We practiced everything we learned at our lesson on Saturday and all I can say is AWESOME!! We started our play session with some liberty and the catching game. Jerry had taught me three versions, each a progression of the previous one and each a strategy depending on how America was responding. I started with version 1 and America wasn't and didn't get particularly connected to me...was lagging way behind, stopping, or just turning to face me when I went towards her hq but not following me. We went to version 2 and the connection was a bit better for a couple of tries but she was still lagging, stopping, not putting any real effort into "catching" me so on to version 3. Well, this made all the difference...it didn't take long before America was really looking for me, putting effort into staying with me and actually positioned herself with her shoulder to my shoulder. I called it quits at that point...that's a huge improvement for us!!
The next thing on our play list was porcupine game moving the fq and hq but being particular about the hind foot staying still, her neck not being bent around, and not moving forward. It took three repetitions and she "got it"...I got one really nice step over in the front (me on her left side) with the back foot planted and her neck straight. With me on her right side, she kept wanting to put me on her left. I just blocked that and did some friendly until she was o.k. with me on her right. The porcupine was more difficult on this side...she didn't want/couldn't take 1 step straight back so we practiced that a few times until she understood. Once we got that fq yield was pretty easy. She planted her back foot, kept her neck straight and gave me one really nice step. Time to quit!! We repeated the porcupine on the hq and again it was more difficult with me on her right. We worked through it until we got a nice yield on both sides, right and left, then quit.
Edit on 01/24/12...I had to come back and add to this post because I forgot we played with the circling game looking for relaxation on the circle; I send America out on a circle and as soon as I see the slightest relaxation from her, I bring her in. The first couple days when we played with this it took several laps for her to begin to relax. Tonight however, America did 1-1/2 laps then dropped her head to wither level...WOOHOOO...time to come in darlin!! When I invited her in, she came at an energetic walk with a really nice expression on her face and ears forward. She really catches on quickly!!
We also did a couple really nice squeezes when entering and exiting the round pen while I had her back in and out of the gate. She put effort into finding where to put her butt so she could back in/out.
When we were finished, we hung out for a bit while I gave her some scratches and she nickered softly at me a couple of times!!
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