Kitari
Well-Known Member
Today so far has been one of the BEST rides Ive had on Red since Ive been riding her for the past couple month. The best ride since I gave her a break and worked on her stiff muscles and stretching her out and getting her loose again.
It started off very well, did a bit of warm up walking before asking for the tort. One of the things Ive been trying to do was get a slow trot/jog out of her and I got tickled pink when she for the first time, kept up a nice jog without breaking into a trot and came back to it with little fuss. It was like "Finally!!!!!" it was awesome for me to feel her do that jog with me in saddle tay, inside I was grinning from ear to ear. I felt so much better on her than I have in ages. Then I worked on her trotting, bringing her up to the trot working her there and a couple times bringing her back to the jog with once again no issues.
Since the ride was going so good for me I started on canter work. Ive been working more on her going to the left at the walk and trot alot more than I have the right hand side, I want her to start giving easier to the left now that her issues on her right hand side (stiffness and soreness) have been worked out. But I bite the bullet and went to check out her cantering to the lead. She has been consistantly picking up her left lead on the longe line with no issues. Right off the bat picking it up.
It started out alright, not perfect of course but SHE DID IT! She picked up her left lead 3 times this ride, I know I asked her what felt like a zillion times to canter to the left, but I got 3 correct leads! Now I only know she did it 3 times because I reviewed my video. The first two I wasnt sure. The 1st one she started off on the right lead and then after one stride auto switched to the left (I went over and over and over it in the video to make sure) the 2nd time she only did it one stride. But the 3rd time I *knew* it off the video. I knew she got it, it felt right and it seemed to click *right* in her mind. It only lasted a few strides, but thats fine with me because thats more than she has done in awhile due to being too stiff before to pick it up correctly. No cross firing, nothing just picked it up. That made my ride right there.I called it canter quits at that point, you will notice in the video Red would get upset going to the left and I would "abort" it for a moment before asking again. She felt happy on the last one and thats what I wanted to end it on.
I also worked on halt transitions! At EVERY gait. Yes every gait, including the canter! Since I almost had an impromptu flying lesson when I told her to stop on a whim at the 2-point during the canter I decided to work on it so I wouldnt do it ever again (almost have a flying lesson) and I am very pleased with how she did, but not with how I did. I kind of folded up on the last one to praise her for doing what I asked when I should have waited until we were fully halted before doing so. I didn't even really realize I had done so. But im making a mental note to keep it in check and to wait. What I liked is how she did not just fall into the halt, she actually tucked her rear under her doing so. Thats one of the reason I haven't done it before is I was worried she would just blunder into it. While it wasn't a perfect halt, Im proud of what she did with it being only her 2 and 3rd tries at doing it.
Anyway Pictures and Videos!
Pictures first
Halt from canter
Trot
Left lead!
Videos
Trot work
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1geazpUGSDY
Trot and Canter
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amIiCumiUG0
Halt Transitions
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcHmoGIgfVk
It started off very well, did a bit of warm up walking before asking for the tort. One of the things Ive been trying to do was get a slow trot/jog out of her and I got tickled pink when she for the first time, kept up a nice jog without breaking into a trot and came back to it with little fuss. It was like "Finally!!!!!" it was awesome for me to feel her do that jog with me in saddle tay, inside I was grinning from ear to ear. I felt so much better on her than I have in ages. Then I worked on her trotting, bringing her up to the trot working her there and a couple times bringing her back to the jog with once again no issues.
Since the ride was going so good for me I started on canter work. Ive been working more on her going to the left at the walk and trot alot more than I have the right hand side, I want her to start giving easier to the left now that her issues on her right hand side (stiffness and soreness) have been worked out. But I bite the bullet and went to check out her cantering to the lead. She has been consistantly picking up her left lead on the longe line with no issues. Right off the bat picking it up.
It started out alright, not perfect of course but SHE DID IT! She picked up her left lead 3 times this ride, I know I asked her what felt like a zillion times to canter to the left, but I got 3 correct leads! Now I only know she did it 3 times because I reviewed my video. The first two I wasnt sure. The 1st one she started off on the right lead and then after one stride auto switched to the left (I went over and over and over it in the video to make sure) the 2nd time she only did it one stride. But the 3rd time I *knew* it off the video. I knew she got it, it felt right and it seemed to click *right* in her mind. It only lasted a few strides, but thats fine with me because thats more than she has done in awhile due to being too stiff before to pick it up correctly. No cross firing, nothing just picked it up. That made my ride right there.I called it canter quits at that point, you will notice in the video Red would get upset going to the left and I would "abort" it for a moment before asking again. She felt happy on the last one and thats what I wanted to end it on.
I also worked on halt transitions! At EVERY gait. Yes every gait, including the canter! Since I almost had an impromptu flying lesson when I told her to stop on a whim at the 2-point during the canter I decided to work on it so I wouldnt do it ever again (almost have a flying lesson) and I am very pleased with how she did, but not with how I did. I kind of folded up on the last one to praise her for doing what I asked when I should have waited until we were fully halted before doing so. I didn't even really realize I had done so. But im making a mental note to keep it in check and to wait. What I liked is how she did not just fall into the halt, she actually tucked her rear under her doing so. Thats one of the reason I haven't done it before is I was worried she would just blunder into it. While it wasn't a perfect halt, Im proud of what she did with it being only her 2 and 3rd tries at doing it.
Anyway Pictures and Videos!
Pictures first
Halt from canter
Trot
Left lead!
Videos
Trot work
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1geazpUGSDY
Trot and Canter
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amIiCumiUG0
Halt Transitions
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcHmoGIgfVk
