Another Year

Well this is the last day of 2009. Where does time go? It feels like I was just saying this!

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven:

 

 
Eddie and I have made some amazing progress this year. We've gone from starting Level 3 to polishing it off and diving into Level 4. Today I made a list of things to accomplish in 2010. But first, here's our list from this year, what I wanted to accomplish and what we didn't get to. :)
 
(* means we did it)
~ONLINE~

*Be able to lead by anything-tail, chin, hocks, ear, legs *Stand totally on the pedestal (did with 3 feet! too small for 4)
*Drive from zone 5-all games
*Jump towards
*Change of direction at canter
*Trot sideways
*Sideways towards
*Straddle a barrel
~LIBERTY~
*Draw at trot
*Lead everywhere with everything
*Stick to me at canter and trot
*Equal YoYo coming in at walk and trot
*Transitions-walk trot canter stop and backup
***Change of direction at walk, trot and ?canter? <--- didn't do it at the canter
*Sideways towards and away at walk
*Straddle a barrel (half over)
*Large jump at circling game
*All 7 games with and without an obstacle
~FREESTYLE~
Bridle from back
Hold tail over shoulder
*Passenger lesson at trot and canter          <---- just at the trot
*Savvy string usage with game 5 and 7 (keep hackamore on)
*Back up transitions with 2 carrot sticks
*Lateral flexion with 2 carrot sticks
*Circle around obstacle with less then 3 corrections walk/trot
*Sideways with carrot sticks
*Jump over barrel or 18 inches <---- 18 inches, over the cavaletties
~FINESSE~
*Everything with a positive attitude
*Soft feel at walk and trot
*Leg yeilds at walk/trot/canter <------ just at the walk!
*Legs to backup/Jingle Bell stops
*Back a corner
*Walk/trot/canter transitions  <------ trot/walk/ halt/ backup transitions
*10-30 meter circling game
*Sidepass while walking
*Open a gait
Jump and back up  <----- haven't jumped much, if not at all.
*180 turns

So out of... a LOT of things, we only didn't accomplish 6. Wow, I was expecting we wouldn't have done a lot more!!!
Here's the list of things to accomplish in 2010:

ONLINE
Long line advancement - selecting leads at the canter - transitions between gaits
10-20 laps of the circle
Laying down
Shoulder in/haunches from long reins
Trot sideways towards
Distance! Get to the end of that 45
LIBERTY
Circling game - connected at the canter
Close circling - all gaits
Change of Direction at the trot & canter
Cutting game
Stick to me at all gaits with refinement
Draw at the canter
Make turns with his tail
Play in the pasture with less than 3 'leaving's
Send in our Level 3 Liberty Audition
FREESTYLE
Canter, canter, canter - when we're both confident for it, of course
Drag things
Using my seat to back up
Fingers to guide
Lateral flexion with 2 sticks
360 with sticks
Transitions, transitions, millions of transitions! Refining them and using savvy string
Bullseye refinement
Focus refinement
Bowtie pattern!
Squeeze over jumps
Sideways refinement - bridleless
Figure eight refinement - one stick/savvy string only
FINESSE
Soft feel at the trot
Leg yields at the trot
Transitions with a soft 'landing' like a duck on a pond
Shoulder in at walk
Haunches in at walk


That just about wraps it up! I'll probably be adding things as I think of them. I think it's going to be a fun year!!

~Lea & Eddie~
~On to 2010~