2014 Goals

So it appears I never made a horsemanship goal list for this year! Last summer my eyes were opened up while I had my internship at the Northwest Natural Horsemanship Center, and how I have been limiting myself to only following one method of horsemanship. Since then my horizons have expanded, and I have found so many amazing natural horseman that have so much quality information to share. It's really changed my approach to playing with my horses, and has been a refreshing change of pace from the seven games. While I still practice PNH, I've also given myself permission (why was I limiting myself before?) to pursue my eventing goals, and honestly just play around in the pasture however I feel like it. So I'm pretty excited about my goal list this year :)

1) Audit another Buck Brannaman clinic when he comes in July

2) Audit at least one jumping/eventing clinic at the Washington State Horse Park

3) Volunteer at least once at the WSHP for a clean-up or working day

4) Begin my monthly challenges (more on this soon!)

5) Canter Gwen and ride her bridleless

6) Load Cheyenne into the trailer at liberty from 20+ feet away

It's a short list, but I feel like it's going to make it more likely for me to cross everything off this year. My goals with Gwen are big as well, because with her everything takes so long to accomplish. She is by no means a stupid horse, she just challenges me every step of the way, especially when it comes to riding. We have to do 90% ground work, 10% riding right now in order to keep progressing while maintaining her willing attitude. It will get better with time, it's just something I definitely can't be in a hurry for. Take the time it takes so it takes less time. 

If anyone else is planning on attending the same clinics, please let me know! I always love meeting new horsemanship friends :) What are everyone else's goals for this year? Have you already accomplished some?

Hurry Up and Wait

I woke up today to three inches of snow magically gone, sunshine, and 55 degree weather! Early Spring miracle? I think so ;) Now that the ground is more solid, I decided to throw the round pen back up. 

Cheyenne has been on "winter break" for a few months, and so we started with some easy stuff today. Figure 8 on the 22' line and STM at the walk, trot, and... canter! What?! Yes! You heard me!

I've discovered I've been an avoid-a-holic when it comes to cantering with Chey, both in the saddle and apparently online as well. When I was starting her under saddle she had a very difficult time finding balance at the canter, so after a while I just stopped asking for it. Apparently that transferred to our ground work as well, and now that I've realized this, it's time to change it up! She is so great at mirroring me while playing STM, so we warmed up with walk, stop, back up, walk, trot transitions. Tracking left I asked for the canter with her between myself and the round pen. I cantered in my own stride, and tapped her with the carrot stick until we got a stride of canter, and then we stopped for a reward. About the third time she started to really get it down! Going to the right was a bit more sticky. It took longer for her to pick up the canter, and we had a lot more sour faces, but once she gave me a few good strides she got lots of lovins', and it was onto something she knew :)

Chey soaking it all up :)

I've learned with Chey I really need to pause more often between tasks, or even during them. When I say "game over", she needs to chill for more than five seconds. She is normally an RBE, and when I play with her my LBE side comes out, and I thought before that changing it up and constant go-go-go is what she needed. However I've noticed that gets her pretty amped up, doesn't give her a chance to think about what just happened, and she begins assuming more and more. I've gotten better about noticing when she needs to take a break and think, and when to keep moving, and it has made a huge difference in her confidence, and my personal attention to detail. 

Another thing I've been avoiding is carrot stick riding. Or anything to do with my carrot stick, really. Between the stick and the rope, I find there is too much in my hands and I'm more distracted with organizing myself and less effective with whatever my horse and I are doing. But it's something that is way over due, and so we worked on carrot stick riding combined with "don't make me pick up my reins". It went okay.. I was bareback, and the wind is pretty strong today. Combine those factors with my sloppyness with the reins and stick, and a hyper mare that likes to counter bend and randomly take off trotting because she's feeling her spring-time-spunkies, and you're gonna have a bad time ;) I ditched the carrot stick and we worked on transitions and quality of the back-up to cool her down, and to give her a chance to end on something familiar and on a good note. She was such a gem!

Checking in with me on our ride :)

What I learned today: I need to stop avoiding cantering, as well as carrot stick riding. Cheyenne's STM is worse tracking right, and I need to learn to be more efficient at juggling my tools. 

On a completely unrelated note, this is Lena, my mom's mare, looking too darn cute