The last two weeks I've been free lunging (as my dressage trainer calls it) or playing the circle game (one of the seven games as defined by the Parelli program) Kisia as we prepare to start riding. She's had the last year off due to pregnancy. Her daughter is now about 7 weeks old & learns as well while I work with her mother. Kisia lost a good deal of muscle in the last months of her gestation so I've been watching for that to develop. In the past few days I've seen much change particularly in her shoulders & back. During our online time, I've been asking her for a better quality of movement. She's knows these exercises & is quite bored with them despite the time off. Asking for something more particular from them has caused an improvement in her attitude & even better, her movement. Kisia is a powerful & very "dressagy" type moving Andalusian. That said, it can take a bit to "get the lead out" so as to see this wonderful movement. During our exercise yesterday, I found it difficult to get her energy up so asked her for some yields & lateral work (which she likes). Rather than go out sideways as I'd asked, she quietly came sideways to me, lined up for mounting & gave me a peaceful look that said...."Don't you just want to ride?" YES! I didn't ride but that offer means she's mentally ready & feeling like a partner. She knows how to offer this to me thanks to something I learned while attending a course in Ocala, FL at the Parelli campus. The exercise has you standing on a block, rail, whatever.....ask the horse to line up to mount & stand quietly...which they probably don't do...then play a bit of squeeze game until standing in just the right place. I've played this game with both Kisia & Zorra & let me tell you....they understand what it means to stand quietly for mounting from both sides, under tack & bareback. It's a good game. Kisia understands it on such a level that she knows how to offer it to me when she's not in the mood for lunging. Very cool as I value my horse's opinion & desires. She is in my opinion the type of horse that it's best to be clear with but always maintain the option to negotiate. She's exquisitely honest & has a highly tuned sense of justice. So you always know how she feels (as does everyone around you....thanks for all the lessons in ego Kisia!!). If she's being less than good, she tolerates a correction....if you've misunderstood her....not so much. So I work very hard to always listen to her & accept everything nice she offers. She's an addictive type horse for me & one that's easy to get too ambitious with. That said...she's mature, strong & just offered me a ride! Photo here of a four year old Kisia having a canter on a trail ride.
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