Today was a “Liberty” day. I decided there was not enough afternoon time to do both liberty and ride. I do have the challenge of the Parelli audition for Level 4 Liberty. Time to get serious. Fancy is in a short time training period with the great Erin Patterson. There happens to be a wonderful round pen at the stable which is the perfect size for our Liberty required tasks. All four Level 4 Parelli auditions require flying lead changes. Fancy can do the liberty flying lead changes with her gorgeous eyes closed. We did get a few.
There was a lot going on at the Patterson property today, much for Fancy to look at. We have fence post installation and neighbor crop harvesting.
Fancy and I did some stuff and occasionally, I was ignored while Fancy tried to ascertain if anyone needed her help with installing fence poles or harvesting beans. Fancy had to play the circle game and her focus left me. Fancy’s head was turned to the outside of the arena instead of looking at me for direction. I’m supposed to fix her attention deficit before advancing to the required tasks. Did I?….Nope. It’s too exciting to think about Fancy doing the flying lead changes at liberty. The horse’s body has to be in a certain bend to get a lead change. A head fixated to the outside of the arena is not the proper body position for a flying change. This was proved to be over and over again and before we went into exhausted, out of breath, not going to stay at the caner when changing direction mode.
I was forced to put her halter back on and try for lead changes online. She can do them with the 12′ rope, but it was difficult today. I really needed the 22 foot or even more horrific, the 45 foot rope. I have neither with me. All the great tack was at my house, not the stable. “Be Prepared” is not my motto!
Fancy and I ended up doing half circles, changing directions while staying in the same gait, canter. We call this the Flying Leaf exercise. Fancy did it good enough and the clock ticked to a meaningful ending point. It was a good place to stop without Fancy realizing I had failed the liberty flying changes. Fancy did great during the the exercises, just ask her!
Once again, the self-named “Great Susan Horse Trainer’, was beaten by the self-named “Fancy, the Winner”. Occasionally Fancy takes pity on me and lets me win because she enjoys the athletic go moves. Her focus outside the arena instead of on me proved fatal to my flying change dream today! Horse life is like this quite often.