Use it or lose it.
Use it or lose it, goes the expression. And never a truer statement than for Radar. I haven't schooled for at least a week and ..... today it took a whole hour just to get a decent walk. I tried everything. Slower, he tensed. Faster, he tensed and ran. Shoulder in, he fought. Circles, he refused to bend. Circles bent to the outside, he went frantic and kicked himself. Halt, worked for exactly one stride on moving off again. Serpentines, just got tenser. Eventually I took a very firm hold and basically set my seat so that he could not move me. Then I held his head down and did serpentines, while flicking him with the whip to make it clear that in spite of the contact he had to move forwards. He fought and fought. At every bend he tried to throw his head up. On every straight he rushed forward. I persevered, wondering if I would manage to get lunch today :-)))) Eventually, the lightbulb went on in his tiny brain, and in the space of one minute he had changed to doing perfect changes of bend in a relaxed and swinging outline. I didn't push it, of course, and stopped after maintaining that for a couple of minutes. Silly boy, he made it SO hard for himself!
But Jazz - what a good boy. We had a loose warm-up, during which he did the best trot travers he's ever done by a long way. He used to do it great in walk, but fail to really get his bum over in trot. Today he was well bent. After a free walk I set out to try to get almost-piaffe. Once I had established the up-in-front sat-down-at-the-back trot, I could slow it right down. So I used the bend to establish the lift and then slowed and slowed down the longer-but-not-very-long side. He did a fantastic job. He really has very nearly got it. I'm pretty sure he was stationary for two steps, and he was covering only a tiny amount of ground for several more. I would have thought he will have it properly within a year, maybe less.
I have been finding out more about Campero. He does Spanish Walk. Now that will be fun if we can get him comfortable enough to give it a go, won't it?
C
posted by cptrayes @ 4:01 PM
6 comments
6 Comments:
Wonder what mental block Radar has. He was progressing so nicely there the last time you schooled.
Just a thought here. My PJ used to get muscle sore. Then he simply could not work softly until we worked through it. Perhaps you could try a little muscle massage and some stretching before you ride Radar--especially after the hunting? Note here that no unsoundness would ever show up with PJ and bute did nothing. It was just a muscle thing. Eventually, acupuncture was the ultimate best solution.
Jazz has such talent for dressage. He seems to thrive on the challenges. And while he's working now he seems as well to be quite level headed. I guess he needed some intellectual stimulation.
It will be nice when Campero is safely in your care. You are his last best chance for a comfortable life. I wish him well.
He doesn't have any lack of movement Jean, he just wants to walk at top speed everywhere. Making him slow down makes him cross and tense and being a black horse, obstinate!
C
Oh where have I been?????? Campero, would he be from the Chester area? A friend of mine was looking to buy a Campero about 3/4 years ago, totally fell in love with him but the owner decided not to sell in the end. Could this be the same horse?
If so you are sure one lucky woman Caroline, I'd be very interested in seeing the progress you make with him ;-)
Tracey B
Yes same horse. I was thinking of buying him myself in spite of being grey but as you say, she decided not to sell him after all. So now I get him for free. With one or two little issues to sort out!
C
Congratulations indeed....to both of you as I know you'll sort his feet out :-)
You are now destined to be a dressage diva for sure!!
Tracey B
He won't be staying Tracey. Jazz is at least as good and deserves my time, and I haven't the inclination to manage a horse for long that can't ever have grass. Plus he's grey and going white, a colour I really don't like. He'll have to go to someone with a dry lot or where he can be exercised every day. I have a choice of possible homes already, but I need to prove that he should stay alive first!
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