...your horse wasn't born knowing what you want! Try not to forget that you are riding something with a brain, not a machine...be clear, be fair, be considerate of what each horse need from you. Some horses needs a therapist, some need a mother, some need a boss, some need a professor...most need a mix. For example, today I had Alexis ride Bear, who is extremely anxious about jumping I set him up a little grid that really required some thinking hoping to get him thinking rather than just mentally yelling at the top of his lungs and charging the jumps. Since hes so anxious and tense and want to scramble through at top speed, the rider naturally wants to pull back to slow him down...but whats does that do for the tense horse? Makes them more tense. I wanted Bear to relax, realize that the rider would stay out of his far, and let him figure out his feet. So Alexis played therapist/mother today, talking to him, telling him he was the best pony in the world, telling him good try for each effort, and staying relaxed and calm to set a good example. No miracles today, but Bear started to act less anxious and panicky when Alexis loosened up her reins and concentrated on just staying relaxed and centered an talked to him calmly throughout the exercise.
So again I stress, if thing are not happening the way you want, stop and think WHY, and remember that you're horse is probably wondering what the heck you want from them, too.
Today was pretty productive. I rode Buster first. I reviewed lunging with him to see where his head was a and review voice commands and staying forward. He was very goo and let me swing on him with no fuss. He found his balance under me pretty fast and we had a nice walk and trot around ad practiced a few transitions and some steering. I asked of a canter and he took two strides, decided it was horrible and tried to turn and bucked, but I got him straight and got him forward again for several more strides and left it at that. He's a quick learner so I think next week we might be able to venture to the ring, maybe with a lead horse first to help him move forward with more confidence in a bigger space.
Pav came next. I need to try to get him in some sort of shape and see if there is any possibility of reschooling him how to jump more politely for a less educated rider. I took him out to the track for a warm up since the old boy is very stiff and it takes a good long time to get him to loosen up. In the ring I worked on cantering some small fences and tried to keep him in a steady rhythm all the way to the fence without holding onto his mouth...he reacts almost like a race horse to increased rein pressure when approaching a jump...more rein = more speed. So I want him to just keep the same canter the whole way to the fences and keep him stretching over his back. He did pretty well today, only one time did his do the infamous Pav Freight Train move, and it wasn't that bad. If he can jump like this all the time, he'd be a much more useful horse...I could use him in lessons or we could find someone who could lease him. But his brain is on a switch, someways he's great and others he's a spaz over fences. But I'm still hoping that he will finally just decide to act his age and get bored with jumping an stay nice and steady all the time.
I got to hop on Quigley today. He was very good and seems easy peasy to ride. Cluck to trot, kiss to canter. He's very balance through his turns and his canter was pleasantly well balanced and comfy. If he were smaller he'd be a great kids beginner horse, he seems very safe and sane and all around a good guy. I took him out to the track and had a little trot and canter to see how he acted and to help him start to lose some weight. He was very well behaved.
Moose had a dressage day...she's been so very frustrating these past few months. She's better now that she's back at Knights Landing and off all that food, but she is just going through a phase where she has zero interest in focusing on her work...I cannot hold her attention for longer than ten seconds at a time no matter what I try. I imagine she is feeling spring but still...it is really holding us back. And she's really just not settling in to the bit...even when I first put her bridle on he is chomping and crunching and trying to spit it out and she's never content to find a nice way to hold the bit and stay there when I ride. I've had her teeth checked and changed noseband an watch her like a hawk for back soreness again but I his cannot fin anything wrong. I really think I might experiment with a few different bits and see if she simply doesn't like the one she has now.
After a few lessons I pulled Trick out and round penned with him for a few minutes. Sadly he's still off but I got I demo to Alexis on how to work the newer ponies in the roundpen so maybe we can get them all working soon with a joint effort. I'd like to teach a few more of the older girls how to work the ponies!
Tomorrow it's supposed to rain, but I will have a lesson with Michael. Hopefully Moose will be naughty so Michael can see what se does when she's not focusing and can help me through it. She is always pretty dang good at Hilltop and tells Michael she's a perfect little mare all of the time and not naughty at all. HA!
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