Outdoor games a long way from Newbury
I wonder if Jean will get the title reference??? A clue if you need one - John Betjeman. Probably a bit too English for you to have come across him??
I managed to ride on the outdoor surface today. It was in surprisingly good condition, perfect in fact. That plastic I added last year has been the making of it, I must say. There was a bitter cold wind and I only rode Radar out there to get a bit of canter work done. He was more than obliging. All he ever really wants to do is canter. And canter. And canter. It was more a question of sitting there not being bored than having to do anything myself :-))) I was very pleased by an absolutely massive improvement in his willingness to carry the back left hand side of the saddle when on the right rein since the last time we cantered 20m circles. And he is certainly fit, and that will be his last workout before, hopefully, we hunt on Saturday.
I really didn't think that I would want to be out there in the cold with Jazz too, but I surprised myself. I felt like working him in a bigger space, so I did. He had become terribly used to the walls and the tight bends in the barn to balance him and set him back on his hocks. He just would not collect up. I sent him on, I balanced him up, I turned circles, I tried serpentines and still he was just flinging himself about - self carriage 0 points! Finally I pretty much had to haul him into some canter to walk and he got the message. Then we were able to work on some flying changes and to my frustration, the bigger space again just made him unbalanced and unable to get them. I went back to canter/walk until it was really responsive, and then the right/left change was there. The left/right, as always, took a little more time, but when it did arrive it was an absolutely super, active, smooth and completely "through" change into a balanced lead on the other leg. Quite the best left/right he has ever done across the diagonal, so his work indoors is improving him, even though going outdoors temporarily blows it all apart again.
So it was a good day for us here, how about you?
C
posted by cptrayes @ 5:28 PM
6 comments
6 Comments:
A bit of a search and I found, "Indoor Games near Newbury," by John Betjeman...a bittersweet story of first love in a wistful, buy joyful memory of a young boy. So, lost love? Perhaps Jazz as the happy fellow as long as he's in the cupboard? (Indoor) Radar in the exuberant discovery of his love of the canter...the eternal canter that goes on and on? *vbwg*
OK, lets get serious here. I think Chance prefers the canter to trot as well. Nice soft, little canter as an escape from really having to work at the trot.
As for Jazz, it sounds as if you need to do a lot of suppling exercises outdoors getting him to really soften and use his body on his own instead of letting the walls hold him up. Once the weather gets tolerable again and you can work outside with some regularity, he'll come around quickly, I'm sure. It seems to cured most of the issues in one session as it is, so just think how much progress you will make given the time and repetition.
Good go with the footing. I guess it solved the freezing problem nicely!
How nice that the outdoor footing was good! And so soon after the snow left. I have to agree with Radar - canter is my favorite gait too. I believe that now it's Tetley's too. The trot was hard work today but we slipped easily into a soft, round canter. It was a fantastic day on my favorite horse, thanks to you!!!!!!!!
a good surface is a massive bonus in this weather... jealous i am!
Such a bonus Claire, I know what a lucky girl I am ...
ML Tetley used to adore canter/walk transitions, does he still?
I was pleased that the indoor work is improving the outdoor work Jean, even if Jazz forgets for a while how to hold himself up!
C
Yes, he does. He is very, very good at walk/canter/walk transitions. People are so impressed but he just does them naturally.
I taught him walk to canter at four because I could not get him to strike off on the correct leg from trot. He was always good at it :-)
C
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