Andy update with **video**

Kokopelli

Kokopelli

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Having given him a few weeks off from anything too testing (just hacking) apart from one show jumping training which has got us on the team!! :D :D

This is him first schooling session for about 2 weeks and I must say I am very proud of him. I know he doesn't look brilliant and I'm riding a bit defensively but I had a fab time and I think he did too.

[youtube]OK7ChVLNWtY?hd=1[/youtube]

Bit of background info Andy is an ex pony racer who is quirky, does good hand stands and spooks at the stupidest things. I gave him a couple of weeks off partly because of exams but also because I was becoming disheartened with his shenanigans. 2 weeks later I can't wait to get back in the saddle. :)

Things I need to work on:
Slow him down
Getting him working longer and lower to build muscle
Sit up straight
Left elbow
More leg

However I think if I slowed him down all of the above would happen.

Any tips for the above much appreciated plus anything else I need to work on. Smart bandages made an appearance today as I managed to leave all my boots at home. :p
 
How are you two getting on now? I remeber reading about you not enjoying riding? I cant find it now, the posts just soon go yeah!

Are you enjoying it better now??
 
I think he looks great - a lot more relaxed than when you first got him! No crit here, your doing well with him and he looks like he has picked up even more condition x
 
The reason I gave him the weeks off was because of the rough patch we hit.

I would say that we're back better than ever, the weeks off has made me miss him loads and I've been eager to get back on him. :p

Thanks, he is looking great condition wise we have even stopped feeding all hard feed and he is still keeping a good weight so very pleased with him. :)
 
When I think back to when you first got him I can see a massive difference between then and now.
He looks so much stronger and he's really getting there.
Well done, he's a talented little monkey no wonder you are proud :), be proud of yourself as well for putting in the effort. I think it's really starting to pay off, he's teaching you a lot too :).
 
He has taught me so much, I think I have learnt so much from him and he's made me a better rider. (I like to think so anyway) :p

I know I look tiny on him which is embarrassing seeing as he's 14.2ish. I tend to make him look far bigger than that.
Hope all goes well when you get riding again. :)
 
Hes looking very rounded now!:) And thats good your not having to feed much hard food, hopefull less excess energy and stress.
Hes looks alot more relaxed and working alot better from behind, he just needs to come up at the withers, do you lunge him much have you tried him in a pessoa, i had a vetran in a big county show that was week over the back lots of pessoa work with the the clips to inbwtween the front legs and he went onto win and get reserve champion beating lots of old showing ponies, so they really do work, im a convert hated them before and a collegue made me. I really glad he did.:D
 
what progress everything takes time a real improvement so much more relaxed really great keep us updated sure he's going to be in london 2012 before we can blink :) x
 
Thanks for your nice comment. :) 2012- I wish! :p
I try to lunge twice a week in the pessoa but sometimes only manage once a week. It's very hard to keep his focus when lunging he's so easily distracted, going to try french blinkers next time I lunge though to see if it helps.
 
Soooo glad to see you're back enjoying him again, I love reading your updates as I think you're doing an amazing job with him and was sad when I read about your little downer. However, I think everyone has them and you did exactly the right thing obviously :)

Anyways, he looks FANTASTIC. His walk is excellent and his trot on the left rein actually made me go wow (non-horsey housemate thought I was nuts). As for your things to improve on - only suggestion I can make to you is that rather than thinking 'sit up straight' I would suggest you think 'shoulders back', as it's really only your shoulders that, to me, are forwards... also I've found that 'shoulders back' rather than 'sit up straight' is less likely to cause tensing up :)

Well done again, hope you keep enjoying each other! He's a real credit to you, congrats.
 
I watched a video from the first ride on him and it made me cringe with his head in my face. :p Glad he's over his spastic giraffe phase now.

Will try shoulders back next time I ride and see how it goes, thank you. :)
 
he looks really good. he still needs to bend around your leg a bit more but your working on it and that will come with time. you can see your trying to keep him collected, however it looked like you needed to 'open' you leg a bit to get him working through in a good slower rythem as sometimes he got a bit ahead of himself but as you stated above you knew that so all in all, i think you both look brill :D and he looks fab, please send him to me.
 
1) he's looking great - all credit to you!

2) use your rise to control the speed of his trot. Slow your rise down and he'll stay underneath you. it's not easy to do to start with but once you get used to it his trot will be more manageable and adjustable

3) your left elbow looks ok to me

4) only use more leg once you've got control of his trot so that he doesn't think you just mean "go faster"

he's still improving every time you put a video up, and we all have rough patches and patches where we get disheartened. You did the right thing to have a break and let you both think it all over!
 
Thanks BSJAlove and jenhunt will try and make sure I bend him more and get him more supple. Today he was a lot better (after a brilliant rodeo impression :eek:) another one of those and your free to have him. :p
I also slowed rising today so despite being in a huge open field I had much more control which was fab. :)
 
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