Okay so, I ended up posting about this particular session on the SCF and never blogged it. I decided today that I want to go ahead and add it here as well:

Yesterday late in the afternoon I was watching a video on the SC and it inspired me beyond belief to go out and try some new things with my OTTB mare, Ladybug. (The video starring the black horse Flag and the Arab(?) with the really long tail.. Can't think of the name of that horse.)

Anyway, Linda was riding Flag and he was going RB and her attitude is what inspired me the most. Reminded me of how I needed to be in order to be the leader for my spazzy girl.
I went out there around four pm and it was wonderful! Best session hands-down.
I had decided to work on transitions with her.. I hadn't trotted her (on purpose) since Fran was here in October! It generally makes me nervous because anything over a walk makes her lose focus and spaz. But yesterday I was inspired to face the very thing that I was avoiding. I needed to work on being able to keep focused and in control and CALM.
So, we started out on the 12 foot line.. (I didn't have a stick for this session, I forgot all about it and left it on the fence) and we started a zone 3 driving/ put your nose on it game in a triangle pattern. barrel to cone to barrel and repeat. She got it VERY quickly and I stayed in zone three. It went really well and we both became focused.
Then, we did a few circles around the barrels, staying in the triangle pattern and putting her nose on the cone in between the circles, everything staying at a walk. It was all going really well so we switched to the 22 ft line and began our pattern! I had two barrels set up, one at each end of my medium sized pasture, diagonally across from each other. I asked her to circle one barrel at a walk and then I'd walk slowly over towards the other barrel. In between barrels she'd have enough time to continue about 2 circles around me and then I'd ask her to circle the other barrel and then go back (sometimes I'd throw in a change of direction).
After doing the pattern about two times, I asked her to trot during one of the traveling circles. She tossed her head, jerked into a trot which I could tell was going to only get faster and out of control so I shut it down and asked her to continue at a walk. She went back down and finished the circle at a walk. I asked for another transition in the second traveling circle and it was a little smoother and she came back down to a walk quite a bit easier, licking her lips. We continued this pattern about four times..
The fact that I went out there and DID all of this was huge for me.. But that's not all that amazed me about this session.. By the end of our session her transitions were SEAMLESS. She has this beautiful floaty trot. She'd just relax into the rhythm of it, just as I did and then sometimes she'd transition to a walk all on her own, just as I was about to ask for it. (Her offering a downward transition makes my heart flip!) We were both relaxed and flowing and it was amazing.. She was blowing out, dropping her head and had her inside ear focused on me..

We ended the session with a little friendly game of me sitting on a barrel and her nipping at my boot. It was one of those sessions that made me fall in love with horses and Parelli all over again! I want this every day of my life.

Oh, and if you're interested pop on over to http://www.fransparellicourse.blogspot.com/ and follow my friend Fran as she attends a 4 week L3/L4 "masterclass" at the Parelli center in Reddick, FL. They just arrived down there on the 12th so it's just started. But, I get the feeling that Fran & Prin's adventures are going to be a blasty blast to read! (: Stay tuned! (DUN DUN DUUUUN.)


Katieanne<3