Django Pony
Well-Known Member
Hi all,
Today, I was lucky enough to have Sue Palmer http://www.holistichorsehelp.com/ come and work with Jasper and I for the "School for Scoundrels" feature in Horse magazine!
I've had an amazing morning and have learnt loads. Her husband Simon took lots of photos http://www.into-the-lens.com/. Here's one that my OH took at the end of the session:
. If I am allowed, I'll post some more pics when I get them.
I wrote to Horse magazine asking for some help in building both Jasper and my confidence when hacking alone. He is very brave in a group, but turns himself inside out at the mere sight of a crisp packet when on his own! lol.
Sue has armed me with some really useful techniques. Before today, I was almost trying to "contain" Jasper to get him past anything scary, but now I realise that by tensing up, gathering him up and not breathing out I was in fact making the situation worse! Today, I have learnt to relax more, to start to trust him to work things out for himself but to give him clear boundaries - for example that it is ok to trot past it if it's scary, but it is not ok to spin, plant or canter! She advised me to make more use of his breastplate to encourage my hands forwards and to give me something to hang on to so that I can stay with him should he decide to look at a spooky objects.
All these things sound really simple and obvious as I write them, but today has helped me no end.
Today, I was lucky enough to have Sue Palmer http://www.holistichorsehelp.com/ come and work with Jasper and I for the "School for Scoundrels" feature in Horse magazine!
I've had an amazing morning and have learnt loads. Her husband Simon took lots of photos http://www.into-the-lens.com/. Here's one that my OH took at the end of the session:
I wrote to Horse magazine asking for some help in building both Jasper and my confidence when hacking alone. He is very brave in a group, but turns himself inside out at the mere sight of a crisp packet when on his own! lol.
Sue has armed me with some really useful techniques. Before today, I was almost trying to "contain" Jasper to get him past anything scary, but now I realise that by tensing up, gathering him up and not breathing out I was in fact making the situation worse! Today, I have learnt to relax more, to start to trust him to work things out for himself but to give him clear boundaries - for example that it is ok to trot past it if it's scary, but it is not ok to spin, plant or canter! She advised me to make more use of his breastplate to encourage my hands forwards and to give me something to hang on to so that I can stay with him should he decide to look at a spooky objects.
All these things sound really simple and obvious as I write them, but today has helped me no end.
