After the second chiropractic sessions with Dr. Randy Hunenfield, Fancy’s attitude suddenly changed. We have learned that when Fancy complains, she has a physical problem. Fancy’s right hip has been locking up and she has made her discomfort known to the humans. The second session was to have been a refresher from her first session with Dr Randy in October. She did improve after Dr. Randy’s first adjustment, but this new improvement is like a ray of sunshine after weeks of semi cloudy days.
Whenever I have rode Fancy, she always has argued with me. She raises her head, braces against the bit, hollows out her back and does an argumentative pace usually when I ask her to go faster than a walk. I can get her not to argue and go into the regular gaits, but the arguing has always been there. For most of my rides with Fancy, when she decides to go into a gait, we go fast and then faster. Slowing down into a consistent gait has been difficult. She has been in training with Erin Patterson and Erin has worked on everything and consistency.
I had a successful ride yesterday on her. She didn’t hollow out her back. I decided the time has come to actually start on the Levels program in the Parelli system. We will be going after Level 4.
I printed out the Level 4 Finesse instructions. There are many tasks to complete. The task completion is on an honor system. You check off the task when you and your horse can do it. I’ve asked Erin to coach me through Level 4 Finesse and determine when I “pass” the tasks in L4 Finesse and L4 FreeStyle. (FreeStyle at this stage is bridleless riding.)
The huge compliment that Fancy and I received on our very first finesse lesson is a big word. TRY. Fancy tried to do what I asked tonight. What she couldn’t do was because of her body balance. She TRIED. We did transitions in every gait. Slowing down transitions are difficult for Fancy. Not speeding up into the next faster gait is difficult for Fancy. She and I did some great transitions, both up and down!
The rider wants to remain anonymous for this next part of the story. I think you will figure out who it is, but she insisted on not using the words me or I.
Fancy and the rider spent the last part of the lesson cantering. Cantering sounds so easy. Some of it is; Some is not. We have unwanted speed, lead changes in her back legs, unasked for transitions down to an unknown gait to her rider, dropping her inside shoulder around corners, and veering into the center of the arena (at a canter). All these things can make her rider nervous. When her rider gets nervous, her knees lock into a brace. Fancy feels the brace and doesn’t like it. She speeds up. The rider then tries to bend her knees which lifts her feet up into Fancy’s side. Fancy doesn’t like to have feet touch her side. Ears go back, head goes up and back tries to hollow out. Fancy’s colt start excessive kicking ruined that part of her. Erin gave the grateful rider tips on how to bend her knees without putting her feet into Fancy’s side. Occasionally, the unasked for downward transition gait was so bad that her rider had her stop and asked for a canter from the stop. Unbelievably, Fancy gave the rider at least two walk to immediate canter transitions. Whoop with joy!
After a few days of cantering in Fancy’s most difficult direction, the pair got some nice circles. The rider had been holding her breath for two days and finally took a deep breath. A deep breath is Fancy’s cue to do a slide stop. It came at the perfect time.
Fancy gave me TRY! She did not argue. We did not pace. We had impulsion when asked. Heaven has come to Susan. At the end of the session, Fancy had mouth froth and Susan had cold weather nose froth. We are a match.
Thank you to Erin for agreeing to my passion to go coach me through the Parelli Level’s development.