PolarSkye
Well-Known Member
Well despite starting out at the new yard well, we hit a couple of roadblocks . . . but I believe we are making progress in the right direction:
1) I booked a lesson for Em and asked her (new) instructor to hop on him first so she could get a feel for what we are sitting on . . . she liked him, confirmed that he is very clever/good at looking for a way out and doesn't easily trust . . . but liked his nice open walk and sees his potential. He trotted beautifully for her on the left rein - was a little wobbly/unbalanced but nothing horrific - but on the right rein was clearly lame. So no lesson
. I trotted him up on the hard standing and he was clearly very pottery in front . . . farrier was due anyway and his toes were getting long, so got the farrier out. Cue much happier, sound horse 
.
2) It snowed/froze . . . ground much too hard/slippery to do anything. Jump club was cancelled twice . . . couldn't lunge, school or hack . . . Kal was really well behaved and I got him out in the field as much as possible, but we weren't making much progress in getting him fitter/bringing him back into work.
This week, though, we've picked back up. I lunged him on Monday, just to assess how "lively" he was and take the edge off him . . . good thing too because he went airborne at least twice . . . I believe the term is "airs above the ground." Yesterday I rode him in the school . . . and used spurs for the first time. My former trainer, who schooled him 3x/week for over a year, always rode him in spurs and felt he respected her leg more with them. I've never ridden in spurs - have always worried that my lower leg wasn't still enough - but find that he can dawdle along behind my leg and I don't always have the leg strength to push him up into the contact (to stop him curling behind it and giving me a false outline). I tried riding with a schooling whip, but as I'm trying to focus on keeping my hands soft at the moment I find holding a whip distracting . . . so thought I'd try spurs. Bought the teensiest, most-rounded pair I could find and got on. What a miracle! He knew they were "there" so I didn't actually have to use them . . . but he bounced off my leg much more and I got some lovely trot work out of him . . . forward and free, not choppy and tense . . . huzzah! We worked over some poles and I tried to concentrate on keeping that lovely open/free movement (he has a tendency to close up and go short and choppy if I tense my seat or am not giving enough with my hands).
Today, knowing that the hunt would be coming through the yard at about lunchtime, I thought I would lunge him again to take the edge off . . . ended up working him quite hard - used the poles (still out from yesterday), put some side reins on him and despite having a snorty stallion moment (for no reason I could see) he worked really, really well. Didn't go disunited in canter on the left rein once - which pleased me greatly. He did, however, get quite tired and rather sweaty (he isn't clipped).
I plan to long-rein him round the gallops again tomorrow (use those hills) and then ride him on Friday - the plan is to start out in the school and then get brave and go round the gallops on our own . . . think I'll need lashings of rescue remedy (or a stiff G&T) but I'm determined to give it a go . . . more luck/HHO vibes requested please
.
Last thing . . . I did expect him to be a bit of a twit when I brought him in this afternoon after the hunt had been through, and was particularly concerned that he may be tense in his box . . . he was a little snorty and on his toes and certainly did his very best imitation of a giraffe rather alot, but once in his box and changed into his stable rugs he gave a deep sigh and settled down to his haynet. What a good boy.
P
1) I booked a lesson for Em and asked her (new) instructor to hop on him first so she could get a feel for what we are sitting on . . . she liked him, confirmed that he is very clever/good at looking for a way out and doesn't easily trust . . . but liked his nice open walk and sees his potential. He trotted beautifully for her on the left rein - was a little wobbly/unbalanced but nothing horrific - but on the right rein was clearly lame. So no lesson
. I trotted him up on the hard standing and he was clearly very pottery in front . . . farrier was due anyway and his toes were getting long, so got the farrier out. Cue much happier, sound horse . 2) It snowed/froze . . . ground much too hard/slippery to do anything
. Jump club was cancelled twice . . . couldn't lunge, school or hack . . . Kal was really well behaved and I got him out in the field as much as possible, but we weren't making much progress in getting him fitter/bringing him back into work.This week, though, we've picked back up. I lunged him on Monday, just to assess how "lively" he was and take the edge off him . . . good thing too because he went airborne at least twice . . . I believe the term is "airs above the ground." Yesterday I rode him in the school . . . and used spurs for the first time. My former trainer, who schooled him 3x/week for over a year, always rode him in spurs and felt he respected her leg more with them. I've never ridden in spurs - have always worried that my lower leg wasn't still enough - but find that he can dawdle along behind my leg and I don't always have the leg strength to push him up into the contact (to stop him curling behind it and giving me a false outline). I tried riding with a schooling whip, but as I'm trying to focus on keeping my hands soft at the moment I find holding a whip distracting . . . so thought I'd try spurs. Bought the teensiest, most-rounded pair I could find and got on. What a miracle! He knew they were "there" so I didn't actually have to use them . . . but he bounced off my leg much more and I got some lovely trot work out of him . . . forward and free, not choppy and tense . . . huzzah! We worked over some poles and I tried to concentrate on keeping that lovely open/free movement (he has a tendency to close up and go short and choppy if I tense my seat or am not giving enough with my hands).
Today, knowing that the hunt would be coming through the yard at about lunchtime, I thought I would lunge him again to take the edge off . . . ended up working him quite hard - used the poles (still out from yesterday), put some side reins on him and despite having a snorty stallion moment (for no reason I could see) he worked really, really well. Didn't go disunited in canter on the left rein once - which pleased me greatly. He did, however, get quite tired and rather sweaty (he isn't clipped).
I plan to long-rein him round the gallops again tomorrow (use those hills) and then ride him on Friday - the plan is to start out in the school and then get brave and go round the gallops on our own . . . think I'll need lashings of rescue remedy (or a stiff G&T) but I'm determined to give it a go . . . more luck/HHO vibes requested please
.Last thing . . . I did expect him to be a bit of a twit when I brought him in this afternoon after the hunt had been through, and was particularly concerned that he may be tense in his box . . . he was a little snorty and on his toes and certainly did his very best imitation of a giraffe rather alot, but once in his box and changed into his stable rugs he gave a deep sigh and settled down to his haynet. What a good boy
.P