Growing up.
Tia and I had a nice hack today. Her feet are now so hard that they do not wear on the road at all, and they sound like clacking castanets as she walks! She was hard work to keep her shoulders up on the way out, because she didn't want to leave Jazz and was just shrinking back towards home, but she walked homewards really well. She doesn't jog towards home, which is a blessing because it's a habit I find spectacularly irritating! In fact, she will halt on the way home and stand still without shuffling about too, which is amazing for a sharp little horse like that.
Jazz schooled today. I would like to hack him out again but his feet are too worn to take it right now. The diseased stuff has all gone, but what is at the ground now is too soft to take much wear. I need to wait until his foot has grown down with work, and then it will be really good stuff I think. They are a lovely shape and size for his legs.
He was a bit obstructive today. He is just reaching the stage where he knows what he is doing and is trying for some evasions. The main one today was not to bend left. I did get some really nice work and I'm very happy with how he is doing. The canter is quite spectacular when he gets it right. It is slow, very round and bouncy, and "up" and at the same time it feels both comfortable/safe and like a bomb which is about to go off because of the amount of power in it. Super. When he gets it, or trot, wrong, he is so strong he'll pull your arms right out of their sockets. Today I just dropped the reins when he got like that and refused to pull back. He just stopped, puzzled, wondering where the fight had got to! He flashes his tail when he's cross too, which I don't like but it's hardly a big issue :-)
He's doing some pretty hard to fault shoulder in and travers in walk. The head bobbing and snatching at the bit are now only there when he is clearly unbalanced. And all in all for a four year old who has been broken a little over 3 months, his work is unbelievably good.
We are going on another trip to MacDonald's tomorrow, only this time I will stay in the box with him while Allan fetches the coffee and Egg Muffins. If it goes OK, we are on for prelim 4 on Sunday. Anyone want to take any bets whether I can even keep him inside the white boards :-) ?
C
posted by cptrayes @ 5:19 PM
6 comments
6 Comments:
excellent about tia ...
and if he's doing all that, he should knock em dead at prelim .... if he stays between the boards of course ...
No bets. First dressage shows can go any which way from "So what's the big deal?" to "Oh no, that letter is going to eat me and what's that strange creature sitting up there by A?"
I am suspecting Jazz will be pretty good. After all, it will be a new place, so nothing he sees will be out of place as far as he's concerned.
Now, I know you don't need to be reminded, but Alan will need to drive extra carefully. The front of the lorry turns and he has to wait until the back gets 'round the corner too before picking up any speed. An old friend who shipped horses regularly used to tell me to drive as if I had a raw egg between my foot and the pedals. Kind of sums up how to drive a horse as scared as Jazz.
Maybe if MacDonald's would just serve up some fresh carrots he'd like the trip better. *G*
Caroline please do take care travelling in the back with him, I know we do all do it but a horse that loses the plot (to any degree) in a confined space is not going to have any regard to your safety.
Hobbles may be an option to make sure the feet stay on the ground? I have to say I refused to buy a lorry with the tack lockers in front as i've more than once see horses get their legs up there when upset or angry.
How about some ACP to take the edge off his nerves?
Just take care!!
Does your lorry have solid head boards or once you're stationery could you let the ramp down and he could at least see out without necessarily letting him out until he's calmer?
It does sound like two separate issues, the worry about balancing up hills and round corners (fair enough lots of horses find travelling difficult and some prefer forward or backward facing to herringbone) and the impatience at being let out once he thinks you've arrived at your destination?
Are you planning on giving him a holiday after you've done afew tests? I hadn't realised that he was only so recently broken and wondering whether some of his behaviour (hacking as well as travelling) could be due to information overload and brain ache? it would be such a pity to do too much with him mentally, not even necessarily physically, and get to the point where everything is a battle.
Hope i'm not (as ever) speaking out of turn!
Cassie
I wonder if some rescue remedy or something homeopathic for calming would make any difference....bit of lavender on his head collar...hmmm nice.
Just a thought...I can't wait to see the resluts of teh weekend, he's going to be all over the place! eitehr that or he's going to win by a big margin.....
Thanks Jean, Allan is crawling around at 15 miles perhour at the moment :-)
Cassie thankyou for your concern. I'm being very careful. I never get any bits of me between him and any solid object :-0
Please keep your comments coming, I'm really happy to have them. I don't actually believe in turning away a horse as physically mature and confident as Jazz is, so although I know that there will be many people who think he should, he won't be being laid off. I do understand the suggestion, and if I have problems in future you are very welcome to prompt me again or even say "I told you so!".
I'm not betting on a win Mandeigh!
C.
ps you are right about the "parcel shelf" and I hate it! I never wanted a lorry with a piece out of the horse space like that, but it was a friend's and I had known it for 7 years and it was up for sale just when I needed one. I kick myself now for having bought it!
I have taken out the headboards so that it is not so claustrophopic, they haven't been in since I got it. I'll never have a tack locker in the horse bit ever again!!!
C
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