Astonishing!
I have taken Jazz up past the farm where the woman was behind the wall, the place where he began giving me serious trouble in September. He went straight past. He slowed down a fair bit, but he kept his shaped and walked straight past. On the way he had also past the first gateway with barely a hesitation, and the rocks with the scaley rockmonster under them. He did lose it a bit with a big piece of black silage wrapper blowing in the breeze, which he has seen before and not cared about. So it was clearly an excuse to go home, but he'd done so well to even get there we will forgive him. He was insisting on sticking his head and neck up rigid, so I turned him to free him up, and he started to walk backwards - towards it! He's never had the greatest sense of direction :-) I let him carry on walking until he was past it, turned and then went on down the road. We had a good ride for increasing his fitness, and such a bonus that he past the gremlin farm so easily.
It was wind free today, a bonus at this time of year, so I took Zippy on the outdoor to practise canter. He was strong and stroppy in the trot and it took 10 minutes to get him to settle. One or two of our canter strike offs were accompanied by sharp kickbacks. Three or four were simply throwing himself full pelt into the rein, which didn't work as I was sat firm and holding tight and all he did was pull himself up! We got a couple of really good ones on each rein, and a couple of nice balanced circles of canter. A good session. He really is remarkable for his ability to do a corner as a corner and not as part of a circle - real 90 degree turn stuff. Jazz can't do it that tight yet, but Zippy has no problem at all.
What a good day. It's quite set me up for the week, that has :-)
C
posted by cptrayes @ 4:52 PM
5 comments
5 Comments:
can't help but giggle at jazz..
Good boy, Jazz! The monsters were definitely on vacation this time! *G* Well, all except for the big black flappy one. *lol*
Zip has all the talent in the world and an ego to go with it. Once again, he reminds me of Tucker, personality-wise. Tuck's not as good a mover, but there is that same arrogance. "Don't TELL me to do it, ASK...and be polite about it."
Sometimes, Claire, Jazz does not seem to be the sharpest tool in the box (but please don't tell him I said so :-)
The pair of them are making a fuss about the gate to the field -desperately suspicious of it, just because SH has put a grid of wire on it to stop anyone getting a leg caught through the bars. They find it so frightening as to stop them coming in or going out through it -what an oversensitive pair of prats :-)
Zipperoo is SOOOO arrogant Jean. "Mind your manners when you're talking to a Prince of the Realm, will you!" I can't imagine what trouble we might have had if we had waited until he was "strong enough" before we backed him. I certainly wouldn't want to sit on him now as a newly broken four year old :-0000
I've been at work today. I could go and get them in, but they are lying down in the field and it seems such a shame to disturb them. I think I might just join them instead - not in the field :-) , but maybe in a nice warm bed :-)
C
Zip's attitude is Tucker's exactly. High sense of self-esteem is putting it mildly.
That's why I don't kick. Even when I go in his stall to feed him or change his sheet/rug he gives me attitude. I would NOT have wanted to start him as a 4 year old either. Sitting on him at 3 and just walking around was a good choice.
Considering what a big mover Zip is in comparison, I can only imagine how he must feel when he threatens to act up.
But, we have to admit, that self-confidence can make for a great competitive horse--bold about taking on new tasks and challenges.
It certainly feels threatening, but so far it's only a feeling .....
C
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