Both good boys
Jazz picked a day when I needed him to be a good boy and restore my faith in him to do some really nice work. Super laterals, including half pass in walk with real sideways shift. Beautiful trot in a tight space and trying hard to stay in the outline and on the bit for me. He did some great faster/slower walk transitions too. Walk to canter on the right rein was a challenge again, with him trying to strike on the left instead. He stuck his head in the corner a couple of times but I managed to persuade him to turn away without seriously rearing and boxing the walls. And we only had a snaffle on. I picked up a whip, made sure to keep my hands very steady and supportive, leg yielded him into the corner before asking for the transition, and flicked him with the whip to make it clear that I wanted him to go. That did the trick nicely and then we finished, with him looking terribly pleased with himself :-)
He is so big and strong now. I will get SH to take some photos at our event on Sunday. I put his thick rug on last night because it was so cold and wet and I couldn't get the straps done up around his belly without lengthening them by 6 inches since I last used it in May sometime :-0 He is built like a tank! But he still moves like a dancer :-)
Zip was a very, very good boy. I think that I have the measure of him now. He is sharp and very reactive. He is even over-reactive, but his over-reaction is very short lived. Particularly if you are on his back when you simply pull him up and he is fine. I think Smartie would have been very like him if he hadn't been blind. Today there was a digger in the field putting in some trenches and he was rattled by it. But he still worked well for me. His trot was very forward, which was delightful if a little nerve-wracking :-) He is leg yielding, circling (OK some of them are a very funny shape!!) stopping, starting, bending and doing everything that you could possibly want a three year old to do.
I had a good time, can you tell? We are off to do some showjumping tomorrow and I'm really looking forward to it. Jazz was so super last time and I'm hoping for more of the same.
C
posted by cptrayes @ 6:41 PM
5 comments
5 Comments:
wot no rain? good....
Claire has pipped me to the post. Are the trenches not flooded? We've had so much rain here.
Lucky your training area drains well enough to continue using it.
We were incredibly lucky. We were in the eye of the circle of rain as it swept around the country. Just 20 miles up the road it was dreadful, but at home not too bad.
The trenches are flooded, yes, because there are springs in the field where we have put them. That's deliberate. The more water there is in the ground the better the heating system will work.
C
Wow! Here you are putting on rugs while we sweat in nearly 100 F. I did not even think of riding today.
All Jazz's talent is in place. All he needs to do is use it when you ask. I think he is coming around to your way of thinking little by little.
Zip is doing really well for a youngster. Any shape "circle" can be a challenge with a baby. As long as you complete it, you are doing just fine. *G*
I can only dream about what 100F is like right now Jean :-)
You are so right that all Jazz's talent is in place but I need to learn how to access it on any given day. See today's post that I'm about to write - a case in point.
Post a Comment
<< Home