cob&onion
Well-Known Member
Took my rising 4 year old welsh D in the school earlier on, he hasn't been ridden for about 2 weeks so thought we would have a potter about for 10 mins or so. The school is just up the road - about a 2 min walk. I always lead him up the road then get on him in the school. He has been ridden about 12 or so times now, he was backed at the beginning of December with help.
Had a potter about and he always has a good look at the mirrors at the end of the school, so we went up there first and he did his - OMG who are you?!! look then carried on once he realized that the handsome beast in the mirror was his own reflection
trotted around and did a few circles and changes of rein, he is so forward going, once he is in trot he keeps going until you ask him to come back to a walk. I did a few transitions to keep him focused, anyway whilst trotting away he threw a massive spook!! i managed to sit to it but it was a real swerve to the side - took him back to the *spooky mounting block* and took a few mins of encouragement to get him to walk over and investigate the scary green monster 
he morphed into a welsh dragon, snorting, tail up the lot! we did a few more circles in trot but he was a bit unsettled, he kept rolling/tossing his head in walk - something i know he does when he gets inpatient in the field when he is waiting for hay or his tea! kept him going forward and once he was relaxed we left the school. Another huge spook outside the school at some hens and straw we got back on the lane and hacked back to the field. He was a good boy - considering he hadn't been ridden for 2 weeks he did well 
definitely sharper and spookier than normal but then again the weather has gone very cold and even my mare was a bit sharp today
So the aim of today was to get him out do some big circles and get him forward - i achieved all of this
This week am going to hack him out with another horse and possibly take him in the school over some poles at the weekend.
Long term plans are dressage and showing. Am hoping to do a w&t test late spring.
I know there are a few people on here with rising 4 year olds and just wondered what stage you started having lessons and bringing in an instructor/trainer to undergo some basic schooling etc i want to give him the best possible start without pushing him at the moment he is going forwards nicely and doing what he likes with his head but not asking for anything yet. He finds canter transitions easy (although we didn't do any cantering today) He bends well and seems very willing and trainable and moves beautifully and rides big considering he is 14.2 
am very pleased with him and hoping he will be the one!
Had a potter about and he always has a good look at the mirrors at the end of the school, so we went up there first and he did his - OMG who are you?!! look then carried on once he realized that the handsome beast in the mirror was his own reflection
trotted around and did a few circles and changes of rein, he is so forward going, once he is in trot he keeps going until you ask him to come back to a walk. I did a few transitions to keep him focused, anyway whilst trotting away he threw a massive spook!! i managed to sit to it but it was a real swerve to the side - took him back to the *spooky mounting block* and took a few mins of encouragement to get him to walk over and investigate the scary green monster he morphed into a welsh dragon, snorting, tail up the lot! we did a few more circles in trot but he was a bit unsettled, he kept rolling/tossing his head in walk - something i know he does when he gets inpatient in the field when he is waiting for hay or his tea! kept him going forward and once he was relaxed we left the school. Another huge spook outside the school at some hens and straw we got back on the lane and hacked back to the field. He was a good boy - considering he hadn't been ridden for 2 weeks he did well definitely sharper and spookier than normal but then again the weather has gone very cold and even my mare was a bit sharp today So the aim of today was to get him out do some big circles and get him forward - i achieved all of this
This week am going to hack him out with another horse and possibly take him in the school over some poles at the weekend.
Long term plans are dressage and showing. Am hoping to do a w&t test late spring.
I know there are a few people on here with rising 4 year olds and just wondered what stage you started having lessons and bringing in an instructor/trainer to undergo some basic schooling etc i want to give him the best possible start without pushing him
at the moment he is going forwards nicely and doing what he likes with his head but not asking for anything yet. He finds canter transitions easy (although we didn't do any cantering today) He bends well and seems very willing and trainable and moves beautifully and rides big considering he is 14.2 am very pleased with him and hoping he will be the one!
physio due out Friday so will update when i have some more news - thank you for asking 
