12.06.06
The Princess and the Canter
Princess has been doing very well with all her gaits except for transitioning up to the Canter. Margie was having trouble getting Princess to Canter without running (fast-Trotting) into it– and running full steam at that! When Margie told me she didn’t know how to teach Princess to transition up the proper way, I knew EXACTLY who I wanted to call… Connie’s daughter Emmie!!!
Margie and HorseGal introduce Emmie to Princess, thoroughbred rescue horse which Emmie will ride.
Chatting about how Emmie plans to work with Princess on the canter depart.
Em & Connie & hubby came out and met “The Princess!” I was so excited to have them see her in person. When they got there, Em first watched Princess while someone else rode her. Then Emmie herself got on Princess and worked with her on getting her to transition up to Canter from Trot the proper way… and I could see it start to happen right in front of my eyes.
Em starts out walking the mare, getting a sense of her responsiveness level, which was very high.
After a few attempts to “just trot faster” and being gently slowed back down again (collected) by Emmie, Princess begins to understand what the cues for canter mean. Em never scolds her or gets after her for trying, because the mare is very willing to speed up but just doesn’t totally understand what her rider wants.
It was AMAZING to see Emmie work her magic with this horse she’d never seen before and I could see how proud Connie was to watch her daughter and this rescued horse working together like… magic. This is the only word that describes what I was witnessing!! I was all goosebumpy with admiration and excitement in watching horse and rider working so closely.
I was seeing something 
I’d never seen before. And to my novice eye, it looked like Princess was trying to do what Emmie was asking of her. Princess soon was picking up her lead with only one or two Trot steps. I just find it amazing how Em knows how to do this. She looked SO professional and it was very obvious that she knew what she was doing.
The workout is short because Princess is still thin and not in good shape, plus she has her winter coat now. Em discusses technique with Margie, Princess’ owner, while dad looks on.
After some work, Em said that Princess listened extremely well to what she was being asked, and that the problem is that because Princess used to race, all she mostly knows is Stop and Go Faster! [ED.NOTE: LUCKILY! A lot of ex-race horses aren't real familiar with Stop, and their forward gait is usually Gallop! It's really cool, and at the same time heartrending, that this saved-from-slaughter mare has such a willing disposition.]
HorseGal wants to understand the “magic” that Emmie was working on Princess! Em explains how she rode in halfseat to allow the horse to balance herself better.
Em feels that with time and work, and with Princess being such a cooperative horse, that there won’t be any problems with her learning her Canter transitions. I am hoping that Emmie will come back many times to ride our Princess. Not necessarily to work with her, but just to enjoy riding this sweet and wonderful animal. As I told Emmie, Princess is waiting for her….
***********
Follow Princess’ progress in HorseGal’s blogs (future reports will follow):
Photos of Princess just after her rescue from a slaughter house.
Story of Princess arriving at her new home.
BY HORSEGAL, Guest Writer for PortraitsWithPets.com (homepage) aka PortraitsWithHorses.com (art galleries)
Other HorseGal adventures:
Carriage ride first timer…
Longeing is dizzying…
__________________
Connie Moses, petArtist– website since 2001:
PortraitsWithPets.com (homepage) aka PortraitsWithHorses.com (art galleries)
