Depressed?
It's taken me all blessed night to get blogger to accept this post and my comment on yesterdays! I hope you are not all having the same trouble posting comments or you'll give up. So much for this version being more stable :-(((((
Jazz was a bit depressed this morning. Either Tia brought home a virus last weekend or he has realised that he is not the boss and it is disturbing him a bit. I think it is the latter. He didn’t leave his haylage this morning until I called him and asked him if he wasn’t talking to me today. Well, I’m afraid it’s a lesson that he has to learn, that the universe does not revolve around what he wants to do (or doesn’t want to do, more like). He’ll perk up when he realises what fun we are going to have together.
Tia did some really good work today. But unfortunately left an eyebrow on the wall when she changed her mind at the last minute about whether she was swinging left or right (to avoid stopping altogether, which was what I wanted!) She misjudged how much room she had to swing her head, and swiped an eyebrow along the wall. Even after that, she did the best canter transitions that she has done.
And talking of canter, I got the measure of Jazz’s canter today and it’s as fabulous as his trot. I was giving him the wrong aid, I think, or at least not the aid that he was used to. But this morning I managed to bundle him up into a short trot and pop him into a rounded and absolutely superbly balanced canter, with a down transition to match. I also started lengthened strides in trot and he is going to be very, very easy to get to extend when we have room, I think. I know he sounds as if he is doing a lot for four, but he finds it all so easy that I can’t see why he shouldn’t do it. We only do one thing for a minute or two and then change, and we don’t do more than half an hour in a session and most of that is in walk.
He seems happy enough tonight, and both have them have come back in squeaky clean, so I’m pretty happy too :-) Tomorrow we may have a day off as his feet are definitely a bit sore o n concrete after yesterday and I don't want to school again. Or we may go for a little drive and see if he will load again after. It's so nice with babies when you don't know what tomorrow will bring.
C
ps anyone tempted to see the new Bond movie - I thought it was FAB when I saw it today.
posted by cptrayes @ 10:05 PM
3 comments
3 Comments:
I had no trouble posting myself. Wonder what was going on at your end?
Poor Tia. I guess she won't make that mistake again. As long as it was her fault and not yours she will figure it out.
So Jazz's canter is amazing, huh? What was the correct aid?
I don't think you are overdoing anything with him. At four he is physically developed enough to be ridden regularly and a half hour or so of real work is just right. If you do longer trail rides and mostly walk, that helps build up his physique as well with little strain.
As far as the exercises go, now is the time to introduce as much as you can. He is very impressionable and the more he learns now on a basic level the easier it all will be down the line.
There is another school of thought too about working youngsters while they are still growing that suggests the exercise will actually help them develop stronger bones, tendons, and muscles.
I am riding Chance nearly every day only for about 15 minutes. Tucker was backed and started at 3 as was Toby. At 16, Toby is sound and fine.
Keep the pelham in the tack room. It may come in handy with "Mr. I know better Jazzman." He certainly has no ego problems. *G*
i haven't moved to the new beta yet but haven't had any difficulty commenting on yours/jean's/anyone elses. they did have some down time t'other day, might that have been it?
hope tia's head recovers.... although it's amazing how hard their heads are, we'd have been seeing stars doing that!
My guess is it is only me that has the problem Jean, I have to use a Google logon now, which I don't think comment posters have to do.
The correct canter aid was much quieter than I had been. Don't push, lift, very little leg, more "thought". He's likethat about most things.
I am with you on riding youngsters. I read some evidence that youngsters galloped early have stronger cannon bones than horses which are not stressed like that when they are young. I think there is a general realisation now that a mammal body responds positively to controlled stress.
I would like to see tb's stopped from racing until they are three, but all my horses have been started at 3 just like yours. Also I don't turn them away for the winter after backing them, like lots of people do.
Claire I had to wait another two hours tonight before it would take it!
C.
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