Yet another 'Spotty horse' update

JanetGeorge

JanetGeorge

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25 June 2001
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Shropshire/Worcs. borders
www.horseandhound.co.uk
It's totally non-exciting (which is what we aim for :rolleyes:)-this is his 3rd day off the lunge and the most relaxed to date (although he's also done nothing 'wrong' to date.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGmvDN-GjSo

He's totally responsive to voice -walks on with a leg and a voice aid,and halts on voice aid only. This is critical to a smooth transition to trotting and cantering off the lunge - the LAST thing we want is to have to pull on his mouth!

Tomorrow -all going according to plan - he'll be trotting off the lunge, still on a circle (because he feels 'safe' there!) Then we move on to teaching him he can go outside the circle and still survive! :D

Tonight he also had his teeth floated - no major problems with his teeth but some sharp edges and a small diastema that needed cleaning out. He was a very good boy!
 
Lovely to see JG, he is going so well :) Both of my Appy mares have been quick learners, BUT equally quick to learn bad things as well as good, and very well able to remember the bad things VERY well, so nice to see his steady and uneventful 'start'. The current Appy was started well and was quickly reminded to be nice, after we had bought her from a novice who had her for six months and realised that she was overhorsed. The old Appy did never did get the hang of it! :D Mind you we kept her well into old age and she was pts at home age 33.
 
You can never have too many spotty updates!
A whole 2 mins of video, what a treat. He looks very relaxed to me, still flicking the odd ear at Olivier to check he's still there. Doesn't look too fazed about losing the lunge line though. Having a horse that stops off a neckstrap sounds quite handy! Cantering??? Gosh, crazy talk! Do we think Clyde can cope with thinking AND doing such complicated things with his legs without falling over?

Thanks Janet x
 
lindsayH said:
You can never have too many spotty updates!
A whole 2 mins of video, what a treat. He looks very relaxed to me, still flicking the odd ear at Olivier to check he's still there. Doesn't look too fazed about losing the lunge line though. Having a horse that stops off a neckstrap sounds quite handy! Cantering??? Gosh, crazy talk! Do we think Clyde can cope with thinking AND doing such complicated things with his legs without falling over?
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Well I'll spoil you witha bitof today's session when we trotted off the lunge!:D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dBh39axsso

You'll see only short bits of trot - the transitions are the most important thing at this stage. He's starting to understand the leg - though he still needs voice as the main aid.

And yes, he'll cope with cantering-but not until ABOUT this time next week. His balance is still a bit 'iffy'- and he's not quite strong enough to cope yet. But he is far from dim!:D
 
Ohh he's so lovely. Does he only go one way though :confused:
Only kidding it's just all the vids i've seen have been on the left rein.;) :p :D
Your doing a fab job with him well done.
 
VERY exciting update! My computer is soooooo slow loading videos and leaves me sitting here in quivering anticipation for what seems like hours! I can't believe how relaxed he looks in the upward transistions, even when John puts his leg. I mean, you can see he's just backed and finding it a little difficult but he looks so calm! I can hardly believe it, John and Olivier are AMAZING. If you do get him cantering, bits of me may actually pop, so make sure you break it to me gently. And HACKING??? All of this talk of cantering/hacking is making me go a bit funny...

Thanks Laura, I've been really touched by the members of the forum who are following his story and all the fab things people have said. It means a lot.
 
LauraWheeler said:
Ohh he's so lovely. Does he only go one way though :confused:
Only kidding it's just all the vids i've seen have been on the left rein.;) :p :D
Your doing a fab job with him well done.
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:D Well spotted! Like MOST horses,he is far better balanced on the left rein. While he's lunged on both reins without the rider,we stick to the horse's easier rein in the initial ridden work - we work onthe K.I.S.S. principle. Once he's confident with the rider, then he'll start working on his more difficult rein.
 
lindsayH said:
I can't believe how relaxed he looks in the upward transistions, even when John puts his leg. I mean, you can see he's just backed and finding it a little difficult but he looks so calm! I can hardly believe it, John and Olivier are AMAZING. If you do get him cantering, bits of me may actually pop, so make sure you break it to me gently. And HACKING??? All of this talk of cantering/hacking is making me go a bit funny...
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Cantering and hacking will be relatively easy compared to establishing the initial walk/trot off the lunge! It's the very BASIC stuff that is the hardest - and the most important to get well established! It's like the foundations of a house -doesn't matter how posh the building is - or how fancy the interior decoration - if the foundations are not 'right', it all falls down!
 
LauraWheeler said:
Ohh he's so lovely. Does he only go one way though :confused:
Only kidding it's just all the vids i've seen have been on the left rein.;) :p :D
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No video today - don't want to turn lindsayH into a quivering wreck! :D

But another couple of BIG steps forward today.

1. 'New' rider - John was off competing today so O.was in the saddle.

2. He was lunged BEFORE being ridden, but then ridden off the lunge straight away - in walk and trot.
and
3. He did right rein! :D

Was absolutely fantastic.
 
The change of rider is a very encouraging step and rather important if I'm ever going to get on (insert scared-face smiley here). Although, he's certainly really bonded with Olivier anyway. Going the other way round is also a useful addition to his repertoire! Bet that initiated a full blown confused face!
 
lindsayH said:
The change of rider is a very encouraging step and rather important if I'm ever going to get on (insert scared-face smiley here). Although, he's certainly really bonded with Olivier anyway. Going the other way round is also a useful addition to his repertoire! Bet that initiated a full blown confused face!
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:D Actually, he took change of rein very well - here's yesterday's -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqDHqpLUJ5g
 
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