MARCH, 2012 LIBERTY LEARNING

MARCH, 2012 LIBERTY

March 4, 2012

Played at touch it - increasing my distance.
Walk, trot, and canter at circling game. Still a bit difficult for her to go to the right, and not wanting to change into that direction. I softly move back and then push her away - this actually resulted in some half spins, so that was really neat. After a few times she stayed to the right.
Stick to me at the walk, and turned it into an imaginary figure 8 pattern. She knew what I was doing and got a bit punky at the change of direction but I stayed soft and inviting, and she stayed with me. So maybe our problem with the figure 8 and weave has been that I've been shouting at her?

Asked her to play touch it with her feet on the tarp - and she did!

March 7, 2012

After two hours of online play I didn't want to ask any more of Zaina at liberty, but when she walked away from me as I was carrying the tarp I knew we needed to do some friendly game. She let me put her on it, and backed up but it was very bracy. When I took it off and tried again she left. So then we played the catching game, and her left brain self arrived.
TWO times she walked over to me and took a carrot piece - then LEFT! Tricked me twice, shame on me! After more catching game, I sat down on top of the tarp while she gave gigantic licks and chews. I love parelli.

March 10, 2012

No touch it at liberty - too much drive online? But great circles, w-t-c. Nice changes of direction at the trot. She's getting more confident having me on her right eye.

As mentioned in my online update, interested in the tarp. Was happy to touch it with her feet when asked. Then walked over it during circling game. Is this the same horse who before would do everything possible to avoid it on the circling game????

Really neat, when I asked her to come to me to be haltered when we were finished she stopped part way and was sideways to me. I lifted the carrot stick in an arc as if I was reaching toward her offside hip to tap her sideways - AND SHE IMMEDIATELY STEPPED HER BACK LEG TOWARD ME!!!! This was not her favorite thing online, so I am truly amazed and grateful for her willingness to respond in this kind of way.

March 13, 2012

Sideways along perimeter testing whoa and go as light as I could be, walk and trot. Then into the canter, and down to trot. She goes large at canter but comes back. Very tiring. Lots of fun.
Four walk circles (a number of soft corrections as she gets distracted!). Trot very good to left. When I asked her to disengage she came right in. Attempted to send her to the right but she kept putting me on her left side. As I tried to disengage her she walked away, I persisted and persisted and persisted and she finally did a BIG DISENGAGEMENT then started GIGANTIC yawns, licks and chews. I sat down away from her and let her take all the time she needed for processing whatever it was that happened for her. Was many minutes - I was worried she was going to disengage her jaw!
When she was finished I asked her to follow me to get her halter, which she did.
Beautiful play. So much happening.

March 20, 2012

Some nice circling today with my focus being on developing the number of walk rotations. Interesting how she very happily chose to go over the pole on the liberty circle!

 March 22

 Better walk circles, 4 to left and 3 to right, minimal reminders. Happily going over the pole each time. Got hepped up at one point and did trot and canter circle on her own. After that excitement she was happy to just stay at the walk.

Touch it - had not played at this for awhile. Took Z a bit of thinking before she was able to listen, but then even got her to turn away and back to me in order to get back to the target!

 March 28, 2012 

 Big LB blow up today. When I put pressure on Zaina with my energy to draw her over the raised pole she went into a canter and MOVED big time. Would not disengage, so I helped her canter longer and faster. When she ran toward me and swung her head I drove her back with the savvy string being a snake. She wasn't being mean, but dominant, so I upped my leadership. Sent her out again and she cantered hard so repeated the process. Three times, and then she softened. I put the halter on with the feather line and this surprised her as she figured she was done for the day. But nope, asked for stick to me including back back back back, and squeeze over the pole which she did very very softly. Guess she got tired of my waiting for her, and now its time for me to expect more faster, again. Neat.

March 30, 2012

Liberty was short and all about friendly game with the plastic bag. She was interested in exploring it with her nose, and was good with it being on her body.
Also - first time lead by the back leg at liberty. At first she asked me a question "Are you sure about this?" And I just smiled and nodded, and she was fine with it - gave me two steps back in complete calmness.