Sept. 12 - STRAIGHTNESS! Rounding up at trot as result!
Sept. 20 - liberty over scary jump!!!!! AND online stick to me at canter!!!!
Sept. 1, 2013
Hubby's play day.
Started with helping Zaina "stand still" before moving from one stall to another.
Friendly game - added swinging string around bottom legs. Zaina not too keen, so Hubby learning that her confidence depends on his confidence.
Circling game - walk - changing directions from her initiative, then she thought "okay, I'll just go THIS way" as she learns he is a leader.
HQ & FQ driving. Very good
HQ yield - PP game: Zaina over-reactive, so changed it to a friendly game only, so hubby learning how to solve this type of problem, and how little excess energy it can take to send her away.
Stick to me: walk and trot, very good. Outside, so Z wanting to trot BIG but still trying to stay with hubby.
After Hubby's play, asking Z to touch a barrel on its side, with her foot. She gave it a big push with her nose instead! But I didn't give her a treat for this, told her she was wonderful but asked for more. Accepted her need to move from side to side, but persisted with the task. When she gave a big try by lifting her knee toward the barrel close range I quit.
Sept. 2, 2013
Plan: Improve what we know and add 1 new task.
Improving OnLine:
Backing toward objects/obstacles.
Backing using PP game on chest.
Walk over low obstacle - toward me, and halt.
Circle to left - W, T and C. Asking for flexion on Trot,
New Task
Driving online (zone 3, featherline): for first time with line coming over her left shoulder to her right side. Yippee, when I switched to her right side she did NOT turn to face me. Same, when I switched back.
Sept. 3, 2013
Liberty: Started with liberty inside. Figure 8 at walk, very nice.
Online: warm up
Finesse: Soft touch and developing bend. Online
Sept. 5, 2013
Online:
Warmup - developing bend and flexion at trot under saddle
Driving Point to Point full length of 20' line!
Sideways - keep my feet still.
Finesse
Soft feel, developing bend. When she relaxed I got off.
Liberty
Figure 8 walk and TROT. Super connection and responsiveness.
Sept. 7, 2013
Hubby's time with Zaina. Much more confidence, doing more on his own. Understanding the principles.
- Circling MUCH better, more respect from Zaina.
- PP on chest and poll very good.
- PP hq yield better than last week, less running away from friendly game to start.
- Friendly game, string on hind legs MUCH improved.
- Continuing to develop HQ yield, driving.
- My turn - Touch it - foot to barrel. Developing.
Sept. 8, 2013
Ada's day with Z. 1 1/2 hours of play!
- Great stuff happening, with Z and Ada much more skilled and confidant.
- Stick to me circles and weave at trot (including in the driving rain).
- Travelling circles at trot (really good! Ada's first time with this task and long time since Z has been asked).
- Step into hoop (confident!)
- I then asked her to step out of it and halt which she did with hope in zone 3!!!!! Huge for Z.
- I asked Z to touch barrel with foot - SUPER! No evading, little bit of hesitation, then DONE!
Sept. 10, 2013
Liberty
- Started with Liberty in the outdoor ring, so big challenge for me given the grass motivation for Zaina.
- Stick to me, walk trot and backing with halting for grass along the way.
- FQ yield to the left, driving, Few steps at a time. This really helped to get respect and a connection.
Online:
- Developing everything with less rope (pretend at liberty) and greater distance.
- Point to Point
- Backing (further and further getting better and better, more confident = straighter)
- Circling and figure 8 patterns combined - INTERESTING. First time have done this. Better at the trot. Zaina intrigued rather than worried by it!
- Then bit of developing bend and flexion at trot.
Finesse:
Developing bend and flexion. Coming along. Have to stay relaxed in my body, focused, lots of weight aids.
Sept. 12, 2013
Online:
Warm up - long range point to point, sideways, circling - sooo much more relaxed at the trot - level headed for the most part, this will be so good for her back.
Finesse
Developing bend GOT STRAIGHTNESS. Got it in my brain, and in my body and Z got it she rounded up!!!!! Realizing that all these years I've been learning "bring her head around" rather than ride her body straight. Had some work to do to keep my legs where they were supposed to be, mixing up which was forward, and which controlled the hind end, but it eventually got sorted up. After a few steps of round trot I GOT OFF to reward big time.
Liberty
After Z finished her roll and strolling around I asked for some liberty and got major connection at stick to me. Much more connected at the trot, even going toward the door, she worked to slow herself to stay with me. I worked with her, accepting her offer to trot, which surprised her (because she was actually wanting to leave) and caused her to be very responsive.
Also nice, PP few tail hairs, six steps, straight.
Sideways, driving.
Sept. 12, 2013 R's day.
Online
Started sessions with Extreme friendly game - Robert opening and closing the garage door entry to the arena. Lots of action! Helped her with sideways down wall fast, change of directions (fast), etc. After ten minutes, head down and lots of snorts and licking/chewing.
Robert's play day. Great progress. I warmed Z up with PP HQ yields as she's been getting sloppy. This helped him a lot to learn the feel and responsiveness.
Then Robert with Z:
- Touch it (nose) - first time with this pattern. Z very responsive.
- Backing from between barrels, with markers at stopping place, to move her focus away from backing (which is scary) to getting to the markers - using finger wiggle and CS/String if necessary rather than higher wiggling phases (pretend you don't have a rope).
- Circling - GREAT walk, connected and responsive - no more evasions. Went so well, progressed to trot. Excellent. Very good tool handling.
- Since THAT went so well, Figure 8 - first time. Broke it down into loops, then Robert was able to ask her for two full rotations. Quit at that as she was sooo good.
My time with Z Liberty
- 7 steps back, lead by tail, few hairs. Straight.
- Figure 8, walk and trot. Exceptional
- Circle mixed with figure 8 - first time at liberty: amazing!!!!!
Sept. 17, 2013
Intended to ride today, but a cool windy fall day had Zaina in jittery mode, so I got smart and changed the plan.
Online
Point to point full length of feather line, including asking her to back, fq yield, and turn.
Circling - trot flexion and bend developing beautifully, holding the flexion into canter to the left. Sooo smooth.
Friendly - extreme. Circling to the right she got worried about the sunlight on the ground, so used that to develop confidence.
Online Driving - two featherlines, using point to point as our focus, including loops for turning, zone 3. Sublime. Getting it, in terms of using my body first rather than the lines.
Liberty
Stick to me, walk and trot - so much more connection and responsiveness, getting in-gait transitions at the trot much better, no running away!
Circling/Figure 8 at trot, mixing up the patterns. She waited for me to ask her to disengage before finishing. Really really really really nice.
Sept. 19, 2013
Online Warm up. Point to Point 20 feet; circling with flexion - worried today as we were outside and the autumn changes seem to have her concerned about the environment; Sideways around barrel; touch the barrel.
Freestyle
Z very worried when I started riding. Got off, bit more online at trot, and she settled.
Figure 8 at walk SUPERB! At trot, losing the pattern on second loop to the left.
Finesse
Found PIng Ping - my body is now riding! Found impulsion, got straightness, got the figure 8 and circles. Beautiful.
Sept. 20, 2013
Prep day for tomorrow's tetanus vaccine. Red light and panaway massage.
Liberty in her paddock:
Lead by tail, few hairs. Super response.
Squeeze, very narrow over small log. "Are you sure?" "Okay"
FQ yield, driving. Stopping when released. Amazing.
THEN THIS: Invited Z to jump the scary jump. Having it be her decision. Two times she said, no thanks, and went around. Third time. she CHOOSE to do the big jump rather than the very small obstacle next to it. WOWOWOWOW. She was a little stressed afterward. Turned and faced but head up. Friendly CS worried her a bit, but then she relaxed. Load of carrots!
Online
Then for long grass munch. After that asked for a brief stick to me at trot online, in the outdoor ring. It went really well, so asked for stick to me at canter - it worked just like Linda and Pat show it, by doing a little gallop. She clearly understood what I wanted, and stayed with me. We haven't had this success before. I'm flying!
