Yesterday it finally happened. I knew it was coming, but wanted to be absolutely sure of success.
After my normal prepare to ride, where I am currently working on more 3 track on the circle at trot and also getting her to accept more pressure without reacting badly to it, I got on.
The main topic was real refinement of follow the rail. I am really after at least two laps of the school with no rein intervention from me. Afterall to get on Pats Mastery course you need to demonstrate 14 laps with your arms folded !
To achieve this I did use one carrot stick to reinforce my leg before using the rein. This went really well, and whilst I was using the carrot stick occasionally I found that after ten minutes I had not used the reins once. This was 30 minutes into the session so I had used the reins earlier.
James always emphasised acting on any green lights the horse gave you. In my mind this was a strong consistent green for taking the halter off. So off it came. She gave a nice lateral flexion to help me and immediately it was off shook her head as if to say "AT LAST". We then went back to follow the rail with some nice walk trot transitions. Trot to walk did require the gentlest use of the carrot stick the first few times to bend her to the fence just a little. After that all transitions came off my energy. We had ten minutes of really good fun. I got the confidence in her to leave the fence and do the clover leaf pattern, Very nice except to expected to stop everytime we back to the fence. Too much point to point pattern I guess, but at least it gave me confidence that even left alone she would stop.
What is odd is that I felt more comfortable and at one with her without the halter than I did with the halter. Similalarly I feel more at one with her at liberty rather than online. She really comes into her own when there is nothing on her head at all.
Down to the pub afterwards for a beer or two where I met the girl who had done Fillys' early riding before she was mine. She was really amazed and excited. She said she thought no one would ever be able to do that with her as she had been so difficult in the old days. But then they weren't using NH methods ;) . She now wants to try this on Filly herself. Spreading the ideas one person at a time seems to be working at our place.
I am so excited about this. It was one of my dreams to do it and it only took about 8 months of proper riding on her. A long time by some standards I know, but I needed to feel confident in my own abilities to carry it through. Although this is the first baby step with Filly into bridleless I think it is probably a defining moment in our friendship.
After my normal prepare to ride, where I am currently working on more 3 track on the circle at trot and also getting her to accept more pressure without reacting badly to it, I got on.
The main topic was real refinement of follow the rail. I am really after at least two laps of the school with no rein intervention from me. Afterall to get on Pats Mastery course you need to demonstrate 14 laps with your arms folded !
To achieve this I did use one carrot stick to reinforce my leg before using the rein. This went really well, and whilst I was using the carrot stick occasionally I found that after ten minutes I had not used the reins once. This was 30 minutes into the session so I had used the reins earlier.
James always emphasised acting on any green lights the horse gave you. In my mind this was a strong consistent green for taking the halter off. So off it came. She gave a nice lateral flexion to help me and immediately it was off shook her head as if to say "AT LAST". We then went back to follow the rail with some nice walk trot transitions. Trot to walk did require the gentlest use of the carrot stick the first few times to bend her to the fence just a little. After that all transitions came off my energy. We had ten minutes of really good fun. I got the confidence in her to leave the fence and do the clover leaf pattern, Very nice except to expected to stop everytime we back to the fence. Too much point to point pattern I guess, but at least it gave me confidence that even left alone she would stop.
What is odd is that I felt more comfortable and at one with her without the halter than I did with the halter. Similalarly I feel more at one with her at liberty rather than online. She really comes into her own when there is nothing on her head at all.
Down to the pub afterwards for a beer or two where I met the girl who had done Fillys' early riding before she was mine. She was really amazed and excited. She said she thought no one would ever be able to do that with her as she had been so difficult in the old days. But then they weren't using NH methods ;) . She now wants to try this on Filly herself. Spreading the ideas one person at a time seems to be working at our place.
I am so excited about this. It was one of my dreams to do it and it only took about 8 months of proper riding on her. A long time by some standards I know, but I needed to feel confident in my own abilities to carry it through. Although this is the first baby step with Filly into bridleless I think it is probably a defining moment in our friendship.
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