Obedience and exuberance from all 4!!

Yesterday I had a short play with Cam, and continued with my focus of being REALLY slow....she was so tuned in and I squeezed in a short bareback ride - it was short because she was so 'with me' I didn't need to use my reins, turning and backwards and forwards and sideways across the arena!! Only in walk because that all I had time for but it was GOOD in walk. Has really made me think - and reminded me of the fact that 'slow and right beats fast and wrong'....riding is just so easy when they are LB...I know now I was right to be worried riding RB horses...

I also had a play with the twins, focussing on phases and porky. They really are amazing - I have done so little yet they both porky off a phase 1....how many times have I started at phase 3 and pushed because they weren't fast enough moving. They both had a great response to the halter too - I realised if i am going away I had definitely better start getting them used to being moved in halters, just incase. Usually I lead them by the jaw or muzzle or mane or they just follow, but thats not good for other people. The response was good - they both wanted to put their noses straight in the halter (in Merlots case he wanted to wear it like a bit..everything in the mouth still...) we had a great short play - am realising that keeping it short and sweet allows me to be interesting and they don't get bored. I stopped before they wanted to.

Then today I had a glimpse of 'connection' with all 4. I needed to move them across one paddock to a fresh less muddy one, and as soon as they saw me they all whinnied and cantered up. Cute!! even Rafiki did this beautiful balanced canter - balance is so much better now. Then while I opened the gate she was leaping around on the spot as she does when really happy - just pronking and bouncing, jumping straight in the air... think there is a bit of spring grass. I let them through the gate and they set off trotting and cantering down the hill towards the fresh paddock. I just thought I'd experiment, and called Cam - to my amazement she did a slide stop and turned back to me!! While fumbling for a carrot I called the others by name, and they all stopped and waited for me. They didn't come back but just waited til me and Cam got to them. They all had a bit of carrot for that! Then I let them know they could go, and they all shot off, fast canter, but Merlot did about 2 strides and kind of pirouetted and came back to me! Just amazing when all the others were half way up the other hil. It was clear he was torn in two between us - so I gave him all the carrot I had left as a reward, then encouraged him to go too.

They then ran straight to the arena and had a huge play, while they waited for me, soon as I got in they calmed down and stood by their pens and I was able to trim Merlots feet straight away...interesting, I thought they all might need a few moments to calm down but it was such LB play.....how lucky am I to have horses like this...