Today was lovely, and to my delight, I had a very productive day of riding.
To kick things off, I hopped on Bubbles. I'm still using those draw reins, but I die inside a little everytime I use them...because I know I could train him the right way, with patience and without shortcut gadgetry...but time constraints are sadly making shortcuts occasionally necessary. I need a lesson pony come summer! Luckily though, they do seem to be accomplishing what I want...he's learning to telescope out his neck an not tighten up and put his head straight up whenever he feels rein pressure. A dentist will be out tomorrow, I'm hoping he needs work...maybe some of his tension roots from years of protecting an uncomfortable mouth. We also got both leads today and he didn't get quite so jumpy when I'd make noise for transitions. He's a really good pony he's just not quite sure what's expected.
After Bubbles, I got Bubbles out and put him through the routine...he was really good on the cross ties today so I even tried going out of sight a few times and he was great. I groomed him and tacked him up and went to the roundpen. I skipped free lunging since he seems to have that down and went right to lunging on the line and he did great. I played with the mounting block today and he wasn't bothered in the least, and didn't mind me putting my weight in the stirrup. So I laid over him and rubbed him all over and told him what a good smart boy he was. He was so content and mellow and there were few distractions around so I made the decision to get on...it felt like the right time, which I wasn't expecting to happen today, but he told me today was the big day! So I laid on him and quietly swung my leg over and picked up my stirrup, and slooooowly sat up while petting him and talking to him. I usually like a ground person for the first ride but I just felt like he didn't really need one. I asked him to walk and while it took him a few confused minutes to figure out how to balance as move with me on him, he settled in really well. We practiced whoa and walk on, then when he felt more confident and I felt happy with his whoa, I clucked him up to a trot. He figured it out fairly quickly and was a very good boy. He didn't seem to be too upset by my legs on him and really never had any outbursts. I just encouraged him forward and tried to stay quiet and balanced. We worked a little on some steering and transitions and ended. He was such a little champ and seemed to understand that he did a good job. I plan to hop on him tomorrow again to reinforce today's adventure. Maybe we will have a canter...we will see what he has to say about that! I do have a feeling that he will start to test his boundaries as he gets more comfortable with being ridden...I have a feeling he will become fast friends with Mr.Crop in the not too distant future! Hopefully not but that's the vibe I get from him!
Evil is still feeling his youth/spring and is one ornery boy! We got some good long and low work at the trot but his transitions stink...his head instantly goes up, no matter how hard I try to ride transitions off the seat and leg. I he will come around, I think he's just going through a naughty phase/his lack of education is shining through.
Moose was next. I rode her yesterday too. I put her in a simple eggbutt copper snaffle yesterday hoping that the increased stability would encourage her to carry the bit quieter and make my aids feel a little more straightforward...sometimes I suspect that the super wiggly KK loose ring is just too muddled and distracting to her. She did really well in it and did seem more forward and accepting of the bit. I jumped yesterday and she did fairly well. I'm still using placing poles and setting my jumps at a height that really requires her to arc around them, since she likes to jump flat. I also jumped some of the jumps with fillers and set up a fairly wide cross rail oxer...stuff that would make her give the jump plenty of room and respect. I only jump her over each jump until she is just STARTING to feel at ease with it..if I let her get too comfortable with a jump she starts getting sloppy and pulling rails without batting an eye.
Today I put the eggbutt on again with a figure 8 with intentions of doing work on the track. She still is just to whiny about the bit sometimes as I want her to just stop complaining and figure it out...so I was hoping shed accept the figure 8 noseband and start to realize that fussing with the bit isn't the answer...and she obviously hates the drop. She was very good on the track and seemed very happy to be out of a ring for the first time in months. We did a lot of long and low work at the trot and then did some canter work, just focusing on forward and straight and soft in my hand and striving for self carriage. She was a little distracted but did well overall. I let her stretch out for a gallop twice and really was surprised that I had to push her hard to get her into it...I guess even though she's been hot she's still out of shape! I was very happy when I asked her back from the gallop and she came right back to me so easily.
Bear was last, I've had him very low on my priority list lately so he hasn't had many rides, but he was very good. A little speedy at the canter now and then but not bad. We popped over a few small fences. He wasn't bad but still would like to rush in and away, so sometimes I will walk him to the jump or walk it an let him trot a few steps away and make him do a nice canter circle after and he comes back pretty easy.
Tomorrow won't be as warm but at least it's supposed to be sunny!
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