Yesterday’s online session was following on with helping Bella to find relaxation whilst doing transitions and maintaining gait using the circling game. I was playing with her on the 45’ Line.
We started the session by going through into the back field as this is drier. Bella was great and was able to walk the whole way there with me driving her from Z3 & Z4. I have been trying to get her to go first whenever we go any ware as she is now the lead horse when we go out so we are working on confidence taking the lead. She walked out with a lovely swinging walk completely relaxed.
Once in the field we did a little falling leaf and changes of direction, sideways etc just to get us in sync then I sent her in a circle at the walk and within half a circle she blew out and dropped her head. I gently sent her up into a trot and it took about 5 circles till she dropped her head and snorted. BUT a HUGE thing was that she took up the WHOLE 45’ line today! This is a 1st as normally after she gets to about 30’ she gets all RB!
We rested a while then changed direction and went to the right. Her worst rein. Walk was fine and again she took most of the line. About 40’ this time, but it took her a good 15/20 mins to find relaxation in the trot. But in that time she must have tried about 50 different things looking for the answer; Working Trot, Med Trot, Ext Trot, slow canter, Jog, fast canter, stop at the cone, walk, change direction, leg yield, collected trot, jump the poo!, flying change, you name it she tried it but all LB and asking questions the whole time. Finally her body came soft, she dropped her head, snorted and trotted a quarter of a circle and I brought her in and rewarded it. LOTS of licking from her!
Finished with a bit of touch it round the field then Z3 driving back to the stables. Such a great session :)
