One step forwards but feels like fifty steps back...

[Kitari]

*Please keep in mind I will start lessons shortly*

This is kind of a semi rant/what do/should I do type deal.

I fully admit I havnt really ridden in about a month (actual work riding, only short trail rides) so its entirly possible that has something to do with it But I'm not so sure. I made a post a bit ago about a trail ride i took and how Poco bolted at a cop car, Minimally marked mind you so I think it was her taking advantage of my brief attention lapse. Well she bolted and it took me a bit to get her stopped because of the really undesirable bolting conditions. I wound up getting her to run up a drive way among doing other thing to get her stopped. Well thats a small bit of background information.

Well I moved Poco, that went just fine. Left her to settle in then went for a trail that Sunday during which she did beautifully. She did a lovely jog throughout the ride (But thats normal for her) and Im working her down to be able to walk most if not all of the ride. She didnt try to "race" the other horses I was riding with so when one passed us (rarely) she didnt throw a hissy fit and try and rush forwards. Odd thing though is Poco was the smallest by far in the group yet all the other horses with longer strides wernt keeping up? Albiet Poco was doing a jog but she was doing a slow one so I dunno. Anywho off track here. I headed out to the barn again the other day. brushed her got her set then went to longe her, she did really well settled into the work nice and easy, did her transitions well, miniml rushing when asked to canter, I mean those trot to canter transitions were the best she has done so far on the line, they keep getting better, slowly (I dont canter her on the line often) but surly. And the canter itself is continuing to improve as well, she is no longer straining and trying to set a track record on the line, and she is starting to settle into a nice relaxed canter quicker and quicker. I mean shoot I'm proud of her for that. Its like when I was working on the trot, which she will now do just fine, transitions into easy and if she gets too antsie for some reason if I say "relaaaax" she will and calm down.

I decided to do some work, Now i really wasnt expecting perfect and I wasnt dissapointed that I didnt get perfect but I wasnt happy with what I did get. The entire time practically jogging, Ok nothing big, it helps me work on my sitting the trot/jog and I really want her to develope it as well. so I let her jog, but turning, i dont know why I decided no leg cues this time for turning at the time, I felt it would be a bit much for her at the moment, but changing directions with the regular "pully system" she imidiatly sped up and at one point took 2 canter strides. She has NEVER done that with the "pully system" now using leg cues when i first started them, yea she did it loads. But its been I dont know how long since I first started those and I wasnt using them anyway During the ride i wound up circling her when my main intention was to change direction until she settled down then I let her out of the circle (not itty bitty stop darn you circles, but maybe 10-15ft circles)

Well things were doing well towards the end and everything and i decided to canter a straight for a few strides before going back down to the trot/jog. She was doing a nice jog so I asked her for a canter and she bolted. I didnt kick I barely squeesed and gave a small audible kiss and she bolted. Now i know her canter isnt perfect but she hasntbolted when I asked since I first started canter work months ago. True I dont canter often but I did often enough where progress was made where she wasnt trying to set a track record wih me on her back. But this bolt unlike the one on my trail ride, left me with good conditions to stop her easily without worrying about slipping on the road or running into a tree or car or something. I then decided I wasnt comfortable trying again in the dressage arena (only a pvc pipe fencing 3 inches off the ground as a barrier) so i took her to the round pen where I felt more comfortable, and tried again. Yes before you start thinking it, she did infact bolt again. And it took me awhile to even get her to slow her canter down to something that had a hair's breath of control to it. I could get her to downward transition as well to a trot then to a jog but that canter...

I just feel like I lost any and all progress I made before my trail ride with the stupid police car and my stupid lapse in attention at the time.

Yea I'm going to get lessons but I fully admit I dont feel comfortable trying to canter her in the dressage arena. I dont know if when I start if she will have me go through walk, trot, canter to see how Poco does with them and how she acts. I dont know if the instructor would look down on me if I told her I didnt want to canter in the dressage arena without at least being on a line. I know most people (in my mind anyway) would look down on me for that, after all being put on a line is for babies Should I tell the instructor I only want to deal with walk and trot? but then where does that leave me on Poco's canter later on? same as always. The thought briefly crossed my mind to just not get lessons but then where would that leave me? I decided to get them because I felt I needed help working with Pioco to progress any farther so that would defeat a major reason I changed barns in the first place.

*sigh* one steps forwards and 50 steps back.....

 

[mickey]

Phew! That was a long story!

I think you need a good instructor to look at this issue with you. I would be entirely honest about the situation and what you feel happy/unhappy doing on your horse. A good instructor whouldn't look 'down' on you for being honest.

Have you checked teeth, back, saddle etc? I personally would do that ASAP to rule out any physical involvement.

 

[catembi]

You do whatever you feel comfortable with. Ring around until you find a sympathetic instructor, & explain to them exactly what you want (and don't want) to do. YOU are paying THEM, so don't feel as if you should be forced into doing anything.

Maybe for the first lesson, they could assess you & your horse, then afterwards you could map out some sort of progress chart so that you've got something to work towards?

Perhaps you could do some lessons on the lunge so you can concentrate on your seat & position - that's def NOT for babies as lots of advanced riders do lunge lessons for that reason. Then perhaps when you're feeling more confident about your seat & position, you'd feel better about cantering.

There are lots of other ways an instructor could help you apart from just riding - maybe look at your horse's diet with you to make sure that isn't a contributing factor, show you how to lunge/long rein so you can work some excess energy out of your horse before you get on? I did this all the time when I had a nutcase 4 yo.

But def get an instructor, then at least you'll feel as if you've got someone on your side.

Let us know how you get on?

T x

 

[Bert&Maud]

If the instructor looks down on you, can't/won't listen to your worries, then you have got the wrong instructor. Don't worry about canter for the moment. If your horse has regular turnout, she can canter as much as she likes without you on top! One things for sure, you are unlikely to be able to sort this out on your own. If you have to go on the lunge (line) for a while - so what! It will be good for both of you. But as Mickey said, get all the basic checks done first so you can rule out pain or discomfort. Can you lunge her at canter with no one on her?

 

[Kitari]

It was a long read wasnt it. I do check her back for soreness and her saddle is a bit on the wide size but I am getting a new one shortly that will fit her better. Her teeth are fine and her canter reaction is consistant bitted, bitless, and bridle-less. She is on a very good feed to help maintain her weight (keep it down) and she has never had any issues with too much sugar with it.

Now before i got her she was backyard barrel raced and trained, so when she was asked to canter they didnt want a canter they wanted her to break records and haul ass. It took me a few months to get her to pass by a barrel without practically throwing a fit under saddle. Took me longer to get her to stop easy and walk, So I am very comfortable in believing her issues are previous training issues. While I have made enourmous progress working with her by myself I feel I really need help to progress farther hence my move to a new barn. I have heard that there are a couple really nice instructors there, I just need to hunt them out (I just arrived 2 weeks ago) And I have an old friend there who I knew a few years ago and she will help me sniff them out. She likes how i ride but compleatly agrees there is no problem getting help and going to basics etc.

I also have no problem working on the line. I can see at least on benifit with I could work on not steering or worrying about where Poco goes and work on myself. And i feel that would be greathly benificial to me and my riding and possibly Poco as well.

quick question, do the topics not get bumped back up when someone replies to them? Just wondering I dont know if I'm imagining it or not but it seems like they dont.

 

[Kitari]

She is starting to canter just fine on the line, with and without a saddle and weight, so I think she feels anxiety cantering from her previous training with a rider on her back.

And before the bolting incident with the car and my lack of attention she was really starting to calm down when cantering. Occasionally got head strong but she was starting to get herself together more, relax a bit more, etc.

here is a video ofher cantering when i moved her out and went to visit her, She is cantering in the field towards me

http://www.veoh.com/videos/v6585049smJEXy64