All three!
I rode all three of them this morning. By choice too, I just felt like it.
Jazz and I went down the road for a quiet leg-stretch. All the way out he was telling me how tired his was from his exertions yesterday. Then we turned for home and suddenly he had tons of energy - what a giveaway, the old fraud!! He found himself trotting up a really steep hill instead of heading home and he powered up it easily. We had a lovely ride, he was just like a "normal" four year old. He is behaving so well at the moment that I hardly dare believe it. Judith said her mare took til 6 to grow up, and Jazz is that age this spring. Let's hope this behaviour is here to stay - puh-leeeeeze.
George not only learns very fast but he retains it too. I took him on the outdoor today for the first time. He was quite anxious and jumpy, so I led him around to have a look and told him not to be such a silly boy. I find with "nervy" reactions like that it is usually better not to nanny them - it just confirms they were right to be afraid if you "reassure" them. I find it better to say "oh shut up and get on with it!", which reassures them that you are in control of things and makes them much calmer, then and in the future.
George has remembered flexion and was able to trot a complete circuit of the arena, and do 20 metre circles, with a lovely light contact on the bit, relaxed in his back and his nose slightly in front of verticle, just where we want it. Great progress from the little chap! He is much easier to train than I had expected.
Zippy was setting his back and not working forward, but I got some good trot and canter after only 20 minutes work, so I was very happy with him, too. He's looking very young at the moment, he'd never pass for a horse approaching four, so I don't push things and we only canter one circuit on each leg.
It was great fun doing three such different horses. The weather didn't hurt either :-)
C
posted by cptrayes @ 6:39 PM
5 comments
5 Comments:
hey, good! i really do think jazz sounds as thought he's turned a major corner
are you going to take jazz & George to the same events? or would that be too much for jazz? since he'd have to be left in the wagon whilst George was doing his thing?
Ah, trying to show off, eh? *G*
Three takes the edge off you, but in your case, it will certainly help you get fit for the eventing season.
Three cheers for Jazz as he comes into own. Three more cheers for George as he learns his lessons. He is definitely a bright boy and his quietness helps him think things through. And two and a half cheers for Zip. I'm not too keen about his habit of coming out tight like that. Sounds a bit defensive to me and it makes me think something is bothering him. Since he works out of it, that's good, though.
Too much for Jazz? Too much for me! It's no fun to compete two, it's just work. George is a stand-in, and he stays a stand-in unless Jazz won't or can't play. He can do one on a day ticket in July or August if we feel like it. He's a lovely boy but there really is no decision to make if it's between competing a £10k horse like Jazz and a £5k horse like George (sorry George! :-)
Still think I need to do a bit of running Jean - I was out of puff showjumping yesterday. Zip was under a lot of pressure, the other two were already turned out and he could see them. I think he behaved quite well for a young'un.
C
Keeping fit!
It is nice when the weather allows us to work outside more.
Well done Jazz.
I like the sound of George more and more
I like the feel of him more and more Muriel :-)
C.
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