Back on Can Do This Week!

Started off on Can Do's week today! She picked up where we left off. We left off with a trip to Lucy's where we had a private clinic on loping, lol! Lucy, Nancy, and Mary parked their horses in the middle of a large circle and had me lope or try to lope Can Do around the cones. At first it was like a joke. Can Do had my number and knew exactly what she could get away with. Not for long though, because I had Coach Lucy on my side. She made me Can Do's leader. It was awesome! After that, I had a new concept to work with at home. I really felt like I walked away with some leadership that day. In the end, Can Do was loping from a walk. I felt proud. The session today went pretty good although couldn't get the left lead. The longest we loped was one lap of arena. I will start from there and try and extend her cardio workout. Million transitions went pretty well. I'm not sure why, but I do a lot of this pattern. I like the fact that my horses go or whoa with my seat. It works in the arena anyway! She backed better than Gizmo, but her head was elevated somewhat. We will practice that this week. Supposed to be going to the beach on Wednesday, yeah! Can Do didn't seem to have issues with going to the other end of the arena today. Also, She straddled the pole fairly quickly online before we started. We had been having a little problem with moving the hind end over the pole the last couple of times.

Cantering

My week riding Can Do has turned into about 3 weeks, not riding everyday though. Since I've decided to bring her to my next clinic, I've been trying to get her in shape. She really is looking nice right now and not like Ms. Piggy! I brought her to a friends barn yesterday and we worked on cantering. At first it wasn't pretty. Maintain direction and fast trotting were the result. My friend, who is an experienced rider, was in the middle of the arena coaching me the entire time. She was hard on me and I needed it. In the end, Can Do was picking up the canter from a walk. I am trilled and couldn't sleep last night because of this accomplishment. I have it in me to be really good, I just need private coaching, lol! Maintaining the canter is my next mountain. Can Do hasn't been ridden much in ten years and doesn't have much stamina. I am going to get her in shape and we are going to be great together. I am going to start cantering in my millions of transitions program and start to ask for longer distances slowly. I can also do this online! Yesterday I had a BFO about how much our horses dominate us in the minute things that they do that I never really paid much mind to. For example, moving one more step after you ask for the halt, or getting in my personnal space when on the ground. If I am ever to be the leader, I need to start paying attention to these little things, the little things that I never even noticed before yesterday. Do not get me wrong, my horses are not running me over or anything, I'm talking about the little step backs that I do on a regular basis and things like that. You don't know what you don't know, but now I'm starting to have conscience competience. Yeah me! I also learned to keep Can Do out in the circle. While we were loping (cantering) she would try and turn into the middle of the circle where all of my friends were. They were all mounted on their horses and watching the 'big show'. She would also break down into the trot. My coach, Lucy, fussed me and told me to lift my inside rein and use my inside leg to push her back out. DO NOT LET HER TROT! Yes ma'm! What I was doing, which wasn't effective, was using a direct rein, the outside one, to pull her out. Hello, doesn't Pat say not to pull your horses? He says to push them, so that is what I did. And it worked!

Transitions

Today we practiced transitions as it has been my weakness. I'm trying to get the trot, walk, or lope in my body and for Can Do to pick it up. Sometimes it works, sometimes not! I believe I'm not consistant enough. We also did follow the rail which both of my Parelli horses should have by now. My focus needs improvement because I felt her all over the place as I was trying to do my transitions and then all of a sudden I put her on the weave and she did it so nicely. It reiterated how strong my focus needs to be and that I must let it slip a little at times. At one point I moved off of the rail to do transitions because I felt like I was trying to do two things at one time - stay on the rail and transitions. When doing that I'm realizing that she is unconfident on one side of the arena. It is the side away from the pasture horses. This explains alot and gives me some 'how interesting' thoughts. She kept coming off of the rail at the same point so if she came off, I'd bring her into a lope. Hope this helped as I'll know more in the near future. As I write this, I'm realizing I forgot to go to the right. This was all done going to the left which is her favorite side. Oh well! All in all, this day went pretty well. Can do is getting her girly figure back after being on a diet for a couple of months. I'm getting her in shape to bring her to a clinic in Wiggins in April. I think she's 18 years old, not a spring chicken anymore!

LB or RB?

This week is Can Do's week. We played online with maintain gait on circle. She gets it a little quicker than when we first started and when she maintains the trot, I stop and then we move on to something else. Her sideways needs improvement. She wants to bring her rear end towards me when I try to drive it away. I think I caused this problem because this summer I taught her to stand next to me for mounting. We also did figure 8's. She is hilarious. I really have trouble with her LB/RB. She changes in a nanosecond. I love watching her trying to figure it out. She definately goes right brained when obstacles are involved and she is so clumsy. When she asks me a question I bust out laughing. When she knows she's getting a treat she snorts like a pig, which she must have been in a former life. I really must have overdone touch it with her feet, because she wants to stop at everything and touch it with her foot. Then she gives me one of those looks, "Look at me mom!". Also, she knows that when I say "good girl" she must be getting a treat I may have overdone that one also. I love her!!!! When riding, we always start with passenger lesson. She has trouble with go, which suprises me. She stops every couple of steps like she isn't sure of what I want. We will practice this. Her follow the rail stands at she won't follow the rail. She seemed to be really worried by the orange trees today. I handled this by backing and asking her to go forward again. Then we did some indirect turns. She did those pretty good then it was time to quit. I am bringing her to my next clinic with Maurice.

Reading Horses

After watching a savvy club dvd at our camp this weekend about patterns, I've decided to actually log (like they tell us to do) how many days in a row that we do it. And really stick to it (like they tell us to do)! I'm guilty of starting and never completing this. I am very scatterbrained but i'm working on it. Today I helped Can Do with fig. 8. I used concepts from Mickey and think I may have made points with her. We did both sides and I got tons of licking and chewing. I tried to keep my body calm and to give a phase 1 of a phase 1, as sometimes that is all she needs. Very sensitive sometimes! Her ears are what really needs work. She lays them back frequently then pops them up as fast as they went back. Hard to read for me because before I can correct her they are up again. I will continue with this schedule and see what happens. We also worked on not changing gait and look where you are going. She is very clumsy. I laid down some pilings about 6 in in diameter and sent her in a circle. At first she went down to a walk and made it through. She did this a couple of times. I tried to be non reactive with her but kept my "you need to keep going" posture and look. Low and behold, she started to walk the first couple of poles and trot coming out on the last couple of poles. Not long after that she really tried hard to keep the trot. She did it! I stopped her and gave her scratches and rest. Then we did the other side. Same experiences. Feelin very savvy! We then went to freestyle.

Passenger Lessons on CanDo

After a very successful online session, Can Do and I played with passenger lesson. I never really did it with her because she doesn't have impulsion issues. But, I decided to give it a go to become the partner she needs and I blew her mind. She could not figure out what in the hell was going on. Mostly at first, she stopped and I had to get her going again by going all the way with flapping my rope around my shoulders and then on her hip. She kept trying to stop and eat grass. Slowly we made it to a steady walk but she only stayed on the arena side close to the pasture horses. How interesting! I then tried to pick up the trot by trotting in my body. She didn't understand. It took a while, but her walk from a stop improved to just phase 1. I ended up getting her trotting to where she understood she had to keep going. This was just day 1 with this game so I'm expecting better results soon. We then did 4 corners and follow the rail. She didn't do bad, but it wasn't great either. Like I said, this was day 1. We backed and turned on the haunches then turn on front end. Score of 6 with those.

Make it Burn

Can Do and I worked on some of the tasks I learned at Maurice's clinic with Gizmo and yep, she did them right on. I knew she would know what to do, she was only waiting for me to learn how to ride. I'm not there yet, but I'm on the way. I need for Maurice Thibault to move to south Louisiana so he can be my personal coach. Lessons 3 or 4 times a week would do the trick, lol! I really just need more time with a PP. We trotted around the property just getting her to burn some calories and get her body moving. Wish I had a couple of more hours a day to work with my chubbies!!!!

Horse is out of shape

Well, not riding Can Do for so long has caused her to gain weight. Her weight gain is causing problems for her feet. She is always lame! This past week I have decided to do something about it. She and her friend will be getting a grazing muzzle. At first I thought they were cruel, but now I do not have a choice. I have started to work with her again and today we played the circling game. She was so LBE that I had to laugh at her. She would stop on the circle and rear and change direction on me. I matched her energy and soon I had her behaving. It was so interesting to watch her throw the tantrum. She is the best. I only wish she were younger!

Saddle Issues

    Saddled Can Do today and started riding in the arena. Things were going great but I needed to tighten my cinch a little so I got down. I then realized that my cheap saddle with its nylon latigo was slipping. I can't ever get it fitted right and now I know why. It is always slipping. I did not get frustrated, I simply removed the saddle and used my Parelli bareback pad. It felt wonderful, and I felt secure. Maybe my riding is getting better!!!!!! Can Do probably felt a whole lot better too. My good saddle (the one that cost so much, not really good) is too tight and it seems to pinch Can Do's withers. I noticed some white hairs appearing after using it on a regular basis. The cheap saddle fits her better, I just may have to buy some leather latigos. If that won't work, I may have to ride her bareback forever! or that is, until I can buy my Natural Performer. I'm saving up now. Wonder if Maurice will let me ride bareback during the clinic in October.
    I feel Can Do trying for me. Although she probably knows everything I'm doing, she is listening to me and doing what I want. That amazes me because Gizmo does not. I feel like I'm actually going somewhere. Can Do and I just need to develop our communication. I'm not really teaching her anything. My idea is that once I know what all that sensitivity feels like, I'll be a better leader for Gizmo. She is just giving me experience. She is even sticking with me without the lead rope when I hose her down after we ride and when I walk her back to her pasture, which is a two minute walk. She rocks!

First Liberty

I felt progressive with Can Do today! She was attentive and cooperated with me. I need a NP saddle so bad. I'm using one of those synthetic saddles with her because my Circle Y in too tight for her round back. It just seems to fit her better, but not great. Maybe Santa will bring me one. I'm really lol right now!!!! Anyway, I was happy with her session of FR, direct turn, indirect turns, and stopping with my seat. I even played a little liberty with her in the arena and she stayed with me. I tried stick to me. If I tried asking her to move her front end in the pasture, for example, she would ignore me or walk away, so I felt good about that. When I did a partial disengagement to change her from my left side to my right, I got two eyes and it flowed pretty good. Joey is putting sand in my tire today and is regrading my path in the arena. Yeah!

Can Do

Played online today. We havent' done that in a while due to the dew on the ground. My ropes get so heavy and I don't think it is very productive. My handling skills with the 22' rope were in need of practice, has it been that long? We played with backing by the tail, hind end towards me, touch it, circling game, which led to fallen leaf, and figure eight. Her fig. 8 needs lots of work. She can't make it around the barrel without stopping and pinning her ears. I worked on sending her around the barrel and using the carrot stick to lure her to me for a treat. It helped, but it doesn't fix the problem. I need to do this more consistantly with her. She flips between right brain and left brain dominant in a nano second. Are all horses challenging? or do they have some that just go with the flow? It seems to me that they all have some kind of hang up somewhere, could we just combine all positive quallities into one horse and make a super horse, lol!

Bareback

Rode bareback because I'm trying to improve my balance. I think my balance is fine iif Can Do wouldn't slam on the brakes. She more than likely feels movement from me that I'm not even aware of. I love the Parelli bareback pad. Can Do did fine for our lesson except for the fact that she kept stopping on me. After staying in the arena a while we ventured out into the real world. Her trot got faster of course, but I felt pretty secure.

Can Do

Can Do just needs some consistency from me after I put her on hold to focus on Gizmo. Rode her on Monday and she is prettly obedient, but is lacking the leadership she needs because of my inexperience. She is a retired cutting horse so she knows what to do for a cowboy, she just does'nt know what to do with a level 2 parelli student. It is kind of like she is saying to me, " would you just learn how to ride correctly, and by the way, could you please graduate from kindergarten!!!" Oh well, I'm trying! If I could only ride horses all day long, lol!

Feeling Extroverted

 I rode Can Do yesterday for the first time in a while. I was feeling a bit extroverted and wanted some forward movement after Gizmo. She was very obedient and I enjoyed the ride. I'm thinking about taking her to my next clinic instead of Giz. I'm trying to work on getting the shims right for her. She is very downhill. I've noticed that when I take off my saddle pad she has a dry circle area on the side of her withers. I watched the saddling dvd yesterday morning for some shimming ideas, but it rained all day. We have been so dry that the rain was welcoming, but typical for our area, when it is dry, it is dry, and when it rains, it never stops! I'm sure it will be hard to find hay. I find it hard to play with two horses at the same time. I just need to come up with some sort of workable schedule like Giz on M, W, and Fri then maybe Can Do on T, Th, and Sun. It seems like it would be easy, but it never works out. I need to figure this out though, because I'm ready for the saavy train that is truckin it's way to me. I'm feeling good about my savvy. I know I'm getting there.

A Perfect Day

Can Do is improving! Me and my friends, Sandy and Nancy, had a play day today. We started about 10 and finished at 3. All three horses jumped over the barrels. Can Do was still unconfident about it, but I gave her an "A" for effort. Sandy's horse, Tuff, went over it like he had been doing it for years. I didn't see much pinned ears the entire day from Can Do, she "caught me" every time I wanted her to be haltered, and her draw is improving. After lunch we saddled up and went for a trail ride. The horses behaved so well. The weather was as perfect as you could get. What a perfect day!!!

On the Trail

Had a great ride today. The weather was awesome. Practiced FTR, indirect and direct turns, corners game, and clover leaf. She is stopping sometimes at "X" even when I’m not asking for her to do so. A couple of times we made it through "X" without an attempt to stop and she definately stopped when I quit riding. After I was interupted two times by a phone call from my son (nicknamed Bugg), I decided to take her out on the trail. Just a nice leisurely walk. Not! She couldn’t pass a threshold to go past the back of the pasture. This is where we always have trouble. I hung it there with her and did a couple of fig. 8’s and my son showed up. He thought it was funny that she followed him around and zigged when he zigged and zagged when he zagged. That turned into a follow me on the trail game. It was awesome.Can Do followed Bugg all over the trails. He would take off jogging and Can Do would trot. We even loped a couple of times. She forgot all obout thesholds. I think I’m going to pay him to jog the trails so I can trail ride every day. I wish he’d ride with me, but isn’t interested in horses (he tells me everyday). I thanked Bugg for making me and Can Do’s day. I know she had as much fun as me. Bugg had fun too! Everyone wins!

Can Do

Freestyle and online today. I made a new game by putting 3 telephone posts radiating from a center. We played circling game, maintaining gait and direction, change of direction, stop at the pole, straddle the pole then sideways off of it. She did well, still a little clumsy. We did a very short figure 8 and weave. I'm trying not to get the ugly ears. She is starting to understand some of the patterns better. We did the question box for the first time since clinic. I went slowly and stopped in center for a while then tried to mix it up. She got it, then she didn't. We never got into a trot, but that is okay.