What a difference!
My goodness I'm going to have to stop calling Radar slow. Perhaps he uses his intelligence differently from other horses. I took him onto the arena today just to check whether anything had changed before I took him out for a hack. Changed? I should say so!
I've never known a horse do that with just one try in a pelham. He was back in his normal bit, but he knew, and it was clear that he knew, what he needed to do to avoid me putting a pelham back on. He was thinking things through, weighing up his options, and choosing the "right" (from my perspective!) one. I could feel all the little cogs turning in his brain. We got his best efforts at walk and at trot, without any fuss at all.
We went out for a hack on the fields opposite and he is such a joyful horse. Just like Tetley, I know ML will recognise the feeling. Not many horses give you that feeling of their sheer joy of being alive and being able to work for you. I thought I'd been lucky enough to have had Tetley and now I have Radar.
I'm off to watch George jump and do "Best Local Horse" now.
C
posted by cptrayes @ 10:51 AM
5 comments
5 Comments:
Perhaps it wasn't so much that he was trying to avoid having the pelham again, as that using the pelham allowed you to show him better what you wanted, and now that he understands better and found his way of going improved and more comfortable, he was happy to carry that feeling and understanding into his work with the snaffle? It's nice to have a horse that is joyful! You are indeed lucky!
We love Tetley because he is such an engaged, interested, enthusiastic and social horse. Like Radar, he's ready to go out anytime for an adventure. People choose pets (yes Tetley is a pet!) like them and one of the most noticeable characteristics of Tetley is his energy for and commitment to work.
That's them both to a T-for-Tetley - engaged, interested, enthusiastic and social. :-)
Kate it felt like he was making decisions NOT to scuttle around like normal, not as if he was making decisions to work in a more comfortable way. Whatever, I was happy with the result and I am indeed lucky :-)))
C
Whoa! Where did my comment go???
I think I said, that I was wondering if Radar worked on the "Russell R" training scale. Big battle day 1. Good as gold day 2. Minor "discussion" on day 3, and then nearly perfect in every day by day 4. Guess time will tell. Glad the pelham did the trick.
I love hearing how much your admiration and joy in owning Radar seems to be increasing each post. I am so happy you've found such a great horse for all the fun things you like to do.
And I will be eagerly waiting the George report!
Typical British summer. Rain ended play on the George front - there was a total downpour for half an hour and the show just stopped in its tracks.
Radar is changing daily as he gets fitter and more settled here. He's getting better and better.
C
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