No complaints about the weather on Friday - a few fluffy clouds, temp in the upper 70's, a light breeze to keep the bugs away... if only all my riding days were so lovely!
A slight change of plans resulted in Sunny and I having the arena to ourselves for an hour before my lesson. No complaints about that either - although Sunny may have expressed some if I'd asked him, LOL!
I saddled him western, and after a couple trips back to the trailer to retrieve my spurs and apply more fly spray, started warming him up. A series of medium circles in both directions, first asking him to shoulder-in and then for haunches-in, and then some half-passing. When he was striding well under in back and I'd gotten good bend in both directions, we moved on to collected walk on a larger circle.
I focused on looking out and ahead, staying rocked back on my seatbones, trying to really feel each hoof land and his barrel up and round under me without looking down at his head. Not sure how successful I was, but at least I was thinking about it.
I went right first - his good direction. When I cued trot, his head popped up. Not surprising given the dearth of riding time he's had lately, so I spent the next umpteen laps working on getting him to roll over and round up and commit to carrying himself. Eventually we managed a full round in fairly nice form, so I gave him a breather to air up and stretch. Then it was on to canter.
He took the correct lead when I asked him - not a surprise to the right, though. Was it pretty? Eh... Canter is improving incrementally. He's still dropping his inside shoulder, and he's definitely not collected by any stretch of the imagination. But... rate is getting better, and he's staying in gait better, too. There were a few moments of definite roundness, and at no point did he stick his nose way out and fling his head, so... progress. Downward transitions are still heavy in front, but that's as much me as it is him. Overall, I'd say it was satisfactory.
After another walk-break I reversed and we went to work on left. Walk was good. Softness and collection at the trot was steps above where he was going right. Canter? Pffft. No dice. He was back to flinging his nose up and throwing that outside shoulder forward into the wrong lead. It didn't seem to matter how far over I'd put his hip, he was bound and determined to take the right lead, not the left.
He may very well need to be adjusted again. Maybe it's a saddle issue. As round as he is, I don't have a single saddle that fits him well at present.... Or possibly he's just anticipating something is going to hurt, even if it doesn't. He certainly doesn't seem sore anywhere, and running my thumbs down his back and pressing post-ride didn't prompt any reaction. At any rate, it's a problem to be solved before we can move forward.
Rather than push the issue - but not wanting to reward him for refusing to take that lead by stopping - I finished with some serpentines at a working trot using the whole arena, and then cooled out with spiral circles at the walk and some backing using the pole-defined L someone had left set up. Altogether about 45 minutes of solid work.
Showing posts with label left lead. Show all posts
Showing posts with label left lead. Show all posts
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Lesson Day: Buddy, and Sunny gets some arena time
I gave Sunny the night off last night, but Thunder and I did the tree weaving thing again. We even ventured out into the road a ways and checked out the mailbox. He would have continued quite happily down the gravel, but I chickened out. I'd started having visions of him suddenly realizing he was all by himself and deciding to head for home. Maybe one day soon I'll catch D going by on the pretty black and white paint he's starting, and fall in with him.
Sunny stood on the hill and watched me hook the trailer up this morning. When I walked out to catch them, he very deliberated turned and walked about twenty steps the other direction, glancing over his shoulder to check if I was really serious about collecting him. Then he heaved a big sigh, turned around and waited for me. Silly.
Getting them fly-sprayed and loaded up was the usual non-event. Every time I watch someone deal with a poor loader I say a little thank you that it's not an exciting part of my riding day!
Arriving at Eric's, I unloaded, made sure they were both securely fastened, and went in to get Buddy ready. There was a big palamino gelding raising a ruckus in the indoor when I cross-tied him. Not a restful horse. He'd back off from the gate twenty feet or so, then run at it sliding to a stop an the last second letting his nose or chin bang against the gate and setting it rattling. Thud-a-da-thud-a-da, thump! clang! bang! SNORT! followed by spin and kick whang!
Buddy was not amused, and wanted to crane around in the direction of all the activity, shaking his head and dancing accompaniment. Thankfully, O swapped out horses before I got to the point of polo wraps, and the next horse wasn't nearly as energetic. Once the palamino was gone, Buddy stopped fidgeting.
Slightly cooler temps and a nice breeze, not to mention an earlier start, made for a more energetic horse, and Buddy was definitely alive underneath me as soon as I settled into the saddle. Eric had me working on channeling all that extra horse into getting Buddy's shoulders lifted and his back up. We had a few moments today that felt close to brilliant. :)
Moving on to sitting trot, I focused hard on keeping my lower leg solid and not bouncing all over the place. Sitting trot is usually not a problem, but Sunny is a lot less bouncy than Buddy! Eventually we made a sufficiently good round of it and Eric asked for working trot. Hooray for posting!
During Saturday's lesson I spent a lot of time working my outside hand, attempting to shake Buddy off of it. He'll hang and get heavy or run through you if you let him. Today, however, the spirit of cooperation appeared to be at work and he was willing to carry his head and balance himself without too many reminders from me. Maybe I'm getting better at catching him before he pops up, too... At any rate, after some working trot/sitting trot transitions, it was up to the canter.
That was far and away better than Saturday. And hand gallop didn't make me feel quite so hung out on the edge of a cliff today, either. I know what the problem is - I lose my lower leg, and then it's 'Hello, cliff!' But I think I'm improving - I wore jeans again, rather than breeches and half-chaps, and my leg stayed pretty much where it was supposed to despite having less grip than the half-chaps provide.
After a breather for Buddy - and me - we switched directions and tackled the same program to the right. Right was better then left. Woo-hoo!
Buddy got a rinse-down in lukewarm water and a cookie - not sure which he enjoyed more, and then I watched the last half of Eric's next lesson while I tacked Sunny up. A rodeo junior queen contestant with a roping horse and a reining pattern to do as part of the queening contest next week... Let's just say "GO!" will not be a problem. Neither will stopping. But finding the lope in the middle? Pony was initially frustrated and confused, and by the time they finished up the little gal was very red in the face, but his ears had started to come forward and he was getting the hang of the program.
Eric had her doing what was basically a half-halt and release as soon as the gelding hesitated and slowed even a smidge. They were both trying really hard, so hopefully they'll get things sorted before their deadline.
A lot of go is definitely not a concern with Sunny - thankfully I remembered my spurs! We warmed up at a walk in both directions with bending, leg yields and some counter-bending, then started walking a big circle to the right; his good direction.
He rolled over at the poll and I could feel his back come up under me. Sweet. We made several circles at a walk then moved on to trot and eventually canter. Transitions to the right were steady and solid. He stayed relatively light and didn't try to poke his nose out too often - but I didn't want to get too excited, because we hadn't gone left yet.
After a pause to air up, I revered him and we started left. Nice round walk, check. Working trot with an inside bend, check. Canter transition... right lead. Darn it!
I dropped him to trot, waited for a corner, made sure my hands were correct and his hip was pushed in, and... right (wrong) again. The third or fourth time he took the left lead and stayed in it until I asked him to trot. A break to air up again, and I asked him for left lead again. No dice.
So.... Either he's sore again, although he seemed perfectly willing to flex his neck in either direction, and his back didn't seem ouchie when I pressed on him post-ride, or I'm doing something wrong (always a possibility), or... who knows. He is taking both leads on the lunge line, and since he's willing to bend for me, I don't think he's as sore as he was before, so that's something at least.
Sunny stood on the hill and watched me hook the trailer up this morning. When I walked out to catch them, he very deliberated turned and walked about twenty steps the other direction, glancing over his shoulder to check if I was really serious about collecting him. Then he heaved a big sigh, turned around and waited for me. Silly.
Getting them fly-sprayed and loaded up was the usual non-event. Every time I watch someone deal with a poor loader I say a little thank you that it's not an exciting part of my riding day!
Arriving at Eric's, I unloaded, made sure they were both securely fastened, and went in to get Buddy ready. There was a big palamino gelding raising a ruckus in the indoor when I cross-tied him. Not a restful horse. He'd back off from the gate twenty feet or so, then run at it sliding to a stop an the last second letting his nose or chin bang against the gate and setting it rattling. Thud-a-da-thud-a-da, thump! clang! bang! SNORT! followed by spin and kick whang!
Buddy was not amused, and wanted to crane around in the direction of all the activity, shaking his head and dancing accompaniment. Thankfully, O swapped out horses before I got to the point of polo wraps, and the next horse wasn't nearly as energetic. Once the palamino was gone, Buddy stopped fidgeting.
Slightly cooler temps and a nice breeze, not to mention an earlier start, made for a more energetic horse, and Buddy was definitely alive underneath me as soon as I settled into the saddle. Eric had me working on channeling all that extra horse into getting Buddy's shoulders lifted and his back up. We had a few moments today that felt close to brilliant. :)
Moving on to sitting trot, I focused hard on keeping my lower leg solid and not bouncing all over the place. Sitting trot is usually not a problem, but Sunny is a lot less bouncy than Buddy! Eventually we made a sufficiently good round of it and Eric asked for working trot. Hooray for posting!
During Saturday's lesson I spent a lot of time working my outside hand, attempting to shake Buddy off of it. He'll hang and get heavy or run through you if you let him. Today, however, the spirit of cooperation appeared to be at work and he was willing to carry his head and balance himself without too many reminders from me. Maybe I'm getting better at catching him before he pops up, too... At any rate, after some working trot/sitting trot transitions, it was up to the canter.
That was far and away better than Saturday. And hand gallop didn't make me feel quite so hung out on the edge of a cliff today, either. I know what the problem is - I lose my lower leg, and then it's 'Hello, cliff!' But I think I'm improving - I wore jeans again, rather than breeches and half-chaps, and my leg stayed pretty much where it was supposed to despite having less grip than the half-chaps provide.
After a breather for Buddy - and me - we switched directions and tackled the same program to the right. Right was better then left. Woo-hoo!
Buddy got a rinse-down in lukewarm water and a cookie - not sure which he enjoyed more, and then I watched the last half of Eric's next lesson while I tacked Sunny up. A rodeo junior queen contestant with a roping horse and a reining pattern to do as part of the queening contest next week... Let's just say "GO!" will not be a problem. Neither will stopping. But finding the lope in the middle? Pony was initially frustrated and confused, and by the time they finished up the little gal was very red in the face, but his ears had started to come forward and he was getting the hang of the program.
Eric had her doing what was basically a half-halt and release as soon as the gelding hesitated and slowed even a smidge. They were both trying really hard, so hopefully they'll get things sorted before their deadline.
A lot of go is definitely not a concern with Sunny - thankfully I remembered my spurs! We warmed up at a walk in both directions with bending, leg yields and some counter-bending, then started walking a big circle to the right; his good direction.
He rolled over at the poll and I could feel his back come up under me. Sweet. We made several circles at a walk then moved on to trot and eventually canter. Transitions to the right were steady and solid. He stayed relatively light and didn't try to poke his nose out too often - but I didn't want to get too excited, because we hadn't gone left yet.
After a pause to air up, I revered him and we started left. Nice round walk, check. Working trot with an inside bend, check. Canter transition... right lead. Darn it!
I dropped him to trot, waited for a corner, made sure my hands were correct and his hip was pushed in, and... right (wrong) again. The third or fourth time he took the left lead and stayed in it until I asked him to trot. A break to air up again, and I asked him for left lead again. No dice.
So.... Either he's sore again, although he seemed perfectly willing to flex his neck in either direction, and his back didn't seem ouchie when I pressed on him post-ride, or I'm doing something wrong (always a possibility), or... who knows. He is taking both leads on the lunge line, and since he's willing to bend for me, I don't think he's as sore as he was before, so that's something at least.
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