Trish C
Well-Known Member
I'm three weeks into ownership of my beautiful big 17hh ISH, Monty. He's been an absolute superstar, with his only significant problem being that he can be a pig to mount (on occasion he won't stand still unless someone holds him, but we can train this). Has passed flatbed-trucks with airbrakes hissing, metalworking workshops with loud clanging noises and stampeding cows without even batting an eyelid. He is also a complete character and regularly has everyone at the yard in stitches with his antics 
I LOVE working with him in the school as well. His previous owner had him in a bitless bridle, so I kept him in this for the first while, but decided then to try him in a snaffle since I want to (eventually) do some dressage with him. So I got him an eggbutt, and we tried it for the first time yesterday. AMAZING. Instant transformation. Accepted the bit immediately with only the bare minimum of contact from me, into a beautiful engaged outline. Schooled him this morning and a few of the other owners at the yard were watching - jaws dropped, drooling started and they are now extremely jealous
He's like a completely different horse in the bit, and we even established some left bend which, in the bitless, eluded us completely! And I'm pretty sure it isn't/wasn't me screwing up contact/hands in either instance because he was working with such a light soft minimal contact and even on a loose rein he was bending round my leg more in the snaffle, so he's just happier in it I think
I had some lovely pictures of him doing a very passable impression of a dressage horse but the SDHC card has corrupted between the yard and home so I can't access them
Anyways, we're going to get some lessons in a few weeks when work allows. But, until then, I'd be delighted if any of you would share your schooling plans with me... I'm very bad for not really devising a plan when I'm schooling, so I'd love to know what you do when you're schooling on the flat and how long you spend at each element. Also any exercises at all for improving bend (at the moment we're doing lots of circles and serpentines).
A refreshing vodka/lemon and thanks in advance for anyone who bothers to read/reply to the marathon post
I LOVE working with him in the school as well. His previous owner had him in a bitless bridle, so I kept him in this for the first while, but decided then to try him in a snaffle since I want to (eventually) do some dressage with him. So I got him an eggbutt, and we tried it for the first time yesterday. AMAZING. Instant transformation. Accepted the bit immediately with only the bare minimum of contact from me, into a beautiful engaged outline. Schooled him this morning and a few of the other owners at the yard were watching - jaws dropped, drooling started and they are now extremely jealous
He's like a completely different horse in the bit, and we even established some left bend which, in the bitless, eluded us completely! And I'm pretty sure it isn't/wasn't me screwing up contact/hands in either instance because he was working with such a light soft minimal contact and even on a loose rein he was bending round my leg more in the snaffle, so he's just happier in it I think I had some lovely pictures of him doing a very passable impression of a dressage horse but the SDHC card has corrupted between the yard and home so I can't access them
Anyways, we're going to get some lessons in a few weeks when work allows. But, until then, I'd be delighted if any of you would share your schooling plans with me... I'm very bad for not really devising a plan when I'm schooling, so I'd love to know what you do when you're schooling on the flat and how long you spend at each element. Also any exercises at all for improving bend (at the moment we're doing lots of circles and serpentines).
A refreshing vodka/lemon and thanks in advance for anyone who bothers to read/reply to the marathon post