Africa: Our Journey #45 Liberty

What an incredible day!!  Day One of my clinic with Jesse Peters was awesome.  We started with remuda, self-evaluating the levels we thought we were playing at and setting goals for the clinic.

Creativity was our next task.  How many ways could we play the seven games?  I learned that being creative challenges both Africa and me and asks him to think more, to be more left-brain.  I know this creativity will bring excitement to our play.

The afternoon found us in the outside arena playing at liberty (on-line). We were asked to hold the leather snap at the end of the 22-foot lead rope and keep the belly of the rope on the ground. Eventually we removed halters and lead ropes and played "stick-to-me".  I was afraid that Africa would lose his desire to be with me and want to wander around or graze.  A few times he did, but with the help of clinic-mates, he found his way back to me.  Before we finished, nine horses and their human partners were without halter and lead rope, each pair wanting to be together.  Wow!