I'm pretty sure!
I usually start with the weather - it's so relevant here! - so, today, we had the storm that was forecast for last night. It hit mid-morning and is still going strong. The paths to the fields were sheet ice, so the horses were negotiating that quite well, apart from Chelsea and Stormy who took the 'run and slide down as fast as you can' approach to the slope. Ah well.
Bond left today, to his new home in Quebec City.
I rode him Monday and he was good, stubborn but good. I realised that he was back to his old self in that I was stressing him out by asking him anything, physically, for his canter transition. I literally just had to sit there, hold him and say 'canter' and he eased into the most beautiful canter I've sat on in a while. Sure, he rushed at first, but he eased up. On Tuesday, he started by being very difficult as I'd put a different saddle on him and it was too tight, so I went and changed it straightaway. Came back and he was a different horse. I put him through his paces in front of the boss, and cliche or not, he gave me the nicest last ride. His gait was a little tense - he wants to get into that canter!! - but I did a lot of downward transitions to get his mind of the canter business, and one he'd settled and was focussing on his loops and serpentines nicely, I asked him in a corner with just my voice. His first goes on each rein were a little rushed, so I circled and half halted a fair bit to regulate the speed. I then gave him a time out, where we stand in the corner on a loose rein until he lets out a big sigh or cocks a leg. Then I put him into leg yield, which caused him no stress whatsoever, and then cantered again. I did the right rein and he was very, very good. Up in the bridle, not pulling, carrying himself, even 1,2,3 on a circle and the straight. I chanced a walk to canter, and he fluffed the first but was perfect on the second asking. It was probably my fault in the first instance! Then, I put him on the left rein, usually his worst and my OH MY! He settled himself into this showy, strong, mature, perfect canter. I went into hand gallop mode and took him down one long side one handed, then the other long side other one handed and he just kept going, strong and steady. I'm sure going to miss that boy's ability and brain!!
In Mae news, now she's had her trim I feel better about gaiting her, so I've been building that up over the last week as it's been too icy to go on trails. I'm also refreshing her on leg yield - just a couple of steps - and turn on the forehand - again, one or two steps - and today I cantered her briefly. She's just as easy as she was the first time round, very calm in her transitions, a little buck-y at times! So I'm hopeful that I can get her fit, slim (she needs to lose about 100lbs, although she does live out!!) and schooling at a good level. I don't see why she can't do everything Bond was doing. She's a lot more receptive to instruction and has a calmer head, even with the odd buck and squeal here and there. What fun :)
I'm mostly on 'holiday' over the next week so won't have much training stuff to write about, although I will be enjoying myself in Montreal, Jay, Burlington and Boston with my boyfriend who is visiting, so I will be keeping myself occupied!
I usually start with the weather - it's so relevant here! - so, today, we had the storm that was forecast for last night. It hit mid-morning and is still going strong. The paths to the fields were sheet ice, so the horses were negotiating that quite well, apart from Chelsea and Stormy who took the 'run and slide down as fast as you can' approach to the slope. Ah well.
Bond left today, to his new home in Quebec City.
I rode him Monday and he was good, stubborn but good. I realised that he was back to his old self in that I was stressing him out by asking him anything, physically, for his canter transition. I literally just had to sit there, hold him and say 'canter' and he eased into the most beautiful canter I've sat on in a while. Sure, he rushed at first, but he eased up. On Tuesday, he started by being very difficult as I'd put a different saddle on him and it was too tight, so I went and changed it straightaway. Came back and he was a different horse. I put him through his paces in front of the boss, and cliche or not, he gave me the nicest last ride. His gait was a little tense - he wants to get into that canter!! - but I did a lot of downward transitions to get his mind of the canter business, and one he'd settled and was focussing on his loops and serpentines nicely, I asked him in a corner with just my voice. His first goes on each rein were a little rushed, so I circled and half halted a fair bit to regulate the speed. I then gave him a time out, where we stand in the corner on a loose rein until he lets out a big sigh or cocks a leg. Then I put him into leg yield, which caused him no stress whatsoever, and then cantered again. I did the right rein and he was very, very good. Up in the bridle, not pulling, carrying himself, even 1,2,3 on a circle and the straight. I chanced a walk to canter, and he fluffed the first but was perfect on the second asking. It was probably my fault in the first instance! Then, I put him on the left rein, usually his worst and my OH MY! He settled himself into this showy, strong, mature, perfect canter. I went into hand gallop mode and took him down one long side one handed, then the other long side other one handed and he just kept going, strong and steady. I'm sure going to miss that boy's ability and brain!!
In Mae news, now she's had her trim I feel better about gaiting her, so I've been building that up over the last week as it's been too icy to go on trails. I'm also refreshing her on leg yield - just a couple of steps - and turn on the forehand - again, one or two steps - and today I cantered her briefly. She's just as easy as she was the first time round, very calm in her transitions, a little buck-y at times! So I'm hopeful that I can get her fit, slim (she needs to lose about 100lbs, although she does live out!!) and schooling at a good level. I don't see why she can't do everything Bond was doing. She's a lot more receptive to instruction and has a calmer head, even with the odd buck and squeal here and there. What fun :)
I'm mostly on 'holiday' over the next week so won't have much training stuff to write about, although I will be enjoying myself in Montreal, Jay, Burlington and Boston with my boyfriend who is visiting, so I will be keeping myself occupied!
No comments:
Post a Comment