Not sure whether to post this... weekend plans

AE , when things are back to normal get yourself over to RL event team for a few sessions . Even ask them to get on first so they can understand her . You won’t regret it
 
Tonight I rode Big Unit the wonder horse. Oh I just love riding him, he is such a big gent.
I learned tonight he knows what I mean if I ask for counter canter. I am pleased with this. So played with alternating between normal and counter canter transitions. Clever boy ? he knows more than I do. A wise head on young shoulders!!
Need to get him stood up for some comparison shots for how he has muscled up over past few months.
 
Still quietly riding for his benefit as much as mine - still in at the moment. So some pottering of some sort, walking the dogs round the turnout field to litter pick.
 
Ambers Echo said:
Depends on your perspective. When ridden by the trainer she looks amazing but he has ridden her with a LOT of pressure which I can't (and don't want to) replicate. He said he can hardly hold her and that I should leave her with a pro and she is not an amateur's horse. But I don't want to! So there we are. My hope that she would come back more rideable has not happened. She is more wired and onward bound than ever. But at least I know it's not my sh1t riding that has meant progress is slow!!
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Wow, I would be VERY unhappy if thats the horse he has handed back! His instructions were to make her rideable by you. She wasnt a pros horse when she went there, so this is his failing not yours!
 
Wheels said:
oh blimey AE - not what you wanted at all! Sorry it didn't work out quite as you had hoped.

What are you thinking you will do now? Or will you start a thread for discussions?
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I plan to go back pretty much to what I was doing before - focusing on communication/motivation not physical pressure. I was losing faith in that because we seemed to be taking a long time to improve. But getting feedback that she is 'extremely challenging' convinces me we were on the right track because she wasnt 'extremely challenging ' for me. I am nowhere near good enough to ride challenging horses! I need cooperative ones. Riding her with more pressure/strength has not made her easier to ride and to ride her that way would take a far better rider than I am. So if that was my only option I'd agree that I should sell. But I think I do have another way - so that's my plan and time will tell. As for how she is going- she's clearly much better schooled which is nice. She has muscled up and uses herself correctly. But I dont have her brain anymore. I need to get that back. Interestingly it's only when riding that I feel that disconnect. I hopped off, took off her tack and did some liberty work and she was much more tuned into me and cooperative. With ZERO pressure. Not because she's drilled at liberty (this was only the 2nd time I've ever done it) but because I think she just switches to 'go' mode whenever anyone is on her back but not when I'm on the ground .
 
LW, he is a talented rider and he rode her how he rides. On any objective measure he improved her way of going massively. Her flat work is a lot better. But no she certainly didn't become more rideable over jumps! We will get there and hopefully I can capitalise on the improvement ts too. X
 
I’ve been riding all week since most of my work has gone. We’ve been working on our lateral work mainly. I’m going to do some online dressage I think. The little cob has had the week off but I’m going to ride him tomorrow. All just at home.

I’m not hacking because every man and his dog is out and the tracks aren’t wide enough to keep 2m apart.
 
Not a lot of action here.
Apparently I'm harrowing the field in the big tractor ? (the big one is a bit intimidating but OH says its easier ?)
Then probably sorting some fencing for the spare field in case we get locked down more and the yard horses need to come back. So many unknowns, I've been trying to save that as a nursery paddock. Can't really work out a plan!
 
I’m working this weekend. First time in years (yes I am spoilt!). For some reason these strange times have morphed into 12 hour working days...
Hoping to use my exercise slot to escape and see my horse - yard have been great at providing individual slots so I can dettox my way in and out!
Strange times...
 
We had a lovely hack yesterday. We went on a road that's usually unsafe because cars drive too fast on it. Atm there's mainly cyclists and dog walkers on it.

We didn't go today because the horse got colic ? He escaped out to the summer field overnight and became ill. The vet came out and gave him an anti-inflammatory and antibiotic injection. He's fine now :)
 
Asha said:
AE , when things are back to normal get yourself over to RL event team for a few sessions . Even ask them to get on first so they can understand her . You won’t regret it
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I echo this. I said it on another thread but worth repeating. A friend of mine who was far from confident on her talented but not straightforward youngster has been coached by him, with him training the horse, then her and the horse together, up to Badminton grass roots.

You couldn't find a better trainer anywhere near you for the set of problems you are dealing with.

.
 
Ambers Echo said:
I plan to go back pretty much to what I was doing before - focusing on communication/motivation not physical pressure. I was losing faith in that because we seemed to be taking a long time to improve. But getting feedback that she is 'extremely challenging' convinces me we were on the right track because she wasnt 'extremely challenging ' for me. I am nowhere near good enough to ride challenging horses! I need cooperative ones. Riding her with more pressure/strength has not made her easier to ride and to ride her that way would take a far better rider than I am. So if that was my only option I'd agree that I should sell. But I think I do have another way - so that's my plan and time will tell. As for how she is going- she's clearly much better schooled which is nice. She has muscled up and uses herself correctly. But I dont have her brain anymore. I need to get that back. Interestingly it's only when riding that I feel that disconnect. I hopped off, took off her tack and did some liberty work and she was much more tuned into me and cooperative. With ZERO pressure. Not because she's drilled at liberty (this was only the 2nd time I've ever done it) but because I think she just switches to 'go' mode whenever anyone is on her back but not when I'm on the ground .
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I think we sometimes forget that riding "our" horse is as much as having a mental and emotional partnership with them as going through the mechanical processes of getting a horse to go well. Obviously, the professionals can do a good job on most horses but that does not cover the rest of her day. What we do through the daily routine enables us to really tune into them and them to us. She has been through a lot of changes recently so maybe this weird time we are living through will give you the opportunity to reset your relationship with her and move forward in a quiet and trusting way by having time to do different things with her. I know what changed for me with my very opinionated mare was just sitting with her a couple of times a day in a small paddock while I gave her an hour's break from 4 weeks' box rest. From hand grazing I was able to trust her to just eat and not fool around while I sat and read a book (fortunately good weather!). We even got to the stage where she would wander over to ruffle my hair or just stand close soaking up the sun. I would never have imagined the improvement in our relationship that that period achieved. Usually we don't have the time to "just be" with our horses - there may be some good to come out of this miserable time.!!
 
Great post Trouper

Unrelated but I saw a great article yesterday on horsequest hub - 10 exercises, 8 poles. It is mostly going around / through the gaps so should be safe and most of the exercises can be done in hand or ridden and some even on the lunge - my phone won't let me post a link for some reason - can someone find it and post it up?
 
I find groundwork sometimes helps with a ridden problem. Mine can be nappy, he was very bad when I first got him. He was also not always responsive when asked to go forward when being led. Among other things, I believe getting him better at going forward on the ground helped him under saddle.
 
Arty's turn to jump today. She was rather sparkly when we first went into the arena and I was on the ground, as we haven't lunged/freeschooled in a while. Lots of big trot going on! But she knuckled down and did some reasonable combinations of jumps. This is her on the approach to the single small one, closest I could get in terms of jumping pics. Second pic is just cos she's pretty
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And then my OH did a bit of equi band lunging with the big man. Snapped a picture of them at the end - big horse was obviously making him laugh
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Been working and for my exercise sorted out the greenhouse and planted a few lettuces. Not got any other seeds so lettuce it is. OH is working as he is a garage and so able to stay open (well he isn't a garage, he is a mechanic).
 
DabDab said:
Looks good TM! You've inspired my to do a bit of loose jumping with the pony. I'll have a scavenge and see what interesting things I can find for her to pop over - never found anything scary enough for her to think twice about jumping yet! (Stark contrast to the big idiot who still feels the need to snort at poles on the floor for the first 5 mins, maybe the TRT would help
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I’m very late to this (reading bits of the forum that no longer apply to me, desperate times!) but that is so unfair lol - remember what a star he was XC schooling and what a total scaredy muppet Jensen was ?

ETA - or actually maybe it was me that was the scaredy muppet? ??
 
Levrier said:
I’m very late to this (reading bits of the forum that no longer apply to me, desperate times!) but that is so unfair lol - remember what a star he was XC schooling and what a total scaredy muppet Jensen was ?

ETA - or actually maybe it was me that was the scaredy muppet? ??
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Oh he's brilliant xc. It's sj poles that he has an issue with, the big tit. I've tried all sorts over the years to get him more consistent but....I think it's probably the fact that the move that he doesn't like, even when they're on the floor he just cannot cope with knocking one
 
DabDab said:
Oh he's brilliant xc. It's sj poles that he has an issue with, the big tit. I've tried all sorts over the years to get him more consistent but....I think it's probably the fact that the move that he doesn't like, even when they're on the floor he just cannot cope with knocking one
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They are alive.... ?
 
Just enjoying my horses company tbh. Especially Boggle, I am spending so much time grooming and fussing, Walking and in hand grazing. It’s the silver lining of this whole mess, I can truly take the time to enjoy the next couple of months with him during rehab. He will need to leave the yard for his quiet small paddock rest and to be turned away, so I’m making the most of every minute just being in his company. I have to swallow a massive lump in my throat every time I think about him going away for a year, even though I know I’m doing what’s right for him.
 
We jumped a pole tonight, it was just a pole on the floor and we were only trotting over it. Hes never ever done that, I think he's missing going out already! We went on to do some nice work though, sort of a combination of practising self carriage flat work and stretching a bit when I get my leg on for a long one at the poles.
So glad we got a flat lesson in last weekend, first in about 5 months so we've at least got something to work on :)
 
Bit of spring cheer. Look at the lovely daffodils! I smiled to myself remembering doing this with Boggle this time of year three years ago. The battle I had to have to get him to long rein past those Connemara pony eating daffs!!

Not Bear though.

 
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