Post by equus8 on Aug 17, 2010 13:41:20 GMT -5
Kelly walked the now exited stallion into the ring. He was already warm with a damp coat. His nostrils were wide and his neck was curled. Kelly did not want him to get too exited, and she did not have the stud chain with her. She took the curb rein from over his neck for a little more control. She walked him up to the mounting block and tightened his girth. She got up on the mounting block, ready to mount, but the stallion would not stand still. This was not aloud, Prince had to listen to her. She got off the mounting block, tugged the reins and forced him backwards. She did some groundwork with him, making him back up when she asked, move forward when she asked and move sideways when she asked. If he didn't stand still she would back him up really fast and tug the reins sharply, then push his head down. Within five minutes he was standing quietly beside her with his head low. She brought him to the mounting block and mounted him. She gathered her reins, having the curb rein slightly longer than the snaffle rein. She kept him standing for a few minutes and then asked him to move backwards. She didn't want to always ask him forward when she got on. She then moved up into a forward trot, pushing him up from behind. His neck was arched beautifully as he accepted contact from the bit. Kelly rode with soft hands and the stallion listened very well. She brought right hand down and slightly pulled on the left rein asking him to go a little bit deeper for the warm up. She kept impulsion so he wouldn't fall on his forehand. Now on the rail, going to the right, he was in a nice forward trot. Kelly's body was completely relaxed; her lower back moved with the horse's movement and her legs hung loosely at his side with light contact. She lightly squeezed for a bit more forwardness and the sponged the curb reins very gently. The horse flowed forward. Kelly then asked for him to walk. She tightened her thighs, held him back with her core and slightly pulled with the outside snaffle rein and then the inside curb rein. Prince slowed to a walk without falling onto the forehand. Kelly bent him to the inside to keep him supple. She walked him on a ten meter circle. Kelly asked him forward into a medium trot across the diagonal and was then tracking to the left. Putting him on a ten meter circle to the left she asked him to collect, using slightly more curb rein but keeping the impulsion. He listened very well and moved into a more forward trot when he was asked onto a twenty meter circle. Going back onto the track, she asked for and extended trot down the center of the arena. Prince moved faster up from behind. Kelly asked him to bring his neck up slightly by bringing up the snaffle rein and then tweaking each curb rein. Sitting deep and then leaning back she asked him to extend. She kept more contact now with the curb reins. Prince stretched his legs out flicking his feet and barely touching the ground. He seemed to float over the dirt footing. At the end of the arena she asked him to collect, bringing his neck up even more and asking him, with her seat, to move more weight onto his haunches. He slowed and collected. After that, Kelly asked him to walk on a loose rein. He stretched out his neck for a few minutes. Today Kelly would work on the half pass after she cantered him. After the short break Kelly brought him back onto contact into a forward walk. From the walk she asked him up into the canter. She did it left and right, did twenty meter circles and ten meter circles. She also did a few flying lead changes on "x". She decided to work on tempi changes before working on half passing. She cantered him on the left lead around the ring and then brought him across the diagonal, keeping him in a forward but well controlled canter. She brought her left leg back and lifted her right snaffle rein and. Kelly slightly spurred him and he changed leads, then one, two, three strides, she asked again and did that across the diagonal. Across the next diagonal she asked again. Then she asked for a change every two strides, asking him for a more bouncy, more collected canter so he could shift his weight quicker. The stallion did it almost perfectly so she stopped there giving him another break. A few minutes later she worked on half passing. Working on bend, balance, and impulsion. She started on circles, asking him to cross his legs and keep his shoulders straight. Then, across the diagonal she asked for a very forward half pass. He bent nicely and crossed his legs across the arena. At the end of the diagonal he lost it and fell onto his forehand. Kelly got him moving forward again from behind. This time she asked for more rhythm, keeping it slower and the stallion did it perfectly. She ended on a good note after 1.5 hours or riding and cooled him out.