Duck enjoying the grass in the field next to her pen
"You rang?" A brief head out of the grass when I asked!Tonight I went to the barn for my last session before we leave town for 4 days to empty our house in Illinois and move the stuff here. On Monday I had taken the kids to see Duck and they sat on her bareback while she grazed along with a few steps of a pony ride in between. I must have won some good points for that one because she was VERY happy to see me and couldn't get her head in the halter fast enough!
We started out with Duck's favorite pastime. Grazing the edge of the hayfield for about 20 minutes. Then I saddled up and we headed down to the big arena. Confidence has been an issue. Right now Duck lives with just one other horse in a paddock and is stalled in bad weather only. Previous to this she has lived in larger groups mainly 5 other horses or thereabouts. We have been working on moseying and also crossing and eliminating thresholds on the way to the arena. I have noticed her more getting snotty now wanting grass even when I am asking for something else. But more pressure turns her unconfident again.
We sideways, backed and drove from zone 3 to the arena. I also noticed that the entrance to the arena is still a big threshold for her. We spent some time today just sitting and relaxing at the gate and then I squeezed her in and out a few times until she was feeling better about it.
There was one of the students of the barn (it is a large hunter/jumper barn) in the next paddock over with the mini pony named Hershey. She was talking to me for awhile and I took the opportunity to just mostly sit and let us linger there in the corner of the arena. I did do a bit of sideways over the pole (need to work on the don't go forward) and some backing as well.
That was a good enough warm up so I mounted up. Duck is getting pretty good about coming/staying near the mounting block. This is one good indicator if she is ready to ride or not. Generally if she won't hold still or keeps moving away I know she isn't mentally ready.
Right now we are working on riding with one rein. In the few weeks I've been at the barn (we moved there June 1st) we have come a long way after I got a better plan! Duck would go all unconfident right when I would get on. Head up, start to get quick, can't hold still. Last session I pretty much just played with driving her to the barrel, me standing on the barrel and friendly game. Needs work on friendly game in zones 3, 4, & 5. So this time was much improved riding. The first few times I rode in the arena she was totally right brain, not extreme but enough that she was whinnying constantly and basically what I felt like ignoring me as well. I tried to fix this on the ground with the thresholds and also being friendly mounting/dismounting. I have also tried matching her energy when she goes right brain with quick phases to get her attention. It seems to have worked since she is generally a LBI (also with RBE tedency when learning/scared) and doesn't like to move her feet. She now quickly gets to the point of "oh I would rather just stand than work THAT hard."
I have transferred this strategy to riding as well and the 2-3 right brain moments that she had today were pretty much quickly resolved by me upping my energy, phases and her workload!
We practiced walking a figure 8 around 2 cones first at a walk, then a trot. We certainly aren't pretty (I still have to use the carrot stick more than I would like) but considering that we now have some basic steering I consider it a major improvement!
We are also getting a pretty nice soft back up. I am still playing with the whole concept of riding like you don't have a hackamore when you do. It still blows my mind that people ride bridleless like they do. Cantering around, jumping etc. Kira and I were just getting to the point where I was really starting to play with it. But now starting over I feel like it is a long way from where we are right now! Riding bridleless has always been something I wanted to do, WAY before I got into Parelli. It had never worked before. Now I know it will eventually, we are taking baby steps. We have steering, so steering and decent changes of gait walk trot halt. We haven't ventured really to the canter yet.
I'm not looking forward to leaving the state for 4 days. I will miss Duck and the time we have been spending together. See up until I moved her to this barn I have only been able to get to the barn 2 times a week at the most. That is a pattern I have had for almost 3 years now. It is easier now that Duck is only 2.5 miles from my house. It is pretty much as close as I can get her without it being my backyard again. (I sure miss having horses in my backyard).
I need to work on being more confident with what I am doing around the other riders/trainers. I find myself not doing what I normally would if no one else was around. Duck senses this too and takes full advantage! I just feel shy about it for some reason but I doubt many people really care what I do anyway. I do however think that I must look extremely strange compared to all the hunter/jumper riders!
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