Found the go button and still have brakes!!

Today Cam and I found our go button but we still have brakes!!

We warmed up online briefly but my plan was to ride, and have a think about getting my online L2 filmed (thanks for offering Hana). I last rode Cam a week ago and since then she has had a lot of grass (even though we haven't got much..) and is a bit sparkly. They all are - when we walked the dogs late last night there was a thunder of hooves and they all came pounding through the dark to see us.

I decided to use incentive as she is so LB most of the time now and see if we managed more than a few steps of trot. I have been reading about clicker training and trying a bit out (thanks Vicki!) and got the concept of 'bridging' and making sure they get a reward. I'm now using 'good girl/boy' as a reward (and not 'treating' every time) so they know they have done the right thing. maybe not pure clicker training but seems to work for us.

Well, we played online at first, driving from z 3 trying to get soft transitions and not a hop into trot. We got it more often than not. Saddled up and did a few circles no probs, so I hopped on. I am concentrating on getting on from the ground now - glad Cam is little!! we played the corners game and got a nice active walk, then played with transitions to trot, most of them soft. And THEN the first time we were trotting towards 'carrot' corner (previously known as spooky) she offered a delicious balanced canter....and stopped neatly in the corner. How interesting - this is exactly what she did last ride and then I promptly got off. So this time she had a rest and we set off again, asking for trot which she turned into another beautiful canter on the other rein...wow I didn't think I was capable of sitting into it!! HOW different things are when she is relaxed and LB - I just can't get over it..

BFO which I have noticed before but which has now moved to another level....whatever it is we have done last she thinks is 'the answer,' and throws in a few suggestions of her own. I think this is where we started to go to pieces pre-parelli - we did quite a bit of cantering because I thought we 'should' then, and she was getting more and more tense and rb and so was I , but she practised what we had done the last time the next time I rode her and I didn't know enough to do anything about it...she used to get offended if her idea wasn't the 'right' idea. It was a downward spiral.

What I need to do now is show some leadership and focus, and not allow her to dominate with her ideas. She tried it a few times with suddenly going to the pedestal but I just let her break gait then asked her on again, so she didn't get the reward of stopping (and helps my independent seat..) . The other thing I need to do is be consistent, and not let her sway my focus unless we really need to or she offers something special.

She really enjoyed today, and when we finished we had a good groom and she let me scratch the inside of her ears - VERY personal for her.

yet again - no pics - sorry!