Flying Change

Parelli Levels now require an audition with mandatory tasks. The audition is to be filmed, no clips glued together by iMovie. Damn. I just joined a Parelli Level 4 audition Zoom group led by a very nice and knowledgable Parelli instructor, Todd Owens. We had our first Zoom call a couple days ago. Now understand that I've passed all the original Levels test years ago. They were tasks then. You film each task and submit it. I was thrilled when the Parelli people made the Level 4. It's much the…

Fancy has try! She ties to do what I’m asking and I try to let her know I appreciate it. My favorite gait is canter, my 2nd favorite gait is canter faster, maybe she gallops. I can’t tell (feel) the difference. We practiced on a lot of flat foot walk. I was worried in our ground work warm up. She trotted to the left but paced to the right. I couldn’t get her out of the pace, Note: The evil pace always lurks. Sometimes, it is a lateral gait with…

Something awesome amazing happened at the group lesson today. It made Erin’s day. Lesson started. Flat foot walk for a while and next a few rounds of fox trot. I whine about the fox trot because someone has been training my horse and this fox trot is wonderful! I’m in Heaven! I don’t need a bra! Who has been training my horse! Note: Fancy has been in full time and now part time training for several years with Erin Patterson, a Super Hero. Fancy has had nearly two weeks vacation…

First time ever for the middle horse and rider to ride bridleless. The sorrel with a blaze rode a walk trot horsemanship pattern bridleless the day before at a horse show for the first time! This was my first time to ride without the bridle too. We have been practicing with reins wrapped around saddle horn. I couldn’t ever make myself take the bridle off. Reins are so handy. I got the horsemanship stick string around her neck and carried my stick on my neck. Fancy did wonderful when we…

Yep, I'm talking about me. I had a session with Fancy, where she wanted to perform the flying changes when she wanted, instead of when I gave the signal. What to do with a horse that tries flying changes when you are doing a circle. We are doing a circle one way, not changing directions. Fancy will not do a complete circle without trying a flying change. We had a riding experience of arguing. I need a horse that will complete a circle at a canter, not a horse that…

Fancy was a super star today. I have Erin Patterson ride her two days a week. She rode her today and did awesome flying changes. Sweaty when I rode, but got all the flying changes I asked for. Sometimes when Fancy canters, I bounce. It has nothing to do with flying changes…just regular cantering. I’ve tried to lean back, maybe my knees are braced, no. It’s embarrassing as I make noise when bouncing in the saddle. People think I can’t ride! It’s embarasing. Sometimes, relief comes and we get a…