Sunday, July 26, 2015

Princess Fancy Pants long lines!

I've been working with a trainer now that I'm ready to get Princess Fancy Pants more prepared for starting her under saddle work (which will still be months away). I wanted to get her started on the long lines (she knows how to lunge) and I've never actually done any long lining myself, so we both needed some lessons!

Trainer has come out three times now to work with us and I think that Princess Fancy Pants is learning very quickly! I'm doing okay, myself. ;-) The first time I took the lines, it was very ugly - wiggling all over the place, couldn't go straight, couldn't move over. Trainer did a very good job (and PFP did a very good job of learning) of teaching PFP what the aids mean; for example, sort of bumping both sides with the lines (and a cluck with voice command) means go forward. A bump with one line means move away from that side. Then there's the whoa voice command and hand aids. She's very good at whoa, so there wasn't much learning to do there. Once she seemed to get it, I got to take the reins and give it a go. Like I said, the first time was ugly, second time was better, and now I've done my homework a few times now and think we're getting the hang of it.



We just walk and turn and stop and go and circle and that's about it. The video isn't very exciting to watch, but it is exciting to me because of the progress we're making.

Princess Fancy Pants seems to have a great work ethic (I think I've said that already). She's ready for whatever we do together and she always tries to figure out what I want. I think our next step is double lunging. I already am daydreaming about what we'll do together in the future - dressage? Jumping? Trail riding? All of it, I hope!

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