad!) the rope got tangled around one of the barrels and it went behind both her front legs and between one of her back legs. She was cantering and there was no way I could fix it so I let go of the rope and she took a few worried strides then stopped, looked straight at me and asked to come over. She walked to me really calm and I untangled her and we went on as if nothing had happened. So totally awesome for an RBE!
During one of our canter circles Aspen became a totally different horse. She lifted her whole front end, engaged her HQ, flexed through her neck and poll and demonstrated this beautiful, elevated, round canter! She carried herself like an Olympic champion dressage horse (at least in her heart!). It was so athletic and beautiful to watch.
I was mixing up and weave and F8's at the trot and canter and as she came around the end barrel she did her FLC and then looked at me, did this great big star jump off the ground, stomped her feet, shook her head, and then cantered to me with her ears forward!!! I haven't seen her this playful - EVER! I took the halter off thinking I'd just let the day go at that before getting greedy but she was so stuck to me with so much draw and really seemed like she wanted to keep PLAYING! Now, I know we always say we're "playing" with our horses, and maybe we are, but how often are we engaging our horses to actually physically, mentally, and emotionally play back with us??
This seemed to be our day so I asked her to do a little sideways toward me, then some stick to me, some circles, how about a little cutting back and forth (first time ever!), some jumps? She was just there every time I suggested something to her. Ears forward, magnetized to me, game on! I could have played with my horse for HOURS but decided I really must end on a good note and call it quits before I exhausted the fun. When I have a little more time expect a more details post in my blog! :)
Samantha Thorning with Aspen,
Progress Entry: Sat 26 Jan 2013
Online Level 3
20 minutes
20 minutes
Liberty Level 3
20 minutes
20 minutes
Notes:
Day 5 - Weave / Zone Driving
Day 2 - Riding, Canter
Goal - Aspen's understanding of the pattern and her responsibilities
On Saturday I had a great day with Aspen! She wasn't as keen on the FLCs as she has been in the past but she was really showing me that she knew what was coming in the weave and even offered to jump the single down barrel once :) Sideways towards me wasn't so great with the hind end really coming over but it was alright.
Riding was much better - I didn't have to use partial disengagement nearly as long to get her to relax at the trot and she kept offering to canter. Got some great stops without my reins towards the end. I'd like to see her attitude improve overall but I'm really feeling more relaxation and try from her under saddle. :) Video to come!
Samantha Thorning with Aspen,
Progress Entry: Thu 24 Jan 2013
Online Level 3
30 minutes
30 minutes
FreeStyle Level 3
30 minutes
30 minutes
Notes:
Day 4 of the Understanding the Weave and Z4/5 driving and Day 1 of the Canter Relaxation challenge!
Aspen is continuing her understanding and therefore effort increase in the sideways towards me. I find that although I'll only spend a few minutes each day on this as part of our warm up it's quality is going up in leaps and bounds. Very interesting to compare how many days, weeks, or months I'll spend on something else that does not yield the same positive results... I know it's all about quality vs. quantity... The question is figuring out what I'm doing in this exercise with quality and how to apply that in other areas as well.
The weave wasn't quite as good as last time but none-the-less it's still getting better in general. Lots more positive expression and desire to play a little - even offered to jump the barrels (single down)!! Not what I wanted but a super cool offer on her part! Again, got some FLCs in the F8 and I'd say the pattern is becoming more fluid! I'll try to take a video next time I'm out!
The long line driving went well and I decided to try two lines today. Just focused on getting her to go forward and not get blocked up or want to turn and face me. Once we got the idea of finding the release going straight between the two feather lines we walked the weave pattern to introduce some turns in the driving. I know that for the driving to get better I'm going to need to get better myself. I've never really done 2 line driving from Z5 before so rope management has been a big challenge for me.
And FINALLY I got to RIDE today!!!!! Wahoo! We did some warm up at the trot doing FTR. She was tense and kept veering off the wall so we kept at it using steady rein and/or partial disengagement until we were able to trot once around the arena each way with one or less corrections. Got some good stretching and blowing out which gave me the green light to move onto working with the canter. I wanted to work towards walk-canter-walk transitions and incorporate the corners game but she was so bunched up and icky that instead we focused on canter nicely or else I'll rapidly disengage you until you have a nice expression on your face then we'll go again. After a handful of laps, disengagements, transitions, and steady reining we eventually got a couple nice canter circles each way. Called it quits after that, unsaddled her, and then sat in the dirt. She came over, rolled next to me, then just laid there while I sat and leaned on her and scratched her. It's the first time she's ever really just chilled with me laying down. :) I'm feeling really positive about the progress made today and am excited to see what the next ride brings!
