TheMule
Well-Known Member
Back on board and out hacking ? Both babies have just clicked straight back into it
Backing 3/4yr olds
- Thread starter TheMule
- Start date
palo1
Well-Known Member
Alw did her hardest work ever yesterday. OH and I had the very, very rare chance to ride together so we went round the 10 mile block (it is the normal route for our horses but Alw has only done it a few times and very slowly as it is around 1000 foot of ascent, mostly off road and with some tricky going) but we included some faster work and a couple of little jumps on the common on top of the hill. 
We now reliably have 2 separate gears in canter, a really good walk that can be maintained for much longer without the tired jig jog and a much improved, increasingly rhythmic trot that has push from behind and a bit of spring! Jumping tiddly jumps seems a complete non-issue which is lovely and I was delighted to find that young Miss can canter over really varied going in a very good balance and rhythm. Cantering slightly downhill over undulating ground she did get disunited once but sorted herself out without any fuss at all. Last time she found cantering over less than perfect going a bit tricky and she had to do some quite drastic re-arranging of her legs which was interesting to sit out!! Sheep, kites, buzzards and feral ponies are not a problem for her now either. Poor love was completely pooped when we got home BUT she answered all the questions we gave her and I was delighted with her. It is pretty essential for me to have a horse that is clever and confident over tricky terrain as well as happy to canter in open country alone and in company. Obviously this can only be achieved by working slowly which I have been doing but at some point you do have to start asking a few more questions about where you are at in your training and yesterday was the day.
I have no gripes at all and chuffed to bits with my mare but I am counting on her getting fitter, slimmer and hopefully a bit faster yet!! A couple of days off now and then I hope to get some flatwork started a bit more properly. I am so glad to have saddle sorted, teeth done etc as we can now plan a bit more stuff.
We now reliably have 2 separate gears in canter, a really good walk that can be maintained for much longer without the tired jig jog and a much improved, increasingly rhythmic trot that has push from behind and a bit of spring! Jumping tiddly jumps seems a complete non-issue which is lovely and I was delighted to find that young Miss can canter over really varied going in a very good balance and rhythm. Cantering slightly downhill over undulating ground she did get disunited once but sorted herself out without any fuss at all. Last time she found cantering over less than perfect going a bit tricky and she had to do some quite drastic re-arranging of her legs which was interesting to sit out!! Sheep, kites, buzzards and feral ponies are not a problem for her now either. Poor love was completely pooped when we got home BUT she answered all the questions we gave her and I was delighted with her. It is pretty essential for me to have a horse that is clever and confident over tricky terrain as well as happy to canter in open country alone and in company. Obviously this can only be achieved by working slowly which I have been doing but at some point you do have to start asking a few more questions about where you are at in your training and yesterday was the day. I have no gripes at all and chuffed to bits with my mare but I am counting on her getting fitter, slimmer and hopefully a bit faster yet!! A couple of days off now and then I hope to get some flatwork started a bit more properly. I am so glad to have saddle sorted, teeth done etc as we can now plan a bit more stuff.
ihatework
Well-Known Member
Mine had his first trip away since March and was a complete pro
Michen
Well-Known Member
He looks awesome! Are you sure you want to sell?!!!! That video has given me a kick up the arse Bear has only jumped a cross pole or two and should/could definitely be starting some proper jump training soon.
ihatework
Well-Known Member
This one was never for sale (it was the big one who has now sold!). But thank you, he is starting to look rather special
DabDab
Ah mud, splendid
Aww, his baby legs all spidery. As much as you paint him as a little troublemaker he always looks like he has a great attitude to the work.
ihatework
Well-Known Member
Yes he is really knuckling down and getting on with it now. He’s being super to have around. But honestly had been twattish enough that I was guarded about his temperament. I’m changing my mind now ?
Michen
Well-Known Member
Ah I thought was being sold as too sharp for potential back injury?
Glad he’s not- he looks a lot of fun!
ihatework
Well-Known Member
He’ll go to my pro eventer friend on competition livery and I will go and pat him!
TheMule
Well-Known Member
He is looking super, how exciting!
rara007
Well-Known Member
First show- ‘just’ inhand. All very successful Loaded well, travelled calmly just needs to learn to brace, behaved like a pro.
Loaded well, travelled calmly just needs to learn to brace, behaved like a pro.
TheMule
Well-Known Member
First show- ‘just’ inhand. All very successful
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She looks fab! No shows running round here which is a shame as I'd like to get Nova out to one for some experiences
TheMule
Well-Known Member
My 2 are being very good. Nova has his first trip out next week to my dressage trainer- we'll do some in hand work and a little sit on for a few mins at the end if all goes well.
Asha
Well-Known Member
Just catching up on the posts, an wow ! There have been some lovely updates ,what a difference a summer makes.
TM - how did you get on at the futurity ?
IHW - great to read that youve now dropped the 'twat' from his name,he looks cracking
Rara - what a stunning mare you have there
Jiffy /palo- hows yours coming along ?
Dabdab - hows you gorgeous little grey doing ?
Nothing to update on ours, Frank is definitely a little rotund at the minute. But seems to be enjoying life, he has the yearling and Aria in the field and they all get on great. Our yearling has now fully recovered from the broken jaw, and is looking much more irish draught like now. I must start thinking about sending him off to get started.
TM - how did you get on at the futurity ?
IHW - great to read that youve now dropped the 'twat' from his name,he looks cracking
Rara - what a stunning mare you have there
Jiffy /palo- hows yours coming along ?
Dabdab - hows you gorgeous little grey doing ?
Nothing to update on ours, Frank is definitely a little rotund at the minute. But seems to be enjoying life, he has the yearling and Aria in the field and they all get on great. Our yearling has now fully recovered from the broken jaw, and is looking much more irish draught like now. I must start thinking about sending him off to get started.
TheMule
Well-Known Member
They liked his conformation, frame and walk but criticized him for being a bit on the forehand and and not having the most freedom in the trot and canter, which is fair- he's a jumper not a dressage horse and he's such a good, relaxed boy at home that he doesn’t show a lot of the spark that I've seen the higher scoring ones display. It was a useful process to teach him some good manners in hand and for me to really analyze what I've got (and I love what I've got, he's precisely what I ordered for the foal fairies). I'm not sure it was worth the £65 it cost me to enter though!
palo1
Well-Known Member
Yay!! We did our first trip out to an arena hire I finally found a lovely arena to hire within 20 minutes and this morning we went with a friend to have a little look and a play. Alw was fantastic bless her - taking everything in her stride with plenty of snorting and a few 'yeehaa' moments!! Full size arena with lovely friendly parking and busy enough without being too distracting. We just did tiny bits of everything including some really sweet leg yielding in both directions and happily enough canter on both leads. This isn't something that we have found particularly easy as Alw is still really one sided. It was very amusing to see just how green she is actually - she can canter OR go in a wobbly straight line but not both at the same time lol. Trotting poles were peasy and very nice. We just had a little explore and play and I am so delighted with her attitude tbh. She is certainly lively enough to enjoy but clearly tries so hard to listen and do what is requested. It was a super morning and I am delighted to have found a place where I can do a bit more formal stuff. It was a bargain too
Frustratingly, though I took a couple of pics of her, they won't load here for some reason (compressed etc) Must be something I am not doing...
I finally found a lovely arena to hire within 20 minutes and this morning we went with a friend to have a little look and a play. Alw was fantastic bless her - taking everything in her stride with plenty of snorting and a few 'yeehaa' moments!! Full size arena with lovely friendly parking and busy enough without being too distracting. We just did tiny bits of everything including some really sweet leg yielding in both directions and happily enough canter on both leads. This isn't something that we have found particularly easy as Alw is still really one sided. It was very amusing to see just how green she is actually - she can canter OR go in a wobbly straight line but not both at the same time lol. Trotting poles were peasy and very nice. We just had a little explore and play and I am so delighted with her attitude tbh. She is certainly lively enough to enjoy but clearly tries so hard to listen and do what is requested. It was a super morning and I am delighted to have found a place where I can do a bit more formal stuff. It was a bargain too Frustratingly, though I took a couple of pics of her, they won't load here for some reason
(compressed etc) Must be something I am not doing...
milliepops
Wears headscarf aggressively
what size did you compress them to? I find they need to be under 500kb, more like 450 will load without issue IME.Frustratingly, though I took a couple of pics of her, they won't load here for some reason
palo1
Well-Known Member
Can't seem to get images down to 1MB -I have tried numerous compressions!! Feel stooopid lol.
Feel stooopid lol.palo1
Well-Known Member
Thank you Milliepops!! Very helpful. Not the best pics and sadly none of me in the saddle as my friend was rather busy with her chap and we were having a very relaxed time so both of us forgot to take on board pics - doh!! Anyhoo, the first one is of madam when we arrived and the second (sorry about the chompy mouth) was after we finished. Forgive her hair - she needs more frizz-ease
I am so delighted with her for loading and travelling so well and then getting on with some actual tasks too. I was prepared to scale down my plans if she was just too boggled by the whole thing but actually achieve a bit more than I thought we would. Happy days!!
milliepops
Wears headscarf aggressively
awww fab. She looks lovely!
palo1
Well-Known Member
Clearly you are wearing those 'Welsh tinted' glasses Milliepops!! She is such a lovely young horse though in spite of 'hedge-backwards' approach to mane and tail maintenance
TheMule
Well-Known Member
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Thank you Milliepops!! Very helpful. Not the best pics and sadly none of me in the saddle as my friend was rather busy with her chap and we were having a very relaxed time so both of us forgot to take on board pics - doh!! Anyhoo, the first one is of madam when we arrived and the second (sorry about the chompy mouth) was after we finished. Forgive her hair - she needs more frizz-ease
She looks super, well done!
milliepops
Wears headscarf aggressively
I never take them offClearly you are wearing those 'Welsh tinted' glasses Milliepops!! She is such a lovely young horse though in spite of 'hedge-backwards' approach to mane and tail maintenance
TheMule
Well-Known Member
We reached a milestone today- Nova went out to a party for the first time (bar as a foal when he went to futurity!) My dressage trainer teaches at a lovely quiet yard about 20mins away so we took the chance to go and use it as a really nice introduction to the concept of being ridden in different places.
We did some work in hand first which was really helpful- just teaching him to yield the quarters and shoulders from a slightly different cue and then practicing sharp walk-halt-walk transitions. He was very good so I got on and we did the same from on board and then did some trotting. Wobbly, as to be expected, but he was so, so good. He is now exhausted but very pleased with himself!
If you have 18 minutes or so to waste, this is the majority of what we did!
We did some work in hand first which was really helpful- just teaching him to yield the quarters and shoulders from a slightly different cue and then practicing sharp walk-halt-walk transitions. He was very good so I got on and we did the same from on board and then did some trotting. Wobbly, as to be expected, but he was so, so good. He is now exhausted but very pleased with himself!
If you have 18 minutes or so to waste, this is the majority of what we did!
j1ffy
Well-Known Member
It's lovely following everyone's updates!
Rara - your girl is absolutely beautiful!
Palo1 - great to see that Alw is doing so well, she's lovely!
themule - Nova looks and sounds like a star! I like your calm, confidence-giving approach in the video.
Chilli is ticking along in Spain. I'm due to go out there in mid-September but I'll make a call at the end of August - if the quarantine is till in place, I'll book his transport and change my holiday plans to somewhere in the UK (assuming we're not in a second lockdown by then...fingers crossed!). The year really hasn't worked out as planned but I know he's been in excellent hands with my Spanish trainer and English friend nearby providing regular updates, photos and videos. He looks gorgeous and I can't wait to see him, at least it will be next month either way!
Rara - your girl is absolutely beautiful!
Palo1 - great to see that Alw is doing so well, she's lovely!
themule - Nova looks and sounds like a star! I like your calm, confidence-giving approach in the video.
Chilli is ticking along in Spain. I'm due to go out there in mid-September but I'll make a call at the end of August - if the quarantine is till in place, I'll book his transport and change my holiday plans to somewhere in the UK (assuming we're not in a second lockdown by then...fingers crossed!). The year really hasn't worked out as planned but I know he's been in excellent hands with my Spanish trainer and English friend nearby providing regular updates, photos and videos. He looks gorgeous and I can't wait to see him, at least it will be next month either way!
ahml100
Well-Known Member
Wow! Everyone’s are looking super. Rara007 yours is beautiful, can’t wait to see how yours develops in the future.
We had a big day today, Jamie was dropped off at my trainers to be backed and ridden away, hopefully in the next couple of weeks I will be on board.
A little photo of him at boarding school
We had a big day today, Jamie was dropped off at my trainers to be backed and ridden away, hopefully in the next couple of weeks I will be on board.
A little photo of him at boarding school
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lannerch
Well-Known Member
Nova looks like he’s going really well you must be so thrilled, he’s going to be stunning when he gains more balance and muscle. Love your trainer too she is excellent. Lucky you
rara007
Well-Known Member
We be trotting
And long reining out
And getting more relaxed (me not her!) under saddle
And finally very near to 100% accepting of double lunging/ropes behind legs.
And long reining out
And getting more relaxed (me not her!) under saddle
And finally very near to 100% accepting of double lunging/ropes behind legs.
TheMule
Well-Known Member
He's just so easy. I know he'll hit an awkward stage at some point so I'm enjoying this wile it lasts?
Fingers crossed for you getting Chilli home, with or without holiday- how exciting
TheMule
Well-Known Member
We be trotting
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And long reining out
View attachment 53171
And getting more relaxed (me not her!) under saddle
View attachment 53173
And finally very near to 100% accepting of double lunging/ropes behind legs.View attachment 53174
She's so smart. Well done!