- Shelley – HorseSavvy
This last session of the 1st unit of CZT has been good, I rode Solly in the top round pen BAREBACK which is a rare thing for us but it felt GOOD doing it and testing all that we’ve done over the last 6 sessions, it was only a short session so I put another quick session in at the lower field round pen where we did some bareback and bridleless riding. It was very good to feel confident to do this, to be in a comfort zone of the round pen but doing something above and beyond normal riding in bridle and saddle and it also was good to check in with our balance.
Balance is everything, balance of our connection, of draw/drive, of forward/back, of up/down transitions, of left/right and balance of our emotions.
The next training session will be the start of the next CZ ‘unit’. It will start in the area we worked in today but it will progress to the gate area and beyond so that we can progress OUT of our present CZ field and into the ‘LEARNING ZONE’…in this zone we learn to take the familiar into the unfamiliar and work until the unfamiliar is familiar thereby widening our CZ.
For more info on Comfort Zones go to my TRAINING TIPS: ‘Stepping out of your Comfort Zone to Progress’
Today was our 6th CZT session. We did it in the larger area again where we did our 4th session. Today our ground work went very well and apart from the initial ‘getting away from the mounting block’ thing that he seems to have done the last few session, our ridden session was pretty good too.
Firstly our impulsion was there…light off the cues and happy.
Secondly our willingness was there…connected and focused.
Thirdly our flexibility was there…..together in harmony.
And lastly it was FUN. Fun to be in a different area. Fun to have our harmony, focus, willingness and togetherness back.
Short video of some fun doing leg yields today…..few strides one way, straighten up and few strides the other way. Solly and I have to be connected through focus and mind to be able to do this….he looses concentration right at the end!
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