My, oh my!!!

"Susan Coade1*Trainee Instructor said what an inspirational student I had today,calm,persistent,emotionally in control,natural with her equipmment and always putting the relationship first. Cilla you deserve the fantastic results you are acheiving with Breeze, the two of you are a joy to watch x."

This the comment on Parelli Central today from Susan Coade after our lesson. I am blown away by her praise, astonished by how much B and I have progressed in such a short time and so, so amazed by it all.

The weather was rubbish, windy and raining on and off. There were horses loose in the arena but we just got on with it. I didn't expect the breakthrough that we had when the lesson really got going. We eased into circle game but trot elicited sideways from B. This is her default setting, offer sideways. Sometimes it's unconfidence, sometimes it's calculated. Takes a lot of persistence on my part to coach her through it. But we got through it and established a nice even trot on the circle.

B can almost tell when I am going to ask her to canter, even if I am not thinking about it. She knew what was coming when I did ask and we couldn't quite maintain it. But we got it and when I asked B in she was quite sweaty but didn't go introverted. Tried again a little while later after some other games and wow! I tried to give her slack on the 22' to help her feel what it's like to canter. She has been so terrified of cantering. Of course I have no idea why and I won't be wasting any time speculating about this.

I have never really had the chance to see B canter online, not like this. It was hard work keeping up with her, trying to have slack in the rope, look where I was going, where she was going and keep a semblance of a circle. How joyous to see her NOT RB panicking as if she were running for her life! I can't even say how many laps she did! When I asked her in she had the most amazing expression, if horses could smile she was grinning. She looked surprised, pleased and proud all in one. ( I know, anthropomorphism). Usually she would go introverted and have to have a lot of hang time. This time she stood next to me, head down furiously licking and chewing. I got to make a fuss of her and I just could not tell her how clever she was enough times!

The rest of the session was just as amazing if not as exciting. A horse and a Parelli student can only take so much excitement. But we had that magical connection where she has 'that look', soft and focussed on me. We mirrored each other as she weaved the cones, getting exuberant at one end and going over a jump. Brilliant. She almost looks like she thinks she has done something wrong when things like this happen but as I never tell her off the thought entered her head and was gone in a flash. We got sideways from zone 5 and on a diagonal, very nice driving from zone 5 and got reacquainted with back up /lead by the tail.

Susan and I stood talking for a while, going over the lesson and Breeze just stood still, resting. A good way to end it for her, doing nothing.