All The Kings' Horses

 I took Gia to CDP today for a lesson.  She got on the trailer perfectly fine, both at home and at CDP!  She also stood a bit quieter in the cross ties this morning while waiting to be loaded on the trailer.  She typically paws and dances in the cross ties on Tuesday mornings, but I've been pulling the trailer out for the last few days while she works, hoping it would help her to be more relaxed on Tuesdays.  It may be working ... Charlie had us start with a bit of haunches-in at the walk and trot today - primarily focusing on outside leg and outside rein to help stabilize her and support her.  He also had me use small circles (10 meters at the trot and 15 meters at the canter) to help collect her without having to pull on her - allowing the size of the circle to keep her in check.  She responded really well to that!   Her first canter transition was a little shaky, but she didn't buck.  After that, she seemed more confident, and even of...

 I worked with Gia on her flat work in the arena today.  We started with bending and softening at the walk and trot.  She was very responsive and obedient, so we moved on to some canter work.  She was a bit uncoordinated at first, and did throw in a small buck at the first canter.  I kept pushing her through, and she finally responded to my cues to go forward.  After that, her canter work was very good!  She was eager to canter, and sometimes picked it up before I asked, but she never bucked, so I let it go.  I worked on collecting it a little today.  That was difficult, and she kept falling out of it, but when she gets stronger, it will be easier. After our ride, I hopped off, untacked her, and prepared to put her on the trailer for a little practice before we have to get on for real tomorrow.  I used a pan of grain, and led her on the trailer the first time.  She went right on with no hesitation.  The second, third and fourth...

 I opted to free lunge Gia today in the round pen.  I only had a brief amount of time, and I wanted to work a little on her submission and obedience on the ground (to hopefully help with trailer loading).  She did fairly well.  At first, she was pissy about being told to go forward.  She did it, but seemed grouchy, with her ears back and tossing her head.  However, as we went along, her demeanor changed, and she became more submissive - lowering her head, licking and chewing, and relaxing her expression.  By the end, she was much more obedient and relaxed. 

 Gia and I had a lesson today at CDP.  However, we were quite late to it, because she decided that she did not want to get on the trailer this morning.  It was a bit windy, and it's possible that the wind caught the front door and startled her.  It's a bit of a stretch, but it's the only thing I can come up with.  She did get on the trailer, almost completely, at first, but before I could get the butt bar up, she flew back off. I proceeded to work with her on loading.  When she consistently refused to go forward, I took her to the round pen and lunged her until she seemed much more submissive.  However, when I attempted to put her on the trailer again, she again planted her feet and would not go.  I took a different tactic, and every time she refused to go forward, I lunged her right at the back of the trailer for a few rounds, and then attempted again.  The idea being that if she wouldn't get on then she would have to work, and if she did ge...

 Gia and I had a lesson with Suzin today.  We actually mainly focused on me, rather than Gia.  Suzin had me riding one handed, and working on using my legs primarily, and hardly using my hands at all.  At the walk and trot I had to close my leg, appropriately, until I felt Gia soften and bend.  Gia stayed very relaxed the entire time - no dramatics, and very obedient.  She was starting to respond quicker and easier by the end.

 I worked with Gia on her jumping in the arena today.  After warming up with the usual - circles, bending, and leg yields at the walk and trot, I also warmed up with a little canter work, using the neck strap.  She was quite good.  Not a hint of naughtiness.  I was also able to work a little on bringing her canter back as well as pushing it forward with no resistance.   When we started jumping, she was very obedient and relaxed.  She took the large crossrails and 2' verticals very nicely, but always landed on her left lead.  So, I worked on helping her land on her right lead.  When she tried to, she would get discombobulated, so I would bring her back to the walk, organize and try again.  Eventually, she learned to organize herself, and the jumps were better, and she was able to land on the right lead.

 I took Gia to the Carolina Horse Park this weekend for the second combined training competition of the year.  She lunged very well - fairly relaxed, right from the start, very little hollering and yearning for her friends, very focused. She was a bit more tense in warm up, and it took a lot of walking in circles with bending and leg yields before I felt like she was ready to trot.  Once we did trot, it was ok.  A little tense, but no dramatics.  I used her neck strap to make sure I stayed out of her face, allowing her to move forward, without feeling like I was out of control if she went too forward too fast.  For the test, I had to remove the neck strap, but it felt the most relaxed so far!  We ended up scoring a 29.06%, and received an "8" for our trot circle to the left! When I brought her out for the jumping phase, she seemed even more relaxed.  I used the neck strap to warm up, and she walk, trotted, cantered and jumped with no dramatics....