Chavhorse
Well-Known Member
Some of you may remember that 3 months ago I posted the following update on Vardi my much loved but much grey hair giving horse;
"I was sitting in the paddock with Vardi having a bit of a pull yourself together mate conversation as my trainer and I had just had a conversation in which he told me that Vardi had panicked and ran off with him again there was nothing to spook him as the worlds spookiest mare was also working in the school and she would have been the first to go. Trainer had given serious thought to did he do anything different and realised nope 30 mins into the training session they were just doing a relaxed lope and bam panic ran off set his jaw and trainer had no brakes and had to get his attention back first before doing one rein stop to get control back ..Vardi was then upset and silly for the rest of the session. Anyhow all plans for the intended taking him to the forest and getting him hacking outside on his own are now put back for a while and Vardi is now being taken back a lot of steps"
I will admit that following this I did have the "If I said enough now would you understand" conversation with Jan who said unreservedly "I would not blame you at all, but lets try this for 3 months and if this does not work I will sell him on your behalf"
Since that day Jan has taken vardi back into a side-pull, and has been double lining him only ,he has been carrying a straight bar rubber bit simply so he gets used to carrying a bit with no pressure in it as all cue's are coming through the sidepull.
It has been a slow process but Vardi has been doing brilliantly, we have slowly increased the pressure in the bit by adding a loose loop between it and the sidepull and slowly tightening it so he gets more movement and pressure in his mouth. Over the past week we have added a bungee from the bit rings to the roller so he gets used to a gentle "back and forwards" pressure in his mouth, whilst still carrying out the main cue's from the sidepull. In the past 3 months we have had no occurances at all of him grabbing the bit and panicking.
Yesterday Jan started off by double lining him in his saddle with the bungee running from his bit rings to the horn of the saddle, he went perfectly, calm, happy and working perfectly balanced with his head down. Jan stopped him took off the double lines and then hopped up. It was a brilliant session and Vardi continued to work calmly and well in both walk and jog. I will admit I was watching this crying like a baby!
Jan got off after 20 mins and started to un tack him, I went into the school and realised my "hard man" trainer was spending a lot of time telling him "what a super braf boy" he was and when he turned round I could see that he was also crying he then turned to me gave him a huge hug and said "it's paying off thank you for being patient with him" then we both stood there having a bit of a blubb looking at Vardi then Jan said "he's grown up in the last 3 months he's become a horse".
So very proud and happy that we took the go back a few steps route rather than ploughing on and that Jan kept faith looked again at this training method and turned it on its head and that my boy realised that we were giving him the opportunity to go back over some ground to cement things gently and calmly and has given his all to the process.
Other brilliant news is that the Insurance company following his 100% clean bill of health by the Vet has agreed to put him on a full Medical insurance policy with no exclusions, rather than the emergency only one we have at the moment. So it looks like after 2 years we finally have a 100% fit horse with a clean Veterinary slate. Not bad for a horse who I was recommended to have PTS 18 months ago.
Sorry this is an unashamedly very very very happy post.
"I was sitting in the paddock with Vardi having a bit of a pull yourself together mate conversation as my trainer and I had just had a conversation in which he told me that Vardi had panicked and ran off with him again there was nothing to spook him as the worlds spookiest mare was also working in the school and she would have been the first to go. Trainer had given serious thought to did he do anything different and realised nope 30 mins into the training session they were just doing a relaxed lope and bam panic ran off set his jaw and trainer had no brakes and had to get his attention back first before doing one rein stop to get control back ..Vardi was then upset and silly for the rest of the session. Anyhow all plans for the intended taking him to the forest and getting him hacking outside on his own are now put back for a while and Vardi is now being taken back a lot of steps"
I will admit that following this I did have the "If I said enough now would you understand" conversation with Jan who said unreservedly "I would not blame you at all, but lets try this for 3 months and if this does not work I will sell him on your behalf"
Since that day Jan has taken vardi back into a side-pull, and has been double lining him only ,he has been carrying a straight bar rubber bit simply so he gets used to carrying a bit with no pressure in it as all cue's are coming through the sidepull.
It has been a slow process but Vardi has been doing brilliantly, we have slowly increased the pressure in the bit by adding a loose loop between it and the sidepull and slowly tightening it so he gets more movement and pressure in his mouth. Over the past week we have added a bungee from the bit rings to the roller so he gets used to a gentle "back and forwards" pressure in his mouth, whilst still carrying out the main cue's from the sidepull. In the past 3 months we have had no occurances at all of him grabbing the bit and panicking.
Yesterday Jan started off by double lining him in his saddle with the bungee running from his bit rings to the horn of the saddle, he went perfectly, calm, happy and working perfectly balanced with his head down. Jan stopped him took off the double lines and then hopped up. It was a brilliant session and Vardi continued to work calmly and well in both walk and jog. I will admit I was watching this crying like a baby!
Jan got off after 20 mins and started to un tack him, I went into the school and realised my "hard man" trainer was spending a lot of time telling him "what a super braf boy" he was and when he turned round I could see that he was also crying he then turned to me gave him a huge hug and said "it's paying off thank you for being patient with him" then we both stood there having a bit of a blubb looking at Vardi then Jan said "he's grown up in the last 3 months he's become a horse".
So very proud and happy that we took the go back a few steps route rather than ploughing on and that Jan kept faith looked again at this training method and turned it on its head and that my boy realised that we were giving him the opportunity to go back over some ground to cement things gently and calmly and has given his all to the process.
Other brilliant news is that the Insurance company following his 100% clean bill of health by the Vet has agreed to put him on a full Medical insurance policy with no exclusions, rather than the emergency only one we have at the moment. So it looks like after 2 years we finally have a 100% fit horse with a clean Veterinary slate. Not bad for a horse who I was recommended to have PTS 18 months ago.
Sorry this is an unashamedly very very very happy post.
it feels so good when they start to come right.
