Flying visit? ... Make it count

After yet another 11hr day at work today my visit with Bella was somewhat brief tonight but I wanted to make it count particularly as it is Friday and we haven't done anything most of the week due to work commitments.  I didn't want to just turn up tomorrow and go 'ok Bella I know I've barely seen you all week but today we are going to play then ride and start work on cantering Freestyle!'  Hardly seams fair or very partner like does it??

So what did I want to get out of my 10 minute session?  Well I decided I was going to try to be provocative but without making her work hard. Just enough to spark her interest then quit so that when I see her in the morning she is in a curious mood to see what I am going to do this time.


I started the session with a good scratch - always a winner in her books, then it was straight on with the 45ft line, no messing today.  Instead of doing more friendly and checking her 1st 3 games out as I normally do, I caught her off guard by going straight into the 'sliding rock' pattern, then on one of the sideway kept her going out till she was about 20ft away from me, then instead of yeilding her hind end I sent her forwards into trot and begin driving her from z5 to play touch it with the pedistall where I let her stop.  Now being a LB horse that bounces between In & Ex I knew I could do this without worrying her.  


I certainly got her attention but only to the point that she was watching me a doing what I asked but she was still being a bit snotty about it (being the dominant mare that she is if I don't play with her for even one day she is snotty till she decides i've earnt the right to be incharge again).  


Now that she knew I was there it was time to prove my leadership and I started to play stick to me with a 12ft distance between us and every time her ears went back or she gave a brace (mental or physical) she got a firm shut down and backup FAST.  It only took three times before she decided it wasn't going to work and droped her head and licked her lips and we were ready to begin!


I was flicking through the SC vault the other day when I saw the SC dvd lesson that Linda did with Allure on moving sideway to mount from a fence. This was something I stated with Bella a while ago but got put on the back burner whilst I concentrated on getting my L2 Freestyle done.  Anyway, this is what I had decided would be my provicitve task for the day as it would make her think but not use up to much energy! I knew we wouldn't complete it due to our time restriction but I just wanted one step tonight, that was the goal. 


So over to the pedistall we went.  After a slight hitch of me trying to convice Bella to get off the pedistal and stand next to it we got started.  At first she did what I knew she would do and moved into the pressure, but once I continued to keep the pressure she figured that was wrong and steped back to where she started so I stopped and rubbed her.  Then asked again. This time she went to move away and hesitatied and shifted her weight to the inside so I stopped and rubbed her again. The next time I asked she shifted her weight towards me a took one step towards me! Yes! So I stopped, rubbed her and we left the pedistall for a scratch and end of session.


I then fed her and once she was eating her hay I went back into her padock to do her water and she left her hay (LBI/E remember) and came to see if we were starting to play again! I rewarded her with a sratch under her tummy and left her for the night.  Cant wait to see what the effect of tonight has when I turn up in the morning :)