Moon was a moon-pie, easy going and generally willing. He starts out just spectacular for me and I can see real improvement in his ability to not only stretch and flex, but also the fact that I feel like we're starting to speak the same language. He responds to me in the way I want him to respond, and that just means lavish praise.
I'm very much hoping that we're building topline and actually engaging those muscles he needs. I struggle a great deal with finding the right 'pace'. Sometimes he seems almost slogging along and pushing into the bit, where other times I feel like he's rushing and just running into it. And in both instances during lessons, W seems quite pleased. So perhaps, I confuse impulsion with rushing and deliberate placement as slogging? Who knows.
Unfortunately, I forgot yet again my shoulder-in cues. I tried a couple times, but I was so confused that I was just confusing Moon. I kept swapping which seat or leg or hand I was asking with and wound up with a rubber-chicken for a horse. Oye.
Canter's were...meh. He just gets so excited that we wind up bickering about it. I'm seeing that he's getting a very clear confusion of the canter cue because of the method I'm using to help him get his correct leads. I work on leg-yielding him out of a circle and encouraging him to bend inward AND lift his nose with a little lift of my inside rein. Except now as soon as I lift, he canter departs. The cue Moon, is my leg! Or perhaps, multiple aids together. It's not the rise.
I'm very much hoping that we're building topline and actually engaging those muscles he needs. I struggle a great deal with finding the right 'pace'. Sometimes he seems almost slogging along and pushing into the bit, where other times I feel like he's rushing and just running into it. And in both instances during lessons, W seems quite pleased. So perhaps, I confuse impulsion with rushing and deliberate placement as slogging? Who knows.
Unfortunately, I forgot yet again my shoulder-in cues. I tried a couple times, but I was so confused that I was just confusing Moon. I kept swapping which seat or leg or hand I was asking with and wound up with a rubber-chicken for a horse. Oye.
Canter's were...meh. He just gets so excited that we wind up bickering about it. I'm seeing that he's getting a very clear confusion of the canter cue because of the method I'm using to help him get his correct leads. I work on leg-yielding him out of a circle and encouraging him to bend inward AND lift his nose with a little lift of my inside rein. Except now as soon as I lift, he canter departs. The cue Moon, is my leg! Or perhaps, multiple aids together. It's not the rise.
We didn't work for too long but long enough. He finished with some more neck reining and I'm impressed by how that's coming along. Unfortunately, I didn't realise that he could hear W in the barn and an apparent signal that his bedtime snack was being prepped. He felt it was time to leave, but since I was almost finished anyway, I didn't work him much more.
We currently have a rule that he must accompany me to pick up his droppings in the arena. I expect him to follow me WITHOUT being led around the ring to each pile and stand like a good boy while I shovel them up. He's gotten very good at it and even walks on at the click of my tongue. Except Thursday he would stop 1/2 way to the pile while I was still walking and start turning his head to look at the door. Almost like "I'll wait here. You pick that up and we'll get out of here, 'kay?". Not okay. I had to give a light tug on his noseband to move his little hinny along. By the third pile (he poops a TON when working) he was following nicely. Sometimes I even do silly loops and stuff just to make sure he's following.
We currently have a rule that he must accompany me to pick up his droppings in the arena. I expect him to follow me WITHOUT being led around the ring to each pile and stand like a good boy while I shovel them up. He's gotten very good at it and even walks on at the click of my tongue. Except Thursday he would stop 1/2 way to the pile while I was still walking and start turning his head to look at the door. Almost like "I'll wait here. You pick that up and we'll get out of here, 'kay?". Not okay. I had to give a light tug on his noseband to move his little hinny along. By the third pile (he poops a TON when working) he was following nicely. Sometimes I even do silly loops and stuff just to make sure he's following.
In the barn we were greeted by his feed pan, full of wonderful yummies and water. Looked like grain and beet pulp? He lapped it up like crazy, slurping. At one point, he stepped into the dish and was trying to eat around his hoof. Silly pony. It was certainly nice to get to feed him, something I've never gotten to do at W's since I'm normally not there at feeding times.
I re-dressed him in his real cheesy rain-sheet since the weather has been mild but snowing. It fits terrible. His new lycra onsie keeps him from suffering any rubs, but the thing rides up over his hips (I swear it's long enough!) exposing his butt. And then shifts, exposing half his belly and making him look tubbier then ever. But it's keeping him from A. Getting a Chill and B. Sweating so we'll make do. Not everything has to be a fashion statement...
I re-dressed him in his real cheesy rain-sheet since the weather has been mild but snowing. It fits terrible. His new lycra onsie keeps him from suffering any rubs, but the thing rides up over his hips (I swear it's long enough!) exposing his butt. And then shifts, exposing half his belly and making him look tubbier then ever. But it's keeping him from A. Getting a Chill and B. Sweating so we'll make do. Not everything has to be a fashion statement...
I have also now consistently heard his little 'woofing' as he works. It only appears once he's been warmed up and is feeling very 'loose'. It's so special to me. I can finally have something to judge how my warm-up is working, and at the same time, it's just...peaceful.
Not much else is new. H had an uneventful time holding him for his trim last Sunday, and let me know that he was good boy with all of the quirks I warned her of. Like sticking his head the garbage cans...The farrier had nothing remarkable to add and gave him his regular trim. He's not at all sore, even the day after the trim. His foot shape looks way better then it did previously and he's got a very clear growth line. He also shed a chunk of frog, which is pretty normal.
Not much else is new. H had an uneventful time holding him for his trim last Sunday, and let me know that he was good boy with all of the quirks I warned her of. Like sticking his head the garbage cans...The farrier had nothing remarkable to add and gave him his regular trim. He's not at all sore, even the day after the trim. His foot shape looks way better then it did previously and he's got a very clear growth line. He also shed a chunk of frog, which is pretty normal.
Today I might hazard a ride on him, but I've a couple odd and sods that are overdue that I need to attend to first. Tomorrow I'm *supposed* to be meeting a gal from the barn for a trail ride, which I'm looking forward to. Only uncertainty is how it'll go! I've never ridden with her or her horse outside the arena and she's never taken said horse trail riding before. Granted, horse is older and has supposed experience, which is to our advantage. Moon-pie is a good trail pony, but he certainly has energy to burn. I may just see if I can take him for a good run today and maybe have him a bit more tired for tomorrow. This IS a horse that will happily canter/gallop the three miles to the park... : P
No comments:
Post a Comment