Trimming, treatment and trotting

The horses had their feet trimmed on saturday and they're doing really well.  Remy also had a bodywork session from Gareths partner Lesley. He was pretty much ok, but a little sensitive on his wither, which was a worry, especially as we have just had the saddle fitter who assures me that his saddle now is a near perfect fit. He reacted very sharply when she stretched his shoulder - an exercise which opens up the wither apparently. She was surprised at his reaction but when she rechecked his wither, the sensitivity had gone, so we're hoping the manipulation has eased an old niggle. Anyway we'll need to keep an eye on things, especially the saddle, I'd like to think as it's been fitted properly it's not going to him any problems.  I've been doing some stretching exercises with him, so now I need to make sure that I keep up with them and really try to loosen those shoulders.
After a warm up today, I worked on trot transitions, from reinback to get his back end in gear and also tried some in shoulder fore, keeping his inside shoulder up, especially on the right rein as he wants to drop it into the transition. It was his right shoulder that he reacted to, so perhaps he has some tightness in there.
It seems like a very slow process getting the trot anything like balanced. I can ask from reinback and we get more umph, we get a few strides in decent balance, but then he/we cant handle it and he tenses. Or I can ask for a soft transition, shoulder fore off a small circle, keeping his inside shoulder up and stepping under with his inside hind, and we get a much softer trot, but no umph. My feeling is that I need to do both, go with what feels right.  It's hard this trying to ride with light hands, never restricting, never pulling back!! As Philippe Karl says 'I'm not the guy with high hands, I'm just the guy who's trying to ride without pulling'.

Moving Shoulders and Quarters

Another damp and misty day. We went up to the school, moving Rem around, trying to keep softness and relaxation with good response to the leg. Changes of rein and direction, moving his shoulders and quarters. Still holding tension through his neck, but improving, I think.

A nip in the air

It was sunny and bright this morning when I got up, but by the time I was ready to ride,  a wintry mist had descended. It didn't stop us from riding up to the school and having a lovely session. Working at walk, lots of changes of rein, small circles, serpentines, reinback and a little shoulder-in. His acceptance and relaxation are definitely improving, the softness is becoming more consistent and as a result he's becoming much more mobile. His outside shoulder on the left rein needs reminding still, but today,  towards the end of the session, he was starting to bend more evenly and lifting and moving that shoulder. Before finishing we tried some trot transitions on the circle asking the inside hind to step under before asking for the transition, which helped to keep him soft and round.
Riding back down the lane home, he was a little worried by something on the other side of the hedge. He was on his toes, so after we'd got past, I asked him for trot and he just proved to me that he can trot in balance with energy!  That's the trot I'm going to aim for in the school.

We picked the trailer up this afternoon, all fixed and ready to go. I've also ordered full width breast and breech bars so that I can try transporting him without the partition.

Trailer trouble

Remy had his first ride in the trailer this morning. We were only going five minutes up the lane to a friends house, where we could unload him onto the grass area they have at the front of the house, let him chill and have a look around and then reload him and come home.
We've done all the preparation, but he was a little hesitant as I led him out onto the yard in his travelling boots. After a couple of attempts he went in and stood quietly while Jim put the back bar on and lifted the ramp.
I don't like travelling horses, never have, but when I was travelling my horse on a regular basis, I had a lorry and I could see my horse from the cab. I've never liked trailers, but here in France a trailer is the most practical option. So, as we set off, I was nervous. Remy's a pretty calm chap and I didn't expect anything spectacular, but even so......
He neighed a couple of times and could hear him pawing, Jim said he was fidgety, but nothing to worry about, or so we thought.
We arrived and I opened the jockey door to find the front part of the partition hanging off, resting on the floor at an angle and the  breast bar hanging from a warped bracket.  My heart was in my mouth, but thankfully, Remy was standing very quietly and calmly on the correct side of the partition exactly where he was supposed to be and was unharmed! I led him off the trailer and after a quick look around he put his head down to eat! No harm done, but I feel terrible. I'm sure that we checked everything, but something's gone wrong with the partition to come away like that. Poor boy, having to deal with all that the first time travelling!!
While I let Remy eat, Jim and Ricky removed the partition completely and then I reloaded him and travelled him back that way. He wasn't worried about going back in there and seemed more at ease with the bigger travelling space. I know a lot of people travel their horses in a trailer without the partition, and perhaps I will too, when (and if) I find the nerve to try again. LOL 

Remy Hacking and Bonbon Squealing

I've had a great morning with the horses.
I took Remy for a hack up the track. I wanted to see how he was, my aim to go through the little wood to the road. I'm a bit of a wuss with traffic, and the road has always been a mental barrier for me. The point where the track meets the road is just off a blind bend, you can see one way, but you have to listen for traffic from the other direction. It's not really a busy road, but cars are usually going quite fast.  He'd been forward and confident up to the road so I decided to cross it. We waited for two cars to pass and then went across. He was perfectly fine, I expected him to be, but as I said,the road..........
We went on along the track and walked round the top end of the small lake before heading back.  He waited patiently while a couple of cars went past and then we crossed back towards home. We've been across two or three times before, but not without Jim so I really was pleased, I feel like we've made another step forward and I've overcome the barrier in my mind.
We then took Bonbon up to the school. I started off with a short lungeing session, she was unsettled and reluctant to trot, squealing and first charging off in canter and then backing off and trying to turn in. We carried on and she started to settle, so I finished on a good note after a short trot on each rein with a few walk/trot transitions where she was listening and happy to do what I was asking. I then got on, asking her to relax and release her jaw with flexion to each side at halt before asking her to walk on. It was a short session, walk and halt transitions on each rein and a couple of attempts at asking her to take her weight back into reinback. She can do this in hand, and after a little confusion she understood, relaxed and as she released her jaw took a couple of nice steps backwards. The first time riding her in this newly fitted saddle and I was pleased, it felt good. She makes me smile.

Posts required

Back in the school with Remy today in his newly fitted saddle. We've taken away the thick Suber Pad and now have a good, thick cotton numnah in it's place. It's weird, but, despite the fact that it always felt like a compromise, that thick Suber pad gave me the feeling that I was protecting his back. Ridiculous, as now we have a well fitting saddle without the need for a thick pad for protection. I have to trust that the saddle fitter knows his job and I do, but........  why the little niggly doubt? The control freak in me, I suppose.
Anyway, back to our session.
I lunged him for a short time on each rein and then got on. My aim was to let him walk, find his balance, get used to the new saddle fit, and to basically see how he felt. He seemed relaxed and happy to walk out, a nice swing and good long strides. He felt easy, on a long rein, stretching down well over his neck.
I then asked for halt, took up the reins to ask him to give his mouth, asking for flexion to each side and then letting him extend his neck. My priority was to keep him soft in my hand, mobile in his jaw and relaxed through his neck. I moved him around the school, changing the rein often through small circles and serpentines, using halts, reinback, moving his shoulders and quarters, all the time trying to keep this softness and relaxation.
I was really pleased with the session, he was more consistently soft and relaxed, he was attentive and he was responsive to my leg.
This afternoon we went up to the top field to check it out with a view to refencing it so that the horses can graze in there. It's one of the fields that we keep for hay making, but, as a really well draining, dry field we want to use it to supplement our winter grazing. We're going to leave the outer fence intact as I don't want to cut down the various trees and bushes growing in and around it, and bring a new fence inside. Just more work for Jim, as you can imagine he's ecstatic!!

Saddles on, saddles off......

Been quiet the last few days, not ridden after deciding that I really had to be sure that my saddles were fitting correctly.
I made the appointment and the saddle fitter came out today and we spent a good few hours with Remy and Bonbon, fitting, flocking and changing gullets.
I'd warned Jim that I may need a new saddle for Remy, but we tried the Bates Isabell on him, and, after a couple of gullet changes to get the best possible result, the saddle fitter was really happy with it.
Bonbon proved easy to fit. Corky's dressage saddle was pretty good on her, it just needed to be a little softer on the front panel, which was sorted with some new wool. We tried my other two saddles on her too, an Albion GP and a Bates, aussi stock saddle. The gp was a good fit, and after changing the gullet on the stock saddle, that was a good fit too. I'll probably never use them unless I decide to do some jumping (not very likely) or she starts throwing herself around, in which case the poleys on the stock saddle will be perfect for holding me in LOL.
I was so proud of my babies, they were so patient and well behaved through the whole process, saddles on, saddles off, me on, off etc. I expected it from Remy -  Bonbon can be a little bit impatient, but she took it all in her stride.
Jim's happy too as he doesn't have to dust his wallet off, he was pretty worried after I told him the price of a new saddle!
I wasn't at my best as we'd attended the village 'do' yesterday which was an afternoon of eating and drinking, and drinking, and........... we had a great time, I haven't laughed so much in ages!

Windy weather

Not ridden in a few days, but back in the School with Remy this morning.
It's been windy for a few days too and today was no different. It's not the best weather to school a youngster (or any horse for that matter), but Remy, apart from wanting to keep his eye on the little wood, was pretty attentive.
I started with a little lunge session, I've been doing this recently just to warm him up and get him bending and relaxing. It's an M de J kind of session, first at walk asking for relaxation and even bend and then at trot trying to keep the same looseness and relaxation. There's not much power there, in fact it's quite a slow, underpowered trot, but it's working for Remy as he's starting to stretch and let go.
When I got on he was soft in his mouth immediately and we did some walk work including shoulder-in to counter shoulder-in on the circle, shoulder-in down the long side, a little travers and some reinback.
We then worked on trot transitions, some were good, some not so good, but all were responsive and we're heading in the right direction.
I've  also been thinking about his saddle. I'm using it with a high wither suber pad, ensuring distribution of weight and that it won't cause him any problem, but I would really like to have a good saddle fitter to come and assess him. That may be easier said than done here in france, but I'll look into it.  Having high withers and a curvy back will, I think, make him tricky to fit and I want to get it right.
I'm quite tempted by the new Heather Moffett flexible tree saddle, I'd just like to be able to try one first.

Thank you

A short continuation this morning of our trailer training. Front ramp up, both walked in, waited, then front ramp lowered and asked to walk off. Perfect. Next step, actually going somewhere. ;-)

I rode Remy in the school this afternoon. Not our usual routine but they were hanging around the gate so I brought them in and took Remy up to the school.
It was a short session, but a really rewarding one. I lunged him first, walk and trot on each rein and then got on. I can feel his ongoing acceptance and relaxation every time I ride him now, and after a short period of walk work I concentrated of some trot transitions. First, I asked him to release into reinback, and he really came together and on the walk forward it was a matter of thinking trot and he offered it. We tried a couple of transitions on each rein and for the first time he felt really 'up' in the trot, and soft in the hand.  It wasn't a wow moment, it was more than that, it was a quiet, content, thank- you moment, and I think we have it now. It won't always be there, but, I think it will be there more and more often.
I love my boy!

Remy and Bonbon Trailer Training

No riding today, we hitched the trailer up on the yard and practiced our loading. I put the travelling boots on as I don't intend to travel them without, and Remys reaction was to plant his feet as if I'd strapped him to the ground. He soon got the hang of them though.
It's been a long time since we did any trailer training and he did his usual, suspicious walk around it,  looking inside but not wanting to go in. Many people say it's a no-no to open up the front ramp, but it works for Rem and as soon as we did this he walked straight in. He doesn't try to rush out via the front ramp, he stands pretty calmly, so not a problem. We walked him in and out a few times, then put up the back ramp, closed the partition and closed the front ramp. All fine and calm. Tomorrow we'll try walking him in with the front ramp up.

Bonbon goose-stepped across the yard in her travelling boots, really funny, I wish we'd had the video cam at hand! I didn't expect a problem with her and we didn't have one, she just walked straight in without a second look. We took the same steps as with Remy without a problem and she took it all in her stride.

Spicy Fruit Loaf

I started with Bonbon in the school today. We continued where we left off yesterday. Starting with a short lunge session, she was much improved, calmer, no squealing and more focussed. We then did a little in-hand, halt/walk transitions and then reinback to walk transitions. I then got on and did a few circles on each rein with a few halt transitions, and then asked for the halt/reinback/walk whilst ridden. Good girl.

I then took Remy up to the school and worked at walk, concentrating on getting the release and relaxation. He was great today, it feels like it's all falling into place. He was responsive, balanced and soft in the hand. We worked a little on travers on the long side, both reins. Shoulder-in to counter shoulder-in on the circle both reins and his reinbacks were fluid and straight.
We then tried some trot transitions, some from the walk and some from the reinback. He's starting to put more effort into the transition, but he can't handle it and tenses and then starts to run. It's something for us to work on,  he's really starting to relax into the walk work now and I think it's only a matter of time before he relaxes into the trot work.

We make our own bread, well we have a breadmaker that makes our bread, and after putting up with a rather unreliable one for 12 months we've bitten the bullet and bought a super-duper new panasonic one. I don't usually advertise products, but this really is a good machine. It makes brilliant bread and today I made a spicy fruit loaf which tastes delicious. I know we didn't make it by hand, but I'm still rather proud of it! We were sad enough to take a pic!

In the school and on the tracks

A beautiful sunny day today.  I took Bonbon in the school for a short lungeing session and a quick sit-on. She was a little distracted and had a couple of squeals when I asked her to trot on the lunge, but settled well and was a good girl when I got on. I asked for some flexions whilst at halt and then some very basic walk/halt transitions. Jim held the lunge line and I asked her to move around him on the circle which confused her at first as he's been leading us. However, she moved off from the halt when asked, but  we got one step, then a halt, another step, another halt, but eventually we got a few strides and a nice halt when I asked, so left it there for today. She feels so different after riding Remy.
After the session with Bonbon, I took Remy out on the tracks. It's been a while and the last time we headed home quick sharp after he was spooked by a couple of shots in the wood.
Well, he was brilliant, needed to be more forward to start, but after a few hundred yards he became more enthusiastic and walked out like he meant business. We went through the little wood, across the road, a little look and a hesitation at the stone cutting place, and looking at different things along the way, but never saying no and always willing to go. We carried on further than we've been before,  down a lovely grassy track, and stopped at the bottom for a short break under an apple tree, much to Remy's delight and he had little snack, totally happy and relaxed.
We came home with a mixture of strolling along on a long rein and up and together, well balanced with a lovely soft contact in the hand. I love those moments when he comes together and shows me just how powerful he can be.  I don't want to be greedy but I really do want more please!!
I don't want to make out that I'm a big brave girl as Jim followed us on our ride, but he was fifty yards or so back and I really think we're getting to the point where I can start to take him out alone.
I need to restart his trailer training  too and riding out with other horses, as we've been invited on several little randonnées which I'd really like to do.

Improvement

In the school the last two days with Remy and his relaxation has improved with each session.  He's giving me the release and then maintaining it for longer periods, soft in the mouth and soft through the neck. I let him extend the neck a little, but ask him to keep his head up for  a short time and then give him a break to really stretch down. He still tests me to see that he can stretch down if he wants to, but this was much less today and he seems to be settling to it.
His reinback today felt very calm and well balanced and because he was more relaxed, he really seemed to come together and he gave me bigger steps. We tried some reinback to trot transitions into a pretty manageable trot, which is a big deal for us and then shoulder-in on each rein! I'm so excited by this, I really think we're starting to get it. I rode him home down the lane and he felt as light as a feather, his whole body underneath me.

I've got him some hoof boots - Boa's,  not my first choice it has to be said, but the only ones that would give a good fit. I tried them today and they seem ok, didn't seem to bother him, in fact he seemed to be picking his feet up much better. I've got them for his hind feet as he's lazy and my sand school is very abrasive. He doesn't need them when we're hacking out so I'll only use them in the school. I was worried about the sand getting inside them, but they come complete with neoprene gaiters which seemed to work a treat. Anyway, we'll see how they go.

Release

I've been thinking about this for the last few days.
When I'm riding Remy I ask him to release all the time. I want him to relax his jaw, give his mouth and also relax totally through this neck, in other words to make himself completely vulnerable. Well, he doesn't do it.  It's a big ask, so obviously, he has to be sure that I'm not going to abuse this most wonderful of gifts.
He relaxes his jaw when I ask from a lift to the corners of this mouth. I never pull back (try very hard never to pull back). As soon as he gives his mouth, I release the contact and allow him to extend his neck, or at least I thought I was doing this, but I realise I'm not doing it sufficiently/enough/correctly, whatever word fits the bill. What we have is a compromise - intermittent relaxation of the jaw, intermittent relaxation of the neck, but not a true, genuine 'giving'.
It's my fault, I'm slow to catch on, but over the last few days, I think I'm finally getting it. Hallelujah, says Remy!
I started in the stable a few days ago on a very wet, not fit for riding day. I took the bridle in and we did a few flexions. I stood at the girth and gently asked him to flex, then immediately gave and allowed him to stretch down. He started rather tentatively - he has this habit of flicking his lips when he's bothered by something - but as he realised that once he'd relaxed his jaw he could stretch down as much as he liked he started to relax and he became lighter and lighter, the muscles in his neck started to relax until they were lovely and soft and I could feel that he had really 'given'.  Giving, without holding through his neck is a big thing for him and I need to assure him that he can do it and he's going to be ok.
The day after, I took him to the school and we did the same thing on the ground and then a few flexions mounted, allowing him to stretch immediately he relaxed his jaw. He really tested me on this, just making sure that he was free to stretch, but gradually we had the same soft, relaxed feeling I'd had on the ground. We left it there as it was a horribly blustery day and I was proud of the way he focussed on me when there were so many things to distract him.
Today, back in the school, same thing, and Remy at first really testing me,  again making sure that he had the freedom to stretch, but gradually relaxing and settling, with a lovely soft feeling in the hand. I gave him lots of breaks to stretch, but inbetween there were moments that I find difficult to put into words, where he was in balance, motivated and the feeling in my hand was like holding air, a tangible energy and a delicate balancing act to try not to lose it. This training lark is so difficult and there are many things I don't know, but I know that for a few brief moments today, we were together!

Starting travers

I didn't ride today as it was miserable and raining, but I took Remy into the school yesterday. It was an ok session, but he was a little tense, had a big spook at something and wasn't as relaxed as he has been.

We're just starting the travers so worked a little on that, with some shoulder-in and then practiced some reinback to trot transitions. I don't think he's doing too badly with the travers and seems to be understanding what I'm asking.
He was a little distracted today, but I realise that he needs to be rounder, much more relaxed through his neck and genuinely give his mouth. Of course that's down to me and I need to ride him better, pay more attention to my position and generally stop riding like a bag of spuds!!
Jim did a little vid.