I'm finally finding the time and genuine enthusiasm to get on with working with Bella a bit more regularly.
I've been concentrating on clicking the very best, most elevated strides of trot and on getting her to collect underneath me when I collect myself on top. She is excellent at picking up on very subtle cues from me and has me grinning like a Cheshire cat at how clever and tuned in she is.
I alternate this with asking her to really lengthen, then clicking that too, and she does this with enthusiasm now.
With her canter I've worked on clicking her halting from a canter from very subtle cues from me, just as I did with Grace, and she's suddenly decided that cantering isn't nearly as hard work as she thought it was, and the grumpy faces she used to pull when asked to canter are rapidly disappearing and she's really enjoying her canter work at long last!!!
It's strange how much more success I've had with both of them at getting them enthusiastic about cantering by clicking them for halting from a canter, rather than clicking the canter itself. I guess it's because they have to get into a canter to get clicked for stopping, so the sooner they begin cantering the sooner they'll get to the bit they get rewarded for. To quote a Parelli-ism "Horses are great at knowing what happens before what happens happens"!!!!
It's taken a while to get there as Dales are not noted for being good at cantering (as a breed they were actively discouraged from cantering as it was all about pushing them into the fastest, flashiest trot possible) but both Grace and Bella love cantering now and have well balanced and comfortable canters, and I NEVER, EVER thought I'd see that happen!!!!
We also do plenty of Spanish Walk to keep her loose in her shoulders and loading her hind quarters.
For fun I've also begun training her in-hand to do Tinker (Jive Pony)'s little dance (crossing and uncrossing her front legs in time with me) and to pick up my hat and pass it to me when I drop it on the ground. I want to get her doing a little show with me in my wedding dress in June 2012!!!!
I'm very lucky in that now, at the moment anyway, I have no problems to fix with Bella. She gives me her full concentration and enthusiastic co-operation almost all of the time, and even in the face of major distractions I can get her concentration back very quickly and without any fuss. All we have to do now is build on what we've already achieved and for me to to get Bella fitter and stronger, so she gradually keeps on offering me even more expression and elevation.
Well, it sounds easy, doesn't it?!!!!
