This is a picture of Dolly as a three year old in a horsemanship class at a show in Lander Wy. We've come a long way since then. She is now 8 years old, no she will be nine this spring. How time flies!
Just wanted to share a quick story about riding Dolly yesterday.
We were cantering along a fence line, and on the other side of the fence is a tree line wind break. I was working on cantering with straightness doing point to points. She was doing great head low, nice cadence, relaxed, ears pointing straight forward. All of a sudden I realize that there is a branch lower than it was last summer and it is about to smack me in the face, at a canter. Knowing it was going to hurt, I ducked and shifted my weight. I didn't try to slow her up or turn her in anyway. The reins remained loose. With a fluidity I have never felt before with her, she did a perfect flying lead change. She never missed a beat and stayed in the same cadence, and emotional stability. It was so fabulous because it was so natural. 
I only wish that I could reproduce it every time I ask for one. As I arrived at our point to rest, I sat there chewing on what just happened as I allowed her to graze.
The big AAHA is that the reason it was so good is because it was so natural. There was no force, no resistance, no pressure (mental, emotional, or physical). There was only pure harmony of movement between horse and rider. She felt my shift and did in her body exactly what my body did. It was joyous. 
I know it was an accident but it doesn't take away from the feeling it gave me. It reminds me of what I have heard some great trainers say, "take what the horse offers you and mold it." Now if I can just figure out how to do this.
The other AAHA is that I know the reason I have trouble reproducing this on command is that I brace and get very demanding . As soon as I start thinking it she feels my body tense up and she thinks "oh no here it comes, she's going to slam me into it. "
I do get flying lead changes with her, but never with the ease and comfort that I just experienced. It was a real lesson on being natural and riding with fluidity and harmony instead of pressure.
If I can train my brain to think, move into the lightness instead of away from the pressure I believe I will begin to get better results. I also have to convince her that I will give her the confidence and feel she needs to do it without resistance.
Another AAHAA, happened when we were again, cantering for straightness going point to point. I like to stop in front of our big poop pile. Behind it is a fence and more trees. It was about our third time to stop in front of this pile. I was confident and relaxed because she has an awesome stop. Just as I asked her to put on the brakes a barn cat jumps out of the trees. Well, you can probably guess that it startled both of us. Dolly did the most beautiful canter sideways to the right, and I stayed right in the middle like we were doing a dressage pattern. It only lasted about 4 strides and then she stopped and relaxed. 
I was so proud of her, because she faced the scary cat the whole time. She didn't bolt. She simply stayed in cadence while going to the right, and then she relaxed quickly. This was a perfect controlled catastrophe on her part, all I did was stay in the middle of the saddle and stay off her head. I was the balanced passenger and she took care of me.
The AAHAA is that I have been working on lateral trotting and starting to move into canter with her. But the canter wasn't going well. I now know how it should feel, because again we did it naturally. At least I know we can do it well. It will just be a matter of me being able to approach the request in such a way that she understands and doesn't feel the need to resist it. Right now, I know I am expecting too much too soon. If I will build the steps a little at a time I know we will have better success.
"I've spent most of my life riding horses; the rest I've just wasted." --unknown
Happy Trails,
sherry
www.heartinyourhand.com
