I hopped on my pony bareback with her english bridle and snaffle and walked around. After she was listening well we trotted and loped in both directions. Phoenix was a little excited today, so I had to keep checking her trot and lope but overall she was great and I'm becoming more comfortable with her bareback.
I worked Phoenix on barrel turns and noticed that she is becoming better at giving into the bit and turning instead of bracing around the backside of the turns. We worked on the barrel pattern a few times in all the gaits when I kind of fell off. Basically, I cantered Phoenix through the barrel pattern and she did great at the first barrel, but since I was in her English bridle with super long reins and I turned one handed, I couldn't gather my reins up short enough to turn the second barrel. I was going to opt out of barrels and run her straight and re-gather my too long reins, but due to training Phoenix on turning by running slightly out from the barrel at an angle and then whipping around the turn (that's the overall goal anyways haha).
That really got me when I went to run her straight past the barrel due to rein malfunction and being bareback, but I hand't realized how well Phoenix had been progressing through her training and she went to automatically turn the barrel. The turn wasn't too sharp or crazy, but I wasn't expecting it and I flipped off sideways. I ended up bruising my back kind of weird from falling on it in a weird position, but besides that, I just got the wind knocked out of me.
I worked Phoenix on barrel turns and noticed that she is becoming better at giving into the bit and turning instead of bracing around the backside of the turns. We worked on the barrel pattern a few times in all the gaits when I kind of fell off. Basically, I cantered Phoenix through the barrel pattern and she did great at the first barrel, but since I was in her English bridle with super long reins and I turned one handed, I couldn't gather my reins up short enough to turn the second barrel. I was going to opt out of barrels and run her straight and re-gather my too long reins, but due to training Phoenix on turning by running slightly out from the barrel at an angle and then whipping around the turn (that's the overall goal anyways haha).
That really got me when I went to run her straight past the barrel due to rein malfunction and being bareback, but I hand't realized how well Phoenix had been progressing through her training and she went to automatically turn the barrel. The turn wasn't too sharp or crazy, but I wasn't expecting it and I flipped off sideways. I ended up bruising my back kind of weird from falling on it in a weird position, but besides that, I just got the wind knocked out of me.
I caught my breath and I caught my baby girl and hopped back onto her. We re-ran the pattern correctly and then I let her lope a few laps before I cooled her off. Phoenix was a little excited today, but it was good that we worked in her snaffle and she is becoming better at turns and giving to the bit. When she was cooled off, I dismounted and walked back into Phoenix's stall without holding onto her and she just followed me into her stall and waited for me to take off her bridle. I petted Phoenix for a good day's ride and latched up her stall.
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