PolarSkye
Well-Known Member
Not sure when I last posted an update, but thought it was about time (plus KirstyKate gave me a nudge 
).
Last week was, ahem, interesting.
I walked him out and about him in hand because he couldn't go in his pen (for various reasons) and on Tuesday decided to long rein him round our gallops. He is usually a dream to long rein . . . and he was a superstar when I took him out on Tuesday, not even looking up when Milly the Filly came cantering over to the fence to say hello and proceeded to show off, bucking and farting. He was fab - round, light, soft in my hands (no side reins). About three quarters of the way round, however, he decided he had had enough of behaving and went to beggar off . . . I dug my heels in and nearly had him back but in all the kerfuffle I dropped the end of the lunge line in my left hand - it wrapped around my flipping legs and Kal fecked off, effectively felling me like a tree. Little monster legged it, jumped some electrical tape/fencing, etc.
Wednesday - long reined him in the school - much safer in there.
Thursday - the plan as for Z to sit on him for the first time since injury in the school. He was definitely up for it. Z said it was like sitting on a coiled spring and although he gave her some lovely work in walk -soft and round - he exploded when she asked for trot and put in a near vertical buck
Z sat to it beautifully, kept his head up and pushed him through it and then he backed off.
Friday - I long reined him round the gallops again, but took the short route - he was perfect.
Saturday - Z rode him in the school. He didn't start out in the best mood because he hadn't had his breakfast. Unfortunately, there was also a young girl riding one of the liveries young (he's six) ex-racers in the school at the same time - on the lunge, so instead of warming him up as we usually do - long rein to let him relax in both walk and trot, Z felt she should pick up a contact straight away (which Kali HATES). He had two "moments" . . . he spooked once at the little girl's golden retriever which was sitting outside the school/by the gate and he threatened to beggar off as an evasion, but Z dealt with both beautifully. She did, however, say it was like sitting on an unexploded bomb! On the plus side, although he started out with the right hump because of the way she warmed him up, he actually offered up some lovely work and came soft and round and swingy.
Sunday - Z rode him in the school and he was a complete and utter pig. It took her 20 minutes to get any sort of work out of him - he didn't want to trot, all he wanted to do was buck and feck off. In the end, to try and get some energy out of him, she asked for canter and it was beautiful! Balanced, straight, correct and he didn't disunite once - hurrah! Getting out of the school, however, was another matter - he treated the gate as though there were lions crouching on either side - took her five minutes to get him out of the gate and back down the slope onto the yard - he span, ran backwards, went up . . . threw his toys out of his pram. Oh, and the hunt came through the yard yesterday - twice - so he was super spooky this morning (oh joy).
Today - I lunged him this morning in the school just to see if he was sore anywhere/watch him move to try and rule out pain as a reason for his behaviour yesterday. I also wanted to give him a chance to have a controlled explosion without anyone on his back - if that makes sense. Both Z and I felt that he needed to MOVE and express himself and that doing it on the lunge would mean he was somewhat restricted but also able to boing relatively safely. He moved beautifully . . . no stiffness, no lameness . . . but he did have a BOING moment on each rein. I also noticed that his sheath was quite grubby so once we'd finished working, I gave that a good clean. Lisa came out to reclip him, I gave him two clicks of sedalin and left him with a haynet and a bucket of water on the yard while I finished putting his bed down and then turned him out into his pen in his new field and he did this:
He had one massive roll, sniffed noses over the fence with his two new fieldmates and just stuffed his face
. Z is hacking him this afternoon - I'm expecting a very chilled out pony when I go back up to the yard to put him to bed this evening.
Hard to believe he had surgery just a bit more than three weeks ago. So pleased with him. Assuming I can get a late entry accepted, he's going to Sparsholt on Sunday to do an Intro A test . . .
P
). Last week was, ahem, interesting.
I walked him out and about him in hand because he couldn't go in his pen (for various reasons) and on Tuesday decided to long rein him round our gallops. He is usually a dream to long rein . . . and he was a superstar when I took him out on Tuesday, not even looking up when Milly the Filly came cantering over to the fence to say hello and proceeded to show off, bucking and farting. He was fab - round, light, soft in my hands (no side reins). About three quarters of the way round, however, he decided he had had enough of behaving and went to beggar off . . . I dug my heels in and nearly had him back but in all the kerfuffle I dropped the end of the lunge line in my left hand - it wrapped around my flipping legs and Kal fecked off, effectively felling me like a tree. Little monster legged it, jumped some electrical tape/fencing, etc.
Wednesday - long reined him in the school - much safer in there
.Thursday - the plan as for Z to sit on him for the first time since injury in the school. He was definitely up for it. Z said it was like sitting on a coiled spring and although he gave her some lovely work in walk -soft and round - he exploded when she asked for trot and put in a near vertical buck
Z sat to it beautifully, kept his head up and pushed him through it and then he backed off.
Friday - I long reined him round the gallops again, but took the short route - he was perfect.
Saturday - Z rode him in the school. He didn't start out in the best mood because he hadn't had his breakfast. Unfortunately, there was also a young girl riding one of the liveries young (he's six) ex-racers in the school at the same time - on the lunge, so instead of warming him up as we usually do - long rein to let him relax in both walk and trot, Z felt she should pick up a contact straight away (which Kali HATES). He had two "moments" . . . he spooked once at the little girl's golden retriever which was sitting outside the school/by the gate and he threatened to beggar off as an evasion, but Z dealt with both beautifully. She did, however, say it was like sitting on an unexploded bomb! On the plus side, although he started out with the right hump because of the way she warmed him up, he actually offered up some lovely work and came soft and round and swingy.
Sunday - Z rode him in the school and he was a complete and utter pig. It took her 20 minutes to get any sort of work out of him - he didn't want to trot, all he wanted to do was buck and feck off. In the end, to try and get some energy out of him, she asked for canter and it was beautiful! Balanced, straight, correct and he didn't disunite once - hurrah! Getting out of the school, however, was another matter - he treated the gate as though there were lions crouching on either side - took her five minutes to get him out of the gate and back down the slope onto the yard - he span, ran backwards, went up . . . threw his toys out of his pram. Oh, and the hunt came through the yard yesterday - twice - so he was super spooky this morning (oh joy).
Today - I lunged him this morning in the school just to see if he was sore anywhere/watch him move to try and rule out pain as a reason for his behaviour yesterday. I also wanted to give him a chance to have a controlled explosion without anyone on his back - if that makes sense. Both Z and I felt that he needed to MOVE and express himself and that doing it on the lunge would mean he was somewhat restricted but also able to boing relatively safely. He moved beautifully . . . no stiffness, no lameness . . . but he did have a BOING moment on each rein
. I also noticed that his sheath was quite grubby so once we'd finished working, I gave that a good clean. Lisa came out to reclip him, I gave him two clicks of sedalin and left him with a haynet and a bucket of water on the yard while I finished putting his bed down and then turned him out into his pen in his new field and he did this:
He had one massive roll, sniffed noses over the fence with his two new fieldmates and just stuffed his face
. Z is hacking him this afternoon - I'm expecting a very chilled out pony when I go back up to the yard to put him to bed this evening.Hard to believe he had surgery just a bit more than three weeks ago. So pleased with him. Assuming I can get a late entry accepted, he's going to Sparsholt on Sunday to do an Intro A test . . .
P
.