Accidental Eventer
Well-Known Member
We had a flatwrk and SJ clinic yesterday with my usual coach. I would normally take Henry, but he is still NQR, physio booked in for him and in the mean time lots of heat packing and he will spend some time working on the lunge (correctly, using his back to help stretch the muscles out where he is sore), so Coolie got to come out for a play.
Coolie has done pretty much nothing since the end on 2018. He just turned 18 last week and has been enjoying an easy life of hacking with the occasional jump or flatwork session sprinkled in and it suits him well. He is however, fit enough to handle a clinic so he got thrown on the float. He was filthy and all his tack desperately needs a clean but being pregnant means that somedays things I want to do, like bath horses and clean tack just doesn't happen!
He was so happy to be the Chosen One, he bounced up the ramp and stood quietly until we got there when he announced his arrival and proceeded to act like he had never been to the place before in his life. Except it's where we used to go to PC and we have been there countless times. I laughed at him and he was like 'oh yeah, I have so done this before' and then he got hay and all of life problems were solved.
^in his prime
First up we had flatwork. Coolie is a Good Boy. He can however be a cheeky, energetic, uncooperative sod and after so long without going anywhere or much formal riding I wasn't sure how he would be feeling. He was all business though and strutted into the arena like he was still at peak competition level (for him!). He found the work hard, we were doing square turns and lateral work, which he is not built for to make it easy for him, but I am a much better rider and the difference was amazing.
Previously we would have struggled, I wouldn't have helped him much with my body, and he isn't the kind of horse who will meet you half way. You ask correctly or he won't do it. Henry is a trier and will do anything he thinks you are asking. So you need to sit quietly and be effective on both of them but for different reasons. Because I have gotten stronger and have a much better connection, things all just happened the way they should. Coolie was surprisingly supple and willing, and when I focused more on forwards than sideways the lateral work was quiet smooth. I was so impressed.
The sass monster came out in the canter, and again it was hard work having to sit on his butt and turn, but because I was able to support him a few repetitions and things flowed much easier.
We had a couple of hours to relax in the summer sun (which was not feeling like we were on the sun for a change!) before we jumped. At home, in his semi retired state, I have been doing everything in his flatwork snaffle with no drop noseband. Years of work trying to get him to slow the F**k down have made little improvement jumping, so he goes in a universal bit. It's not his favourite, but it means I have light breaks when required. Given his past tendencies I figured it was better to go in what he used to compete in rather than our bumming around the bush get up.
I thought he might feel a bit tired after flatwork, but he again strutted into the big arena knowing exactly what was happening next. He honestly felt like he was about to jump around Adelaide, he was cool, confident and ready for action. We warmed up and he was nice and light off my aides and in front of my leg. We always start by trotting poles, no matter how big (or small!) we jump and it took a bit of work to get him stretching out over the poles and an even rhythm but he clicked and it was easy.
We cantered the poles and my usual sass monster came front and center and all semblance of rhythm we had at the trot was gone. He sees poles and takes over, changing the rhythm in the last stride which is so hard to influence because if you do, he will take a rail or chip. I have always tried to use my body to maintain the rhythm with varying success, but mostly I have resigned myself to the fact that he is who he is.
He went through a couple of times, knocking the ground poles with his feet and changing the rhythm while I tried to set him up early and have a bit of influence as soon as he lined the poles up. The third time through it was like it suddenly clicked. He sat on his butt, maintained the rhythm and it all happened as it should. I set him up early and was able to effectively use my body to maintain the canter with soft hands. at this point I was realizing that being an effective rider makes a huge difference to a horse who was supposedly never going to change (in my opinion!).
From there the session flowed smoothly and he was consistently the horse in the group who performed as he should. He listen to me the whole way through and we only stuffed up when I turned too early to a fence on a bending line. I rectified that next time through and things happened as they should. I felt like I was riding a totally different horse, but really the only difference was me. Not once did I feel like I needed the extra breaks from the bit, my body was sufficient to half halt and rebalance when we needed to. Proud doesn't cover it, if I didn't know better I'd have thought I had bought a new horse!
We finished the day and I think we both had the biggest grins on our faces. The orange feral thoroughly enjoyed his day out being number one horse, loved the work and was the Goodest Boy. I realised how far my riding has come and picked up improvements I need to make on Coolie, but also how I need to ride Henry differently, mostly with more confidence and less pressure!
I missed Henry, but Coolie is worth his weight in gold and diamonds, and it was so much fin to enjoy the time together. it has also lit a fire in me to get him out as much as I can. he is willing and able, the thing holding us back is time, but that just required motivation!
Coolie has done pretty much nothing since the end on 2018. He just turned 18 last week and has been enjoying an easy life of hacking with the occasional jump or flatwork session sprinkled in and it suits him well. He is however, fit enough to handle a clinic so he got thrown on the float. He was filthy and all his tack desperately needs a clean but being pregnant means that somedays things I want to do, like bath horses and clean tack just doesn't happen!
He was so happy to be the Chosen One, he bounced up the ramp and stood quietly until we got there when he announced his arrival and proceeded to act like he had never been to the place before in his life. Except it's where we used to go to PC and we have been there countless times. I laughed at him and he was like 'oh yeah, I have so done this before' and then he got hay and all of life problems were solved.
^in his prime
First up we had flatwork. Coolie is a Good Boy. He can however be a cheeky, energetic, uncooperative sod and after so long without going anywhere or much formal riding I wasn't sure how he would be feeling. He was all business though and strutted into the arena like he was still at peak competition level (for him!). He found the work hard, we were doing square turns and lateral work, which he is not built for to make it easy for him, but I am a much better rider and the difference was amazing.
Previously we would have struggled, I wouldn't have helped him much with my body, and he isn't the kind of horse who will meet you half way. You ask correctly or he won't do it. Henry is a trier and will do anything he thinks you are asking. So you need to sit quietly and be effective on both of them but for different reasons. Because I have gotten stronger and have a much better connection, things all just happened the way they should. Coolie was surprisingly supple and willing, and when I focused more on forwards than sideways the lateral work was quiet smooth. I was so impressed.
The sass monster came out in the canter, and again it was hard work having to sit on his butt and turn, but because I was able to support him a few repetitions and things flowed much easier.
We had a couple of hours to relax in the summer sun (which was not feeling like we were on the sun for a change!) before we jumped. At home, in his semi retired state, I have been doing everything in his flatwork snaffle with no drop noseband. Years of work trying to get him to slow the F**k down have made little improvement jumping, so he goes in a universal bit. It's not his favourite, but it means I have light breaks when required. Given his past tendencies I figured it was better to go in what he used to compete in rather than our bumming around the bush get up.
I thought he might feel a bit tired after flatwork, but he again strutted into the big arena knowing exactly what was happening next. He honestly felt like he was about to jump around Adelaide, he was cool, confident and ready for action. We warmed up and he was nice and light off my aides and in front of my leg. We always start by trotting poles, no matter how big (or small!) we jump and it took a bit of work to get him stretching out over the poles and an even rhythm but he clicked and it was easy.
We cantered the poles and my usual sass monster came front and center and all semblance of rhythm we had at the trot was gone. He sees poles and takes over, changing the rhythm in the last stride which is so hard to influence because if you do, he will take a rail or chip. I have always tried to use my body to maintain the rhythm with varying success, but mostly I have resigned myself to the fact that he is who he is.
He went through a couple of times, knocking the ground poles with his feet and changing the rhythm while I tried to set him up early and have a bit of influence as soon as he lined the poles up. The third time through it was like it suddenly clicked. He sat on his butt, maintained the rhythm and it all happened as it should. I set him up early and was able to effectively use my body to maintain the canter with soft hands. at this point I was realizing that being an effective rider makes a huge difference to a horse who was supposedly never going to change (in my opinion!).
From there the session flowed smoothly and he was consistently the horse in the group who performed as he should. He listen to me the whole way through and we only stuffed up when I turned too early to a fence on a bending line. I rectified that next time through and things happened as they should. I felt like I was riding a totally different horse, but really the only difference was me. Not once did I feel like I needed the extra breaks from the bit, my body was sufficient to half halt and rebalance when we needed to. Proud doesn't cover it, if I didn't know better I'd have thought I had bought a new horse!
We finished the day and I think we both had the biggest grins on our faces. The orange feral thoroughly enjoyed his day out being number one horse, loved the work and was the Goodest Boy. I realised how far my riding has come and picked up improvements I need to make on Coolie, but also how I need to ride Henry differently, mostly with more confidence and less pressure!
I missed Henry, but Coolie is worth his weight in gold and diamonds, and it was so much fin to enjoy the time together. it has also lit a fire in me to get him out as much as I can. he is willing and able, the thing holding us back is time, but that just required motivation!
