My my!

I've been sorely neglecting this place. Time is doing weird things... like flying. :)

So as for my audition, it passed mostly but I need to send in 3 canter laps in each direction with a change of direction in-between as well as showing playing with more obstacles. Over all our score was 3+ with a level 4 driving game. I just have to submit that clip of our circling. :)

Aravis and myself participated in a Trevor Carter (4 star Parelli Profesional) clinic hosted by Rene'! It was really fun and Aravis progressed a lot in those 3 days. :)

She's doing super ... but I have a problem. I need an arena (some space at least 150' by 100') to do more of my level 4 stuff). I'm seriously thinking of boarding and I'm praying something comes up.

I've been "sick" the past day. I can't put a finger on it, it's really sore muscles especially in my back and shoulders without doing a hard workout to deserve it. Uhg! It may have something to do with riding a ton more recently.

I also recently watched Linda Parelli and Colleen Kelly's Rider Biomechanics DVD. It is awesome, I didn't know that such small changes in the rider's body actually make such a difference and do so much in guiding your horse! Did you know that pressing your foot more in one stirrup over the other can guide your horse in the direction you want? No reins needed? I didn't! :) I did circles bridless at the trot without corrections for the first time. Made me pretty ecstatic.

So I've been really getting Aravis to use her elegant body to do something... like finesse and precision riding. Haunches in and Shoulders in are two things we need to work on a lot more as well as more lateral stuff at the trot. She's great and SO good and walking and trotting different speeds. For example, yesterday she picked up a really slow trot (for her) on a loose rein. With contact it's really no problem.

Her downward transitions are getting much better, way less work to get a different gait.

I got a lot of help from Trevor Carter to actually getting sideways, it was great and I felt as though I could actually tune my horse for myself... Because I was the one truly getting better. Super huh?

I learned in the clinic that Aravis is BIG, she's probably about 16 hands now, I need to measure her. She has a lot of potential. I want to be able to develop that. As you guys probably know, I want to do eventing. It's basically the triathlon of horses. I doubt myself sometimes weather I would actually be able to do it but Rene' said to work up to it. (Duh, Priscilla)

:)

Anyways..

That's all for now!

-Priscilla