Breakthrough!

So we have been nibbling away at canter on circle game for a little while now. It feels like longer somehow because it has been illusive...until this evening.

I had plans today to play in the woods and ride home this morning but we all know what happens to best laid plans. Yep, it doesn't happen! I didn't get to the yard until 11 so time was very short. Perhaps B picked up on this although I wasn't worried about it. Anyway, we tried to have a play in the arena but the usual gang of horses were loose in there and it is very distracting for her. Then it began to rain! Call me a lightweight but playing in the rain is not my favourite pastime and I suspect it's not B's either lol. She was bracy on the circle game but our driving game just gets better every time. We didn't stay long in the arena and the rain stopped as soon as we left so we stood by the mounting block and played with asking B to side pass towards me so I could spend time leaning on her back and stroking her. Then we headed back to the courtyard.

B is very unconfident when I am in zone 3/4, even more so if I am higher than the ground. In the courtyard I stood on the highest of the pedestals and we played approach and retreat with an empty shavings bag just for the hell of it. I rubbed her all over with it and she wasn't fazed at all.

Having B stand with me in zones 3/4 is too much for her so we spent a long time with approach and retreat until she could stand still and I could lean on/stroke her back. Interesting how she is ok when she has a saddle on her back?

Now that the clocks have gone forwards an hour we have lots more daylight in the evenings. Nice to play in daylight. Driving game was great as was fig 8 in trot. Again B was bracy on the circle game but I had put the savvy string back on my c/s and B noticed. It meant I could do even less to ask her to move. When she stopped and backed up I kept my ask very light, even less pressure than usual and this worked. Her trot was nice and relaxed and she had her head down. The first time we got 1/4 of a circle in canter after which B exploded so it was rest, then back to walk, then trot.

The second time I asked she got it and didn't explode. It really helps to walk with her as I ask for canter. She seemed quite shocked when she stopped after lovely smooth canter. She stared at me but didn't go introverted at all as I told her what a clever girl she is. I asked her in and she trotted to me. I was so pleased I just kept on telling her how clever she is. I could have jumped up and down with joy. This is such a big thing for Breeze, to be calm after cantering. We stood together while she chewed and chewed and blinked and blinked. We walked around a little to cool off with a little driving game on the way to the gate and ended it there.

Back in her stable B was still thinking hard. I talked to her and stroked her. She seemed to need my company and the stroking turned into the best massage/scratch fest we have had so far. I am beginning to find the best ways to scratch her and she is allowing me to do more. Eventually she was showing me where she wanted to be scratched by positioning her body just right. Up and down her neck, along her back and all around her tail, even underneath it. I vaguely remember some TTouch terms and have found B likes what I call 'tiger paw' like scratches, in fast and light circular movements. When I did this on her poll she half closed her eyes and stretched her head down. Looked like she REALLY liked that.

The yard was quiet and empty of people, I never made a sound as we had our 'scratch fest'. I didn't even notice it had got dark either. Breeze was all scratched out and she let me know it was time she got stuck into her hay nets. I rugged her up, got her breakfast put out and left her for the night, relaxed and happy.