More tricks, and other things

Well I sucessfully taught Diamond "hug me" and I am now working on teaching him how to act "embaressed" where he hides his head under my arm. We're having a bit of difficulty with that one, as I am slightly confused in teaching it and he is not sure what I am asking, but we are getting better! I've been working on the Spanish Walk, focusing on one leg at a time and right now I can get him to take three Spanish steps with his left leg. I'm waiting till he can do it easily with his left leg before I move to his right. I am also working on what I call "Precision rearing" where I have him put his front feet on the pedastel, rear, and land with both front feet back on the pedestal. He can do this really well, although sometimes he lands slightly to the side. Also, playing at liberty, if he gets a really good canter up, he can jump FOUR feet!! FOUR feet!! Its a little difficult for him, but with some more work on it, I think he'll learn to clear it easily! On Line we haven't been doing much...Liberty is so much more fun :P We've been practicing a little Freestyle, but...we both love learning new "tricks" so much we've mostly been doing everything on the ground. I don't have time to play with him today, much, as I am going to a masquerade party tonight and I have to prepare and make my mask for that...but tomorrow is going to be dedicated to teaching him another trick, and HOPEFULLY finally learning "Embaressed"!

Trick time

Well, I spent half last night reading my book Trickonometry, by Carol Fletcher, and went out this morning intending to begin to teach Diamond the trick "Kiss Me!" In which he touched my face with his muzzle. He was reluctant to bring his muzzle to my face, but with persistance he did, and in about half an hour, Diamond knew Kiss Me!! I was rather enthused so I then proceeded to teach him the "Evil, dangerous" trick of rearing on command. This took only about fifteen minutes to teach him! Although his "rear" was bringing his front hooves about one foot off the ground. My lovely little LBI :)I cannot wait till tomorrow, I want to try and train him to "hug" me with his neck.

The difficulties of using variety in repetitive training...

Diamond is doing so wonderfully in our jumping training. Right now the loads of treats I provide him with seem to be making up for the lack of adventures and variety. Plus he naturally loves jumping. But I am determined to think up more interesting ways of challenging him in our jumping training. I play on line, at liberty, I do different patterns before we approach the jump, I use lots of different jumps...what else can I do, I wonder?

Well, this morning I played with Dimey, popped him over a couple low fences On Line, then we went out and grazed together(although I actually just sat their, Diamond did the actual grazing). Then this evening I went out for a serious jump-training session. Boy, it was fun!! I got some pictures of sending Diamond over the jumps at Liberty. I can't wait to post them! Just have to wait for my gosh durned computer to get fixed(somehow all the programs have dissapeared from the screen!)

GREAT morning!

Well I got up today with the intent to brush out Diamond's mane. I am ashamed to say, it looked like I hadn't untangled it in decades. Matts here, matts there, matts everywhere! I've been avoiding it because, well, who likes to spend an hour just combing a mane when you could be PLAYING!? Plus, its not something Dimey really enjoys-the constant jerk, jerk, pull. But I did it!! I untangled his mane! Its rather short and you can see where a few pieces of hair were broken, but it certainly looks better than it did. Now next, for his tail *o* I am most certain I shall die during that. His tail is probably worse than his mane. On the other hand, the new feed I'm trying has made his coat VERY silky(Although its not putting weight on him like I wish). But anyway, after detangling his mane, I played a little liberty stick to me, and he "stuck to me" over a jump! Upright barrels PLUS pole creating a sort of spread jump. He stuns me with his magnificence, my Diamond. He is truly better than any gem. After the stick to me I popped up on him bridleless, and I don't know when it clicked, but today he FINALLY understood my leg, body and mane-tugging commands(lol)!!!!! I didn't have to use the savvy string or my carrot stick to turn him!! *falls over* It felt ABSOLUTELY wonderful. I could have ridden him absolutely naked(erm, I mean the horse only. Not me. I'll keep my clothes on, thank you. I'm not quite THAT natural.) And we jumped! Not upright barrels, but we did jump the barrels lying sideways with a pole in front in a small spread.

I'm so happy today!!!!!

Motivation...

I ought to be more motivated to post on this blog. I need to think of a "treat" for myself for each blog post I write. Otherewise I'll end up doing my monthly cram-in sessions. I'm writing this blog so I'll be able to share my journey with others and so I can look back myself and see how I've come along.

Well, Diamond has been doing great as usual! Today I was circling him online over a couple jumps-he cleared full-size upright barrels by at least a foot! And he acted as if it were nothing. I couldn't help but send him over them seven times in a row even though he often doesn't like doing the same thing so many times in a row-usually we do it three or four times then go on to something else or he gets bored. But I've noticed, a lot of times jumping is excluded from this. Even though he is mainly LBI, jumping seems to be something Diamond truly enjoys. It astonishs me how perfect he seems when he is feeling positive and motivated over jumps. His preformance is flawless and his impulsion and energy is perfect. He is just under 16 hands, and he is mostly legs, with a light body. Every time I jump him I get so excited thinking about how it will be when we finally get to preform in shows. I have to wait until I am eighteen seeing as he is a stallion and under eighteen "juniors" cannot show stallions. So that gives up two great years to Parelli Prepare!