Today's Lesson With Pat Prince

Our lesson was AWESOME! Dazzle had a lot of energy, but wasn't too naughty. I'm getting a lot better and riding through her head-snaking and using the whip and driving her forward when she does that instead of freezing up and pulling her back, which was rewarding her.

We worked on our trot, keeping her on a circle which means pushing her in or out with my leg depending on which side of the circle we're on. She likes to aim for the trailer. haha.

Then, we worked on our upward transitions, which she was wanting to toss her head about because she'd rather NOT transition up, thank you.

Lastly, we worked on our leg-yields, which are not too bad, if I do say so. She needs more forward in them (you don't say?!), she would prefer to just go side-passing to the wall. So what we did was leg-yield a little, then trot forward to the wall in front of us and walk. It only took maybe 2 or three times of that and when we tried a normal leg yield she had WAY more forward and didn't try to just dive to the wall.

Pat said she had a hard time believing this was the same horse she met only 3 lessons ago. She said that Dazzle was showing us how smart she is and how much potential she has. She learns SO fast. So, we are once again, very much encouraged and had a nice time.

One of the big things for me is that when she does something naughty I discipline (drive forward with leg and whip, say, Uh Uh, whatever I need to do) and we're done. Before, I was arguing with her for 10 minutes and still wasn't sure I had won. She is SO much easier to deal with.

Since Pat had me use the whip more deliberately, it actually MEANS something now instead of being a nagging pest to her. My leg works, my whip is not a forward, pick up your hind end, aid. It's amasing. She listens to my legs for helping support her turn in the arena, move in or out of the circle, flex at the poll, bend on the circle, etc. It's...liberating.

I was so afraid that I was being mean or abusing her if I used the whip too much that I had made it so I had to whip and whip and whip or spur and kick, etc. WAY too much for any reaction. 2 lessons and 2 schooling sessions of at-walk-whip-means-trot and at-trot-whip-means-trot-FAST and using legs only once before the whip and she is no longer ignoring me. I don't have to use either much and when I do, it's one squeeze, firm tap, etc. I only had to be "mean" 4 days and now she understands what I want and is wanting to "play the game" as Patricia puts it. Instead of fighting me she is trying to understand. I'm not annoying anymore and now she's willing to play.

I won't be able to have another lesson for probably 2 weeks, so we'll see if we can keep progressing schooling alone!

Trail Riding Day

Sunday we hauled out to my in-laws place and then drove up to the national forest land and rode up a wide gravel road for an hour. We rode an hour in and then about 45 out. It was a great ride. My in-laws rode with us, and one of Melissa's friends joined us on Thunder, my old gelding. Melissa ponied Thunder off of Bayberry and he was an angel, trying his best not to scare his rider. Bayberry acted liked she ponied horses all the time, even though it was her first time. Dazzle had a great time and trotted and galloped, and had a bunch of fun. She would drop back, then manuever to the front, then wait for the others. Then, she'd trot race Sparkles or Turbo, my in-law's Appy's. By the time we got back they were all sweaty but still walking out fast. They were all relaxed and alert, not upset or prancy. Melissa was really happy with Bayberry as she afraid she would take some work to be a trail mount, but it looks like she'll be just fine.

So, today, Monday, we gave them the day off since they'd had 4 days of work. Tomorrow, we have lessons with Patricia Prince again. Melissa leaves for Thanksgiving later this week, so we probably won't have another lesson for almost two weeks.

Tricities Instructor

Saturday we hauled in to Red Barn again and had lessons with Rae Lamming from Tricities. I was a little terrified as the ladies from the barn were telling us she was more serious in her lessons and opinionated. At my lesson however, she was great, very nice, and not scary at all. She was very encouraging. She told me not to let Dazzle get choppy and fast with her front legs. She said I need to lean a little more FOWARD in my posting! She said Dazzle should grow another inch or two and that she is currently a down-hill horse that moves uphill. I was THRILLED. She really liked her and thought she was really cute. She also said she was swinging her back by the end of the lesson! Yey! Melissa enjoyed her lesson too, everyone said how wonderful Bayberry looked.

This week I will try to get my lesson videos on Youtube. I don't know if I'll be able to put the whole lesson up, as each is 45 minutes long. I'm hoping so though, because it will be like providing training videos. Wish me luck! If you know how to do videos that long, let me know!

Got Forward?

Friday evening's lesson with Patricia went awesome! It took place at Red Barn, a boarding barn about 10 or 15 minutes from my house. Melissa and I drove in and took back to back lessons. She went first. Bayberry was good, they looked great as always. Pat had Dazzle and I work on forward again, this time she was SO much better! We actually got to graduate to working on something else! She had us work on leg yield on our down times. She did good. I love this new instructor! We are so encouraged after a session with her.

Sunday At The Fairgrounds

We were late AGAIN, but at least we got there. Ashley got to come. She's my 13 yr old neighbor that I let ride my old guy. She seemed to have fun, though she said he was a poop. That's normal for him though.

So, there were a LOT more people at the meeting, which is good for the horses. We do wish they would teach all the kids the rules of riding in an arena. They run all over like cats. Dazzle spazzed a little at first, but calmed down after a few laps of trot.

We worked on our forward (and not running into, or being run into, by the kids on their horses). They had a little cross rail up and I let her trot over it. She doesn't over jump it like it's 3 feet tall; she just put it in her trot step. It was awesome. After we were kicked out at 3 PM we rode in the outdoor to cool down. Melissa got on Dazzle for a few minutes and said she could already tell a difference in Dazzle's forward and her response to the whip. yey! We have another lesson on Friday. Hopefully it doesn't rain because this time it will be in an outdoor, uncovered arena at a private boarding barn. We have all week to do our "homework". Hopefully we'll get some dry weather so we can get some good sessions in this week.

Kick In The Butt

Another part of what our new instructor gave me for homework was to instill a work ethic into Dazzle. When she said it I thought, "Yeah, Dazzle and ME". I can be SO lazy. So Work Ethic is the name of the year, I'm guessing, for Dazzle and me. It doesn't help that the weather is changing and we had our first lightning/thunder storm this evening. Melissa and I have new, refreshed goals now, so we will be refocused and ready to work through the nasty winter weather.

Melissa's lesson, which I shall mention even though her horse is a TB and not an Appy, also went great. Our instructor called her mare, Bayberry, her "Grand Prix" horse. Melissa couldn't have been happier. She also said Dazzle had the "movement" to make it at Training Level in the USDF shows. Later, Melissa and I laughed over the fact I was as tickled over Training Level as she was with Grand Prix.

So, at least so far I'm doing better on riding everyday it isn't raining than I am on walking on the treadmill or outside for my exercising plan. Oh, tomorrow starts another week...

THE LESSONS

THE LESSONS
I video-taped Melissa's lesson, then she taped mine. Half of hers was in the dark because apparently the fairground arena lights on a timer and that time is 5 PM even though it's dark by 4:30. She still had a good lesson, even in the dark and we have all that the instructor said on the video.My lesson was amazing. All we worked on was "forward" but it was awesome. She said right now for me forward=fast. She said she didn't think she'd ever told someone that before, haha. Yup, Dazzle is special like that, haha. She told me to just sit there, not to push with my seat or use leg every stride to push her forward. She has gotten desensitized and is just going slower and slower, which I knew. She said let her get too slow at the walk...then spank her with the whip until she trots and then just sit there, no pushing, etc. as her reward. Then we she gets too slow, do it again. This is pretty much what Melissa and I had been thinking, but it seemed "mean" so I was hesitant to do it. But, the instructor said this way she'll become light to the aids and eventually she won't need anything at all to stay in her gait and not be a slug. Which is exactly what we want. So, awesome lesson. I plan to get the video online eventually, I will post a link when it's there!Have a great weekend all and I hope you are having less rain than me!