I've just checked my work log, and apart from one or two sessions inside, I've done nothing with the horses for 5 or 6 days. A few different reasons, but the weather's been a major factor, it's been pretty horrible, especially the last 3 or 4 days.
This morning, it was such a relief to wake up to the sound of silence instead of the incessant tapping of rain on the skylight. In addition to it being fine it was also pretty calm as the horrible blustery wind had disappeared in the night.
I took Remy up to the school for a mixed lunge/in-hand session. I've been thinking a lot about his lack of relaxation on the lunge and wanted to change tack (no pun intended) a little. I started by isolating the aids, so first asking him to move his shoulders and then to move his quarters. He knows this, so it's not a problem. Then asking him to move both together in a giravolta. Then an exercise of giravolta into shoulder- in and back to giravolta. Then giravolta, halt into reinback. He was very relaxed and I was really pleased with him. I then asked for giravolta followed by walk onto the circle with an active walk and trying to get softness and stretch over the neck. After a few tries at this I repeated the exercise, but after a couple of strides of walk, I asked for a trot transition. We repeated this a few times and the trot transition became much cleaner and he started to really relax into the trot and stretch and lower his neck. A really good session.
It's been 10 days since I've done anything with Anky. She's starting to put on a bit of weight and has been generally much more relaxed and easy in herself over the last few weeks. I'm sure the Equishure is helping her.
I took her up to the school and did the same exercises with her that I'd done with Remy. She was brilliant on the lunge, the transitions were good and her trot was the most relaxed I've seen from her,more active behind, loose over her back and stretching down over her neck.
I finished off a good morning with a short bridle session with Bonbon.
Now that I've got my winter head on, I find that I'm wanting to practice more (sax) so I'm off to do that now. I may even play the piano too :-)
My Life, My Horses and My Attempts to Train the Classical Way
1 comment:
You had a better start to the day than us then, woke up to rain AGAIN and it did clear a little late morning but still had passing showers :( glad you got to work.
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