Three's company
I rode Caddy on the surface and he did some really nice shoulder in, travers and leg yield. Then he didn’t want to give me right trot. In fact he threw his first real paddy :- ) He insisted that he could only shuffle, and tried to tip me back into that "pit" they make for you at the back of the saddle :-) I kept him going, with a lot of bend, a few flicks of the whip, a lot of thigh pressure to keep him from squeezing back behind me. I had to hold on tight to the front end to stop him flinging his head about too. Finally he got the message that it was easier to do a half way decent trot that to carry on throwing himself about. That's his first real strop, and he realised quite quickly that it wasn't worth it, so a lesson well learned I think.
Then I rode Tia out there too and got some really nice walk, and some fantastic shoulder in and travers. I tried for walk/canter and got two decent ones on each rein. The first on each rein took 5 attempts, but she is definitely throwing herself about less and working out what's needed much better and much quicker. I even managed to get a few strides of canter without letting her wrinkle the neck in front of the saddle - proper canter, in other words!
I had left myself 15 minutes to do Tetley, which was deliberate because all I wanted to do was see how unsound he was after yesterday. His black hock was hotter than the white one by quite a margin. He came straight out and did some superb walk. So I asked him for a working trot and he immediately ground his teeth and the first two strides were anticipating pain, you could feel it. Then suddenly, he put himself in a glorious, rounded and positively bouncing trot which was just fantastic to be sitting on. Up in front, light in the hand, swinging from the back. WOW! Then I had to stop - I was out of time!!!! I really wished I could have carried on, who knows what he could have done today? Oh well, another day then.
I'm off for three days now to the Lakes, and in court Friday, so back Saturday probably unless Friday's session finishes early. Sarah the housesitter wants to ride this time, so it will be interesting to see what she thinks of whoever she rides.
C.
posted by cptrayes @ 6:26 PM
4 comments
4 Comments:
Lovely, lovely. Glad to here the whole gang is doing well. Tetley seems to be a really noble fellow if he is willing to work despite the discomfort.
Last night, after work, I did some week whacking with my new DR trimmer. Then I mowed more weeds with the riding mower, then I dragged the riding ring with the tractor and finally decided to lunge Tucker. Once again, he leapt about and managed to break away from me...bad knees could not run to hold on to him...and he frolicked off galloping madly about with the line trailing behind. In the process, of course, he managed to pull a shoe. (One problem you don't have with barefoot horses. *G*) Naturally, I probably have a lesson on Saturday, so I hope my farrier can come before that.
He has been goofy the last two times a long lined him too. Now, I think he's going to make a habit of it. If I could run myself, I could stop him, but my knees are so bad I have to just let go when he pulls away. One of my friends is having the same problem. Looks like we need to do some remedial long line training since the boys seem to think running all over the place dragging lines behind them is such fun. (To say nothing of dangerous.) --and another reason to have a fence around the arena. *G*
Why is is showing "0" comments when I made a comment? *sigh*
don't know jean but i can read your comments, maybe refresh? someone else had problems reading this blog and it turned out that was the cure.
i dropped by to see if caroline had got back early to say how she enjoyed her trip to the lakes ....
ooh bad boy Tucker! He's taking the mickey is he, Jean?? Yes, it's true, perhaps the greatest joy of barefoot is no more lost shoes. And of course they ALWAYS do it when it matters most :-)
Hi Claire, here I am! enjoy is perhaps not the right word - read today's offering :-)
C
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