Ginn
Well-Known Member
Little minx is feeling very very well!!
Decided she needed a jump before Sat so planned to take her in the school this evening - person who owns it was using it so went for a quick hack first. Pony started off well...
then spooked at 5 youngsters that appeared (galloping!) out of no-where and promptly pissed off
:
Regained some control:
But proceeded to jog and snort everytime I so much as thought about putting my leg on so took her for an intentional canter:
Went forwards very sweetly and pulled up effortlessly this time but did refuse to stand still and wait quietly for Kiri to catch up
Then after much snorting and jogging sideways on way back to yard decided lunging might be a good idea before attempting to take her near a jump:
Hopped back on after 5 mins on the lunge and this is where the horns appeared! First few jumps she really took me to the fences but constantly went on a long one (read took a stride out completely half the time!) and lack of martingale resulted in flip top head when I tried to check. Coming in canter was, umm, entertaining and much more snorting and squealing ensued when I wouldn't let her at the fences and tried to get her to relax and listen, little minx!
Eventually got some nice work...
... inbetween muchus cockyness, bouncing, squealing and flip top head (excuse dodgy photography - Kiri was laughing so much she couldn't hold the camera properly!)!
and discovered 2 things:
Firstly she is better when she gets praise EVERY stride into, over and away from the fence. Literally! If I said nothing and just rode forward into the fence she was looking everywhere but at it, saw it at the last minute and either napped or tanked it, either way putting in a weird jump. If I came in canter she would see the fence a stride out and promtly take off from there!! BUT if I said "good girl" and used my little finger rubbing on her neck she looked at the fence and jumped better.
Secondly we are no longer lazy behind, infact we are now bucking and sqealing with shear "whooooopeeeee!" as we go over the fence, especially if she puts in a spacko jump. Infront she was taking the fences out (and getting very, very cross about it and subsequently appeared to be aggitated/worried the next time round) but behind, when we put the fences up, she was clearing them by a good foot or more.
She just feels so well!!! It is like riding a very cocky pingy pony on speed.
However any ideas for encouraging her to settle a bit as although it is slightly entertaining and nice to have a horse that is suddenly so much stronger, more balanced, off my leg and forwards I do not appreciate some of the high jinks!!
I very, very much doubt it is pain related (everything recently checked and no detectable tension/sore spots when I untacked). Also, any ideas why she has suddenly become quite spooky? Or is it just 5YO tb mare syndrome?
Decided she needed a jump before Sat so planned to take her in the school this evening - person who owns it was using it so went for a quick hack first. Pony started off well...
then spooked at 5 youngsters that appeared (galloping!) out of no-where and promptly pissed off
Regained some control:
But proceeded to jog and snort everytime I so much as thought about putting my leg on so took her for an intentional canter:
Went forwards very sweetly and pulled up effortlessly this time but did refuse to stand still and wait quietly for Kiri to catch up
Then after much snorting and jogging sideways on way back to yard decided lunging might be a good idea before attempting to take her near a jump:
Hopped back on after 5 mins on the lunge and this is where the horns appeared! First few jumps she really took me to the fences but constantly went on a long one (read took a stride out completely half the time!) and lack of martingale resulted in flip top head when I tried to check. Coming in canter was, umm, entertaining and much more snorting and squealing ensued when I wouldn't let her at the fences and tried to get her to relax and listen, little minx!
Eventually got some nice work...
... inbetween muchus cockyness, bouncing, squealing and flip top head (excuse dodgy photography - Kiri was laughing so much she couldn't hold the camera properly!)!
and discovered 2 things:
Firstly she is better when she gets praise EVERY stride into, over and away from the fence. Literally! If I said nothing and just rode forward into the fence she was looking everywhere but at it, saw it at the last minute and either napped or tanked it, either way putting in a weird jump. If I came in canter she would see the fence a stride out and promtly take off from there!! BUT if I said "good girl" and used my little finger rubbing on her neck she looked at the fence and jumped better.
Secondly we are no longer lazy behind, infact we are now bucking and sqealing with shear "whooooopeeeee!" as we go over the fence, especially if she puts in a spacko jump. Infront she was taking the fences out (and getting very, very cross about it and subsequently appeared to be aggitated/worried the next time round) but behind, when we put the fences up, she was clearing them by a good foot or more.
She just feels so well!!! It is like riding a very cocky pingy pony on speed.
However any ideas for encouraging her to settle a bit as although it is slightly entertaining and nice to have a horse that is suddenly so much stronger, more balanced, off my leg and forwards I do not appreciate some of the high jinks!!
