In a smug tone, I tell Jenny all I have to do to pass the Level 4 Free Style is bridleless flying lead changes which Cisco and I will be able to do because we can do them while jumping over a barrel. Jenny tells me that Cisco and I won’t need to use a barrel by the time we develop this skill. “You’ll not need to jump that high,” she sez.
Note: I was thinking that you, the reader, might believe barrel jumping means success at flying lead changes. Barrel jumping provides the horse with an opportunity to rearrange their leg footfall sequence. The rider’s focus, body position and knowledge are other requirements. I was obsessed with flying changes during the Parelli journey with Velvet and Sage. I bought one day old JR because he had the talent potential to do flying changes. Now I get to be obsessed all over again with the journey that Cisco and I are on.
Then she mentions the other tasks. There are no other tasks, I explain. I’ve been watching the level 4 auditions on You Tube. All we have to do is a pattern, flying changes and simple changes.
Jenny says, “There is a two page sheet where you have to check off tasks you’ve completed and you have to sign it.”
I’ve seen that sheet. It has the compulsory tasks. After watching the video submissions on You Tube, all I care about is the compulsory tasks. I examine the audition sheet that night. Hmmmm. It does say to do the self assessment chcklist. It does say to sign it. There is even a place for a signature. There are a bunch of tasks.
Oh cry! I check with my inner self. Inner self tells me that I cannot check the tasks as completed unless Cisco and I successfully perform the tasks. What if someone asks Cisco and I to do one of those tasks and we can’t do it? Also, my inner self tells me I can’t lie on the check list.
Well drat!
I’m now keeping a list of the tasks we successfully completed.
Jenny also stated that doing these tasks will help in our development towards flying lead changes.
Sigh… Oh the suffering on the best journey ever!