Wrong wavelength again
Jazz and I were again on the wrong wavelength. For some reason (cramped for space? prefers to go jumping?) he is not relaxing into a walk if I school inside the barn. Instead he is bundling himself up into a tight little ball. If I ask for a longer walk, or a trot transition, I get a wound-up little walk to canter and a practically-on-the-spot canter down the long side. He bucks if I send him on with a tap of the whip and he half-rears if I stop him jogging off. If I didn't feel so secure on him, it would be frightening. If Zip was doing it I'd be petrified. But there is no feeling that I am insecure, he is just bobbling around underneath me fizzing like a shaken lemonade bottle :-) . I miss his good work because it feels so great and I end up with a grin from ear to ear, so I must find a way next time to get back to a swinging, forward, walk.
Zip was great again. I rode him before Jazz, inside the barn. He walked off when I tried to get on and I am not nimble enough to complete the manuoevre when I am completely unbalanced. I tried again and got on this time although he walked off again. Right now, I don't intend to stop that, but in a few weeks time he will not be allowed to walk off when I am mounting. We did circles on both reins and some trot on both reins. He can only trot the bend to the left and not to the right, but I take whatever he will offer. At one point he stopped at the door as if to say "done now" and I had to ask him to move on again. I thought it was a huge danger point asking him to move off when he thought he'd finished, but it caused no problem at all. He was sticky into a couple of halts, carrying on walking, and that also took a lot of nerve to keep my leg on an increase the rein until he stopped. But again there was simply no problem.
I am gradually working towards getting him to walk on a longer rein and stretch out. And also to get my leg on at the calf instead of at the heel. (Because of his shape, I can't get my heel on his side without my knees sticking out like wings!) He is much more relaxed now when my leg is not jammed on from calf down to the heel, and with less of a contact on the rein, so I think it is going well. I am still desperately nervous every time I ride him. He is being quite incredible not to react to it. I have ridden for 8 days now, and he has been ridden for 11 days, and not put a foot wrong. I am getting better, I was practically paralysed with nerves the first time, and I do hope it fades altogether soon because I am totally fed up with it!
C.
posted by cptrayes @ 6:16 PM
3 comments
3 Comments:
It took me quite a while to get over my nerves with Tucker and he only really bucked me off once. With him, it was the threat of the rocket launch and knowing I would never be able to sit more than one of them. Sometimes singing helps. Can you come up with a Zipperditty that you might try when you get into the saddle? The other thing that helps is breathing.
I got so scared at a show one time I was practically in tears. You are doing far better already. Give yourself the time and don't be any more impatient with yourself than you are with those horses.
When the walk gets all stuck, I sometimes find that suppling exercises work. One I do is small figure eights concentrating on displacing the inside hind to the outside shoulder at each change of direction. Also, lateral exercises again thinking of making the inside hind step forward to the outside shoulder often free up the horse's back. It's hard to be in a ball and truly move laterally in a forward manner.
Spreading your hands a bit down and wide and then riding the horse in between them can sometimes help too as it makes you focus on the concept of stretching with your hands and following as he reaches forward.
I do hate that balled up feeling and it can be so hard to correct. Just mincing along is no fun at all. Tucker will often to that when I pick up the reins after a free walk. A bit of shoulder-in sometimes makes it easier. Again, moving the shoulder out of the way might help the hind step under.
All in all, the training seems to be progressing at quite a normal pace. One day great and the next, they seem to forget everything you taught them. *G* Then suddenly, the light bulb goes on and they are solid in the new exercises.
Once the nerves have been shaken it can take ages to get back to normal...trick is just keep taking those small steps...I still use breathing techniques when I am riding.....
Most important thing is not to beat yourself up over it.
"I'm a pink toothbrush" works for me Jean :-)
Don't beat myself up about it .... mMmmm, hypnotherapy do you reckon Mandeigh :-)))??
C.
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