#riding updates

[the-bitch-barn]

Twang-A-Bang (her new nickname) and I have our first outing on the 19th. The last time I rode a young horse to their first outing, I nearly rolled off its back when it spooked at a boy practicing with his rope. To say my stomach is not already in knots would be a lie. This is the worst, yet, most rewarding part of training young horses; taking them out to show the world how they’re doing. I have confidence she will be just fine but I am getting in my own head a bit.

[readyornoteq]

Week 10 19/11/15

Last Thursday I rode Eddie and we did very well. My coach even complimented about how it looks like it has been the most relaxed I have looked on him, which has caused the best ride i have had on him, well kind of. My coach even started saying how she has begun jumping him and he’s doing well, so we jumped more on Thursday...sadly I don’t think any of it was caught on video, but we do have videos of us cantering and trotting again. 

[freerangeeventing]

Riding Updorts

Rode Lily and Berrie today,

Lily was super wiggly in the contact and through her shoulders, and despite giving super nice straight pushes from the hind end, we ended up with many squiggles through the arena. Did some leg yields at the trot with giving away my inside rein completely to try and get her to maneuver more of her energy into the ouside aids, and to get her inside shoulder to carry it’s own weight, as well as a few small circles to try to get her to shorten her stride a bit so I could adjust it and request a bit more straightness from her. Canter transitions started with me accidentally asking too deliberately, maremare did her standard kick out. Brought her back to trot and just really honed in on doing calm non violent transitions into canter without excessive rushing. In canter she was a significantly steadier in the contact, and there were a few moments where I could adjust her stride length and align her body correctly along the figure. Went back into trot, and used the contact that we established in canter to adjust stride, and do a bit more yielding. Overall a really lovely ride at the end.

Berrie was being kind of a stinker about going forward, and was definately letting his inner drama queen emerge. (also I had to take his martingale off because the reins didn’t have keepers on them) Started out just asking for a few 10 meter circles every once and a while, with a few steps of shoulder in or haunches in afterwards. Today wasn’t very successful with those tho, as he seemed to be pretty darn stiff in the few steps I was able to get, and he didn’t seem to get any looser after any of them. Then I just went into trot, which he happily went into, however in the arena corners he was just completely falling to the outside. When I went to correct that by adding a bit more outside leg and rein he just threatened to go up, so I let him go again and pushed him forward, did a few spiral ins and tried the whole “don’t fall severely to the ouside in the corner” thing again. At the very least i managed to convince him to not jut it out at a 45 degree angle from the rest of his body?  Went into canter, initial few steps were very pissy with upwards threats (how berrie thinks he can rear from a canter is beyond me. He can barely balance himself in a straight line) I just left him alone after I got him going forward, with light contact and just went until he started to stretch down and take up more contact of his own volition.

Things I was better about

hannnddssssss

torso

things I need to work on

keeping my leg quiet when stirrups are on the longer side

getting my damn eyeballs out of pon mane probs a ton of other stuff too but I kinda need to bring a video camera out to be able to see all of my screwups

[loose-reins]

I had THE BEST ride on Scarlett today

Took her for an hour long trail ride with a bunch of children for a birthday party and she was awesome. Only spooked one time and it was barely anything. After the trail she got a nice 20 minute break then I took her into the arena and she was outstanding. Kept her head soft and low and stayed rounded without me even asking, trotted some nice circles and over some poles, then even got some cantering in, which is HUGE for her because when I first got her she was so out of shape she'd buck if I asked for the canter. So happy with my fat maremare. I like her more and more with every ride!

[readyornoteq]

Week 8

Rode Eddie again tonight and it actually went so well! Our canter was pretty good and we actually got to jump today! 

[readyornoteq]

Last Thursday I rode Freezie and he was such a good little pony. THe only reason I rode him though was because Eddie was getting teeth done and apparently had so much tranq. Anyway I feel like I finally had a good ride, but can’t wait to get back on Eddie next week. 

[readyornoteq]

Yesterday I rode Eddie. He is still a bit green and it was my first ride on him, so i am trying to get to know him a bit. She wants to strengthen the stifle so we are working on walk, trot, canter and extending for the next few lessons, before we even start jumping. I am so excited.