Week three progress report.
Do you know, much as SH likes the name, I simply can't get "Radar" to flow off my tongue when I am talking about him. I think he's just gonna have to be a Henry or a Toby. his character is developing as he gets to realise that this is home. He is very slightly nervy but very easy to persuade to listen to me instead of his own fears. Definitely not the sharpest tool in the box - still after three weeks not going into his stable to get his food, but waiting by the tackroom where it came out of instead :-) He also seems to be a listener not a fighter, and a stopper not a runner-away. All really, really pleasing.
Because he listens when he is ridden, he is learning fast in spite of being less than the brightest bulb on the tree. He can trot a circle, (in the barn too!!), to the left and he tried very hard to understand how to do it to the right as well. He is the most one-sided horse I have ever trained, so the right was difficult for him. He is already working out how to flex his neck and carry me, which is super progress, much faster than George to learn the same thing. He can't stop and stay in balance with his back up, but he does stop so we'll give him time to learn how not to have to spread his legs like a camera tripod to stay stable :-))))
On Saturday, weather permitting, we will be doing the farm ride with a friend, and popping a few tiny logs along the way. That will be a real crunch test. Oh ppppllleease don't let him fail at this point, the signs have all been so brilliant so far!! All I will be looking for is an ears-forward desire to take me to the "jump". No technique, he can learn that. He can flop over it as long as he seems to look forward to flopping over it.
I also rode Zip today, again indoors. We stayed in walk and got some much more consistent seeking for the contact on the end of the reins. I shall carry on with this slow work, because I think it is doing him a lot of good to have to use his brain and work out what I want from him and exercise self-discipline.
I didn't have time to do more than cuddle the other two but they both seemed very happy with that :-)
C
posted by cptrayes @ 4:04 PM
7 comments
7 Comments:
Henry or Toby are both just fine. It's pretty clear Radish is going to dictate what his name needs to be. You'll "feel" it when it's right.
Love his attitude, because he is ready to try almost anything with a positive effort. Considering his bloodlines/breeding background, he seems to be a good candidate for the jumping. The farm ride should be a good preliminary test.
Since he was, if I recall, supposed to have been hacked out before you bought him, do you know if he's ever tried a jump? I'm sure you'll find out on his first efforts. Chance just seemed to take in all in stride. (Daddy definitely had jumper blood in him.)
Good for Zip. Kind of ironic, but the horse Stacie is having vetted doesn't seem to know how to stretch into the bit and take that contact. He too is a lovely mover. It all seems to depend on how they have been started once they wear a bit.
Cuddles are always good...especially when the
cuddleees are so...so....cuddly! *G*
Never hacked out Jean, as far as I know, just backed that's all. He has been loose jumped over four feet, but Jazz will do more than that loose, so that means very little :-)) Fingers crossed!
C
how is gorgeous george, anyway?
He's fine. They love him to bits.
C
I do enjoy your horse-life journals. Was Radar named after a "M.A.S.H." character?
You have a Zipper and a Button, can he be a Bow/Beau to go with the haberdashery theme?
"Darwin" would show you believe in his promise of evolution, even if he can't yet find his feed.
Now Darwin sounds quite a smart name, I like that. Enjoy the farm ride Caroline, stay safe.
Tracey B
No, after his Radar ears that are HUGE and rotate in all directions picking up signals. But the MASH guy suits him too!
I like Darwin too. It rolls off the tongue, but today Radar seems to be rolling off my tongue nicely too.
C
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