Spring Fun

It's starting to Feel like spring, here in Georgia. Been beautiful these past few days, and I'm loving every minute of it.

I've been playing with all of them lately, I'll start out with Blaze of what I've been playing with.

Blaze

I've been playing around online and Freestyle, and also finesse, his Freestyle just keep improving, and I am striving to remind him that his "whoa" and "go" should be equal, not one more then the other. Yo-yo game is zone 3 and on the circle is coming along really nicely, his zone 3 yo-yo game has progressed to the point that we can do it at liberty, on the circling game he is still learning but coming good. Our finesse is beautiful, actually, I just purchased the C2 Cradle bridle today, should be here within a week and I can't wait to see how he likes it.

Angel

Angel and I have been playing with Freestyle and online, Freestyle is improving, the other day I rode her freestyle and she bucked allot but I rode her though it and the once she would offer the canter without bucking I go off immediately. Yesterday, I rode freestyle again, and she offered the canter without bucking at all. we also Played on-line, and I was teaching her how to bow, she is pretty unconfident about it, but we're getting there, just taking the time it takes with her confidence.

Joy

Joy and I've been also playing online, liberty and freestyle, Her liberty is great! she loves to chase me ad have fun bucking and kicking out at me. her online is Great! I'm teaching her to lay down, and just last night she went down on 2 knees like 10 times! she is a very confident horse, and just about nothing nothing scares her. she has been raised around people. anyways her freestyle is coming along, she is still learning what the reins mean, so I have been just doing passenger lesson.

Amour

Amour and I have been playing with online and Freestyle, her online is great, I've been teaching her how to bow, and she is almost going on 1 knee. her freestyle is Great! I'm just about ready to ride her bridle less and bareback, she is really good at the walk and trot, we're playing with getting her canter slower.

Spirit

I haven't been able to play with spirit much, but in fact, I did play with him last night. I was teaching him how to relax at the walk, (on the ground) he tends to hold his breath allot, so after that he started breathing and licking chewing etc. after that I was thinking about riding and decided not to just because He was doing fantastic on the ground and I didn't want to take a chance that things were not going to go good under saddle and ways taught him to bow which he learned that fairly fast and I was really proud of him.




This past Sunday me and mr. Blaze had allot of fun, and I took some pictures, and so did my dad and also got some video footage and made a video and it turned out beautifully, Enjoy.
































































Now, here is a couple of videos I made.

This is the first one



This is a Blooper video



now, we're getting ready to head to TN this friday! I am very excited. Going to be looking at houses up there :)

That's all for now.

Naturally
Hannah & Blaze

More Progress...

Blaze, has been progressing really nicely these past few days, we both are really starting to communicate with each other, unlike before.

Blaze, now, has a beautiful little western Pleasure trot, and canter, he is just as prepared to 'stop', as he is to 'go' which is fantastic. every time he stops, I ask him to back up, which, has really began to improve his slid stops, tho he still stops on hos for hand, at times.

Tonight, I played with Blaze, first started on the ground with yo-yo in zone 3, and got some great stops so, that was our little "warm up" to get ready under saddle.'

I got on, and started Playing with our stopping, and backing, he didn't comprehend what I was asking at first, but I just took the time it takes til he understood it. I asked him to trot, he did really well with stopping and same with the canter. I Played a little bit with spins and got some really nice half spins, and then played around with some finesse.

We did some things like Haunches-in, Flying lead changes, shoulder-in, walk, trot, canter, etc. I think Blaze in a few weeks will be ready to assess Level 4 finesse, I just want to level out his whoa and Go, before I think about sending it in, also, improve his flying changes.

I trotted Blaze in a straight line and he didn't try to speed up but once, and I asked him to stop when I felt him speed up. played a little more with spins and Blaze offered and nice little spin, and then I got off.

Just to see how it was, I asked him to lay down, took a few attempts but he then laid down, what a smart fellow!

Overall, his progress is really fantastic, better then I thought it would be coming along, I am very very proud of him!

That is all for now

Naturally
Hannah & Blaze

It's not a "Problem" it's "Communication"

Sunday, for the first time, I got help from a Parelli Professional.
Mr. David Lichman, I agreed to do his video-coaching, I sent him a video of Blaze's "Cantering Problem" Basically Blaze just canters to fast, and at the times that he is cantering slow if I put my leg on him to ask him to turn more he just speeds up.
Mr. Lichman Called and just gave me 3 things to try, for now.

1 Yo-Yo Game from zone 3. he said walk with Blaze along a fence, and me lift my left hand, stop, and go straight into a back-up, and if Blaze didn't do the same to Tap him on the chest and ask him to back to where you are.

2 Once Blaze has got that, he said do this, Play the same game, just combine it to the to the circling game.

3 (Under saddle) If Blaze sped up when I put my leg on him, (on a circle) turn him sharp though the center of the circle then turn him back on the circle.


I Got blaze really Good on his first exercise even got to where I could do it at the canter and stop and blaze would plant his QH's and back real quick with me.

I can do the second exercise on a circle and Blaze will stop, and back up fast, (we haven't got it at the canter yet, but he is doing really good and then once we get walk, trot, and canter, on the 12 then I'll move up to the 22 foot line, and then 45 foot line.



Now, Today I got those really good, and then I put my hand on Blaze's chest and the other hand on his wither, and Blaze laid down! so awesome. I got on and asked him to get up, and he did. And I started playing with the third exercise, got Blaze pretty good at the walk, Kinda had to remind him that it was the same thing as on the ground.

I Thought "why don't I try the trot...."
I asked him to and Guess what? SUPER SUPER slow trot and he was RELAXED!!! and then I asked for the canter and it was VERY slow too!!! I realized HELLO!! David knew that it would make it better under saddle, and that it has been a "Communication" ISSUE not a control "problem"
I remember before Pat Parelli saying "He wants his horses to ALWAYS be thinking back up when they stop" he was saying when he stops his horses he wants them to think "back up" I have forgotten all about this, I am Truly Glad I decided to go ahead and do this video coaching. me and Blaze still have a long ways, (work things up to canter slow on a straight line) But I am ready for the process.
anyways after I was done I just sitting on him rewarding him and Blaze just laid down!! and I didn't even ask him to! it was so neat. Blaze is starting to offer things, he even offered a little passage! I can't wait to keep progressing!

also, we are visiting TN in 2 weeks, to look at some ranches and visit a church up there, I can't wait!

also I have put up quite a few videos on YouTube since my last post! here they are Enjoy!

This video I made the other day with Blaze, Amour, Joy, and Angel.









That is all for now! if you need any help on your horsemanship Journey I would really suggest contacting David. get this YOU chose how much David's advice is worth, and then you send it to him, if it isn't helpful info you don't have to pay anything! But believe me it will be helpful!

Please visit
http://www.davidlichman.com


Naturally
Hannah & Blaze

Busy.....

The Title says it all.

I've been Super busy This week, working, Playing with Horses, studying, etc.
I have been saving for a C2 Cradle Bridle and I have $107 saved! that means I have $200 left to go, which, I "should" Have the money either this week, or next week.

Ms. Jennifer Mcinvale wants me to teach at her Parelli Summer camp this year, (in June) I will not be participating But, she wants me to be her assistant Instructor. I am Pretty exited about that, next week I will be going over her house so that we can com up with some lessons For those 5 days at camp, looks like this year will be more focused on finesse, which she wants Me to help allot with that sense I know a pretty good bit about finesse, it is my Favorite savvy. this be a Good way to test my savvy, and not only that, it'll be a Good teaching experience.


I haven't played with Blaze in few days, but I have been doing some 'UDT with him and he has been enjoying that.
However, I have been Playing with Ms. Amour, she is a Making Fine Progress! she has learned how to back by the tail, circling pattern under saddle, sideways game, and some respect. The other day I had a very fun 3 Horse liberty session in our 5 acre pasture with Angel, Joy, and Amour, it was one of the best Feelings to have 3 horses running after you and jumping around kicking and having fun, it was neat when I ran up to this Fallen tree and they all jumped it and came with me, it was just so great.

Hopefully tonight I will be able to Play with Blaze and do some liberty or Finesse.

That is all for now!

Naturally
Hannah & Blaze

Sweet Amour

The other day I played with Ms. Amour.
Her sideways game has been very sticky. She is a dominant horse, so you can imagine that her porcupine game is kinda hard at times. the sideways game makes where she has to move her FQ's and Her HQ's at the same time, she does not like that at all. I asked her to walk and start moving sideways and she was very confused and I helped her and she started having a tantrum. I asked her to go again and she turned real quick and kicked and hit my right hand, it hurt pretty bad at first but I didn't stop to check on it.

After that, she started doing a real good sideways game to the right, and even started doing it without a fence.

Something around where we were started spooking her and she almost ran other top of me a few times, and all I was hearing in my head was Pat parelli saying "If you are the leader of the herd, the horse will try to avoid running over you." It wasn't said exactly like that, but just for an example. Obviously that means that Amour does not look at me as her Leader, but just another member of the herd. I need to fix this, because it is very Dangerous for any horse to run over you and turn around and kick you.

I have some things I can play with, I know I need to get her respect with the porcupine game better she is real hard to move at times. She has learned allot of LBI Behavior in her 5 years on this earth.

Well just a quick update

Naturally
Hannah & Blaze