Have a Kit-Kat......
No really, I think I need a break.
I think I need a break from unpredictable horses.
My horses are not naughty and they don't scare me, they're just unpredictable youngsters.
Today, my patience was wearing thin, I hate myself for it, but there it is.
The ground was frozen this morning so I took Remy for a hack. I expected him to be forward and confident, I suppose that was my first mistake - beware of expectations.
He stopped at our neighbours scary garden and my first thought wasn't 'ok, no problem', it was, 'christ almighty, not again, how many times do we have to go past here before he's ok with it!'
I resigned myself to being in the saddle for a very long time.
I thought about it there and then as I waited for him to decide if it was ok to go, or not.
It wasn't that it was a bad day or that I wasn't in the mood, I wasn't getting annoyed. I was just resigned to the fact that I had to be patient and the more we did this, the better it would be, it's young horse territory, I know that. I just didn't want to be doing it.
I want him to know that he has my support, I don't want to 'make' him go, I want him to trust me and go because he believes he'll be safe if he does what I ask. So, it takes a long time, and today it did take a long time.
He's not naughty, he just stops and looks. I realise this is not such a bad thing, but it can get quite wearing. He has all his mums endearing qualities, but he also has this quiet passive resistance, so much like Anky, I recognised it immediately.
If I ask too firmly with my legs, he goes backwards. I use reinback quite a lot in our schooling and I seem to have created a going backwards monster. Twice today, faced with things he wasn't sure of, I backed him past them with no problems. What does that mean then, that he can't see the scary things and that he trusts me to handle it? I don't know!
Most of the time today though, with positive reinforcement (lots of 'good boys' and treats) he went forwards past scary things, it took time, but we got there.
We went around the circular ride. I let him stop to chill and eat some grass here and there and as we turned towards home he became very forward and energetic. He remained forward coming home, and I managed to get good balance and softness in the hand. So much better than the slow, step by step, 'like pulling teeth' forward we got on our way out.
We were out about an hour and a half and for all intents and purposes, it was a successful ride, he was calm and pretty relaxed as we arrived home and we'd achieved our goal.
I didn't enjoy it one bit!
A short session on the yard with Bonbon that I did enjoy, moving quarters and shoulders and a short flexion session.
It's snowing here now - I knew we hadn't got away with it - roll on spring!
My Life, My Horses and My Attempts to Train the Classical Way
Monday, 30 January 2012
Sunday, 29 January 2012
Friday, 27 January 2012
Starting ridden work
I took Remy down the track today and he gave me a lovely peaceful ride. He was forward going and soft in the hand. He looked at the scary garden but didn't hesitate and remained energetic but calm.
It must have been a chainsaw day, as, first our neighbour was chopping down a tree just off the track and then as we continued, we could hear chopping and sawing coming from the nearby wood. Remy wanted to have a look and stopped to peer through the trees, but, again didn't bother about it. We went down the the little fishing lake. We can't get through there so have to retrace our steps home. This is the track where the last couple of times we've trotted and then cantered and I could feel Remy anticipating this so I asked him to walk and he settled really quickly.
As we approached home I stopped on the field and schooled him for a few minutes. We've not done this before and at first he was distracted and wanting to look in all directions, but he soon relaxed and we worked on small circles getting him as soft and relaxed as he's been in the school. I'm chuffed to bits with him!
I then had a short groundwork session on the yard with Bonbon asking for good even bend and softness on the circle followed by moving her shoulders and quarters. I then asked her for a few steps of giravolta, the first time we've tried it and she moved both shoulders and quarters nicely.
I then had a short sit-on, asking for the release then keeping it very simple with walk and halt transitions. I'm enjoying these early ridden sessions, she's giving me such a lovely soft feeling through the rein. Long may it continue!
It must have been a chainsaw day, as, first our neighbour was chopping down a tree just off the track and then as we continued, we could hear chopping and sawing coming from the nearby wood. Remy wanted to have a look and stopped to peer through the trees, but, again didn't bother about it. We went down the the little fishing lake. We can't get through there so have to retrace our steps home. This is the track where the last couple of times we've trotted and then cantered and I could feel Remy anticipating this so I asked him to walk and he settled really quickly.
As we approached home I stopped on the field and schooled him for a few minutes. We've not done this before and at first he was distracted and wanting to look in all directions, but he soon relaxed and we worked on small circles getting him as soft and relaxed as he's been in the school. I'm chuffed to bits with him!
I then had a short groundwork session on the yard with Bonbon asking for good even bend and softness on the circle followed by moving her shoulders and quarters. I then asked her for a few steps of giravolta, the first time we've tried it and she moved both shoulders and quarters nicely.
I then had a short sit-on, asking for the release then keeping it very simple with walk and halt transitions. I'm enjoying these early ridden sessions, she's giving me such a lovely soft feeling through the rein. Long may it continue!
Thursday, 26 January 2012
How hypocritical !!
A great session with Remy today. Continuing on from previous post, letting him extend his neck more,he settled really well and felt light, soft and well balanced. We had some lovely trot transitions on the right rein, he finds it easier to keep his balance on this rein. He's not as consistent on the left rein, more difficult to keep soft and then tensing into the trot transition. It comes back to making sure that he's relaxed and accepting on the outside rein which makes it easy to soften the inside with a light lift of the rein. Making sure, also that he's really using the inside hind and keeping his inside shoulder up. When it's correct I can feel him lift underneath me and the trot transition is much softer and in better balance.
We managed to sell 5 of our young chooks today, 4 hens and a rooster, gone to a good home and not in the pot. A relief to Jim as we have far too many. He bred them for the freezer, but I've grown so fond of them I can't bear for him to kill them.
It's Jims birthday today, so we had a big juicy steak for tea with caramalised onions and a red wine sauce. It was delicious - how's that for hypocrisy!
We managed to sell 5 of our young chooks today, 4 hens and a rooster, gone to a good home and not in the pot. A relief to Jim as we have far too many. He bred them for the freezer, but I've grown so fond of them I can't bear for him to kill them.
It's Jims birthday today, so we had a big juicy steak for tea with caramalised onions and a red wine sauce. It was delicious - how's that for hypocrisy!
Tuesday, 24 January 2012
Step by step
I continued with Bonbon today, a short lunge session and then a short sit-on. She was a little more settled to the ridden work and felt more forward. Just a short session, starting by asking for a release and relaxation at halt, asking her to take the weight backwards, followed by a couple of circles on each rein with halt transitions. She feels very different to Remy, much softer in my hand with very little resistance through the neck. We're just starting out and I'm really looking forward to it.
I came away from my session with Remy yesterday feeling pretty good. He's learning all the time and despite my doubts about my training, he is progressing,
We've not done any vids for quite a while so Jim videoed the session. After watching it, I realise that what I'm feeling and what I see on the vid don't always tally. It's that thing about trusting the feel that you're getting which hopefully will get better as we progress, but I'm just not there yet! He gives me the feeling of being more round and relaxed than he actually is and in my attempts to not let him get too low, I've been keeping him too high. I don't know if it makes sense, but when I ride him he doesn't feel hollow, he feels pretty good in the hand and in good balance, and on the vid I can see there are times when he's not holding and he is genuinely relaxed, but there are too many times when he isn't.
My first thought was that he needs more rein! He needs to extend his neck more, and I need to allow him to do it. This will also stop me opening my elbows too much, keep the relaxation through my arms and stop me having the tendency to perch forwards. Why couldn't I feel that?
I tried it today, my sole purpose in the session was to let him find a place where he could really relax. Could it be that simple, just a little bit more rein? Well, I don't know, but that's what I did today and it felt like something clicked into place. There were times when everything felt so fluid and easy. We tried some trot transitions, and the trot was softer and better balanced, and he was blowing contentedly. It's taken a while to sink into my feeble brain, but I think we may have taken one step closer.
I came away from my session with Remy yesterday feeling pretty good. He's learning all the time and despite my doubts about my training, he is progressing,
We've not done any vids for quite a while so Jim videoed the session. After watching it, I realise that what I'm feeling and what I see on the vid don't always tally. It's that thing about trusting the feel that you're getting which hopefully will get better as we progress, but I'm just not there yet! He gives me the feeling of being more round and relaxed than he actually is and in my attempts to not let him get too low, I've been keeping him too high. I don't know if it makes sense, but when I ride him he doesn't feel hollow, he feels pretty good in the hand and in good balance, and on the vid I can see there are times when he's not holding and he is genuinely relaxed, but there are too many times when he isn't.
My first thought was that he needs more rein! He needs to extend his neck more, and I need to allow him to do it. This will also stop me opening my elbows too much, keep the relaxation through my arms and stop me having the tendency to perch forwards. Why couldn't I feel that?
I tried it today, my sole purpose in the session was to let him find a place where he could really relax. Could it be that simple, just a little bit more rein? Well, I don't know, but that's what I did today and it felt like something clicked into place. There were times when everything felt so fluid and easy. We tried some trot transitions, and the trot was softer and better balanced, and he was blowing contentedly. It's taken a while to sink into my feeble brain, but I think we may have taken one step closer.
Bonbon - Starting our ridden sessions
The rain had stopped this morning and I took Bonbon up to the school. Some groundwork and then a short sit-on. It's the first time I've ridden her without being on the lunge line and Bonbon was a little confused by it, but she remained calm and attentive. We did some flexions at halt and then a couple of circles and halt transitions.She's really starting to relax and release from the ground and now I've got to transfer that to the ridden work. Enough for one day.
After, I had a short session with Remy, Jim did a vid but it's still in the ether between here and youtube!
After, I had a short session with Remy, Jim did a vid but it's still in the ether between here and youtube!
Sunday, 22 January 2012
Playing in the barn with Rem
Remy and I had a play in the barn today. We started off with a good grooming, a short session in-hand getting him nice and relaxed and then asking him to move his shoulders into the bend, crossing his front legs. I then practiced some travers, standing at his head, asking him to move his quarters to the side and then me walking backwards, bringing him with me. I've never done it from the ground and I thought that he would straighten, but he kept his quarters to the side and gave me a few nice steps.
We finished with a little copy cat jambette, me doing it first and him copying me. I didn't know if he would do it as we've never done it this way before, but he made a good attempt. I was very careful to only reward the ones I'd asked for and not the voluntary ones!
Yes, the weather's still gloomy!
We finished with a little copy cat jambette, me doing it first and him copying me. I didn't know if he would do it as we've never done it this way before, but he made a good attempt. I was very careful to only reward the ones I'd asked for and not the voluntary ones!
Yes, the weather's still gloomy!
Saturday, 21 January 2012
Joe and the lampshade
It's raining again today.
It's official, I'm obsessed with the weather. It wouldn't matter at all if it didn't interfere with my riding schedule!
My session with Bonbon in the barn was delayed when we had to go look for our old cat Joe who's had an operation on his ear and is wearing one of those horrible lampshade collars. He's had the thing on now for over a week and he's not supposed to go out. We've taken pity on him though and let him out for a while, keeping an eye on him, but today he fooled us and legged it and was nowhere to be seen. He turned up safe and sound after about 20 minutes which was a relief. He's going back to the vets on Monday, so hopefully he'll have the stitches out and the lampshade will be gone!
Bonbon was grumpy and tense when I brought her into the barn, so I groomed her for a while, and then massaged her neck and pulled her ears until she started to relax.
When I put the bridle on, she started looking for treats which stirred her up again. I'm going to have to watch that with her as I can see it being counterproductive and very distracting for both of us.
She did really well though, and I'm pretty pleased at how much easier and relaxed she's becoming with the bit. She's releasing from a light lift of the rein and when I ask for the flexion she's keeping the mobility on the outside rein as well as the inside which makes an easy transition and the flexion much more fluid.
I rasped Remys feet yesterday, so I finished by doing Bonbons feet. They're looking pretty good.
It's official, I'm obsessed with the weather. It wouldn't matter at all if it didn't interfere with my riding schedule!
My session with Bonbon in the barn was delayed when we had to go look for our old cat Joe who's had an operation on his ear and is wearing one of those horrible lampshade collars. He's had the thing on now for over a week and he's not supposed to go out. We've taken pity on him though and let him out for a while, keeping an eye on him, but today he fooled us and legged it and was nowhere to be seen. He turned up safe and sound after about 20 minutes which was a relief. He's going back to the vets on Monday, so hopefully he'll have the stitches out and the lampshade will be gone!
Bonbon was grumpy and tense when I brought her into the barn, so I groomed her for a while, and then massaged her neck and pulled her ears until she started to relax.
When I put the bridle on, she started looking for treats which stirred her up again. I'm going to have to watch that with her as I can see it being counterproductive and very distracting for both of us.
She did really well though, and I'm pretty pleased at how much easier and relaxed she's becoming with the bit. She's releasing from a light lift of the rein and when I ask for the flexion she's keeping the mobility on the outside rein as well as the inside which makes an easy transition and the flexion much more fluid.
I rasped Remys feet yesterday, so I finished by doing Bonbons feet. They're looking pretty good.
Friday, 20 January 2012
Renvers/Travers
After riding Remy today, I really got thinking about this. We practiced the lateral movements as usual. On the circle, shoulder-in/counter shoulder-in, a little travers and a little renvers. I find the travers and renvers difficult on the circle, as much to do with spatial awareness as anything else. I tend to lose my place on the circle. I've started working around my mounting block as it helps keep me where I should be, and not drift off!
I find working the movements around the school on straight lines less confusing, awareness-wise. The fence gives me a good guide of where we are and also some support in the travers and renvers.
Thinking about the two movements, the travers is quite simple,it's quarters in from the track, but then you could say that renvers is the same identical movement just quarters out to the track. If you take the fence away though, I think this is where it gets tricky.
If you're going down the center line say,and keeping the shoulders on the centre line, moving the quarters to either side, you are doing travers left and right, and not renvers at all.
So, if I wanted to do renvers down the center line, I would keep the quarters on the centre line and move the shoulders.
It's how you initiate the movement that make them different. Renvers always starts by moving the shoulders, travers by moving the quarters. Once moving, I think they are the same, but for gymnasticising value, they are very different, and once you start to combine the lateral movements, how you initiate them is very important, interchanging moving the shoulders and quarters.
With Remy today, I asked for renvers from shoulder-in by changing the flexion, I know it's early days for us and we're only getting a few steps at a time, but that's how I see it and it seems to make sense.
I find working the movements around the school on straight lines less confusing, awareness-wise. The fence gives me a good guide of where we are and also some support in the travers and renvers.
Thinking about the two movements, the travers is quite simple,it's quarters in from the track, but then you could say that renvers is the same identical movement just quarters out to the track. If you take the fence away though, I think this is where it gets tricky.
If you're going down the center line say,and keeping the shoulders on the centre line, moving the quarters to either side, you are doing travers left and right, and not renvers at all.
So, if I wanted to do renvers down the center line, I would keep the quarters on the centre line and move the shoulders.
It's how you initiate the movement that make them different. Renvers always starts by moving the shoulders, travers by moving the quarters. Once moving, I think they are the same, but for gymnasticising value, they are very different, and once you start to combine the lateral movements, how you initiate them is very important, interchanging moving the shoulders and quarters.
With Remy today, I asked for renvers from shoulder-in by changing the flexion, I know it's early days for us and we're only getting a few steps at a time, but that's how I see it and it seems to make sense.
Thursday, 19 January 2012
In the barn with Bonbon
It's raining today so I had a grooming and flexion session in the barn with Bonbon. She really enjoys being groomed, especially her head, and she loves her ears being pulled. She was a little tense through her neck so I did a little massage and she really stretched down and started chewing and swallowing.:-)
The dogs had been milling about all the time I was grooming her, and she wasn't at all bothered, but when I started on her head and face and she really relaxed, she started snazzing at them. Not sure if it's a possessive thing, but I know Corky does it with the other horses when Jim's in the stable with her. It's like she's very possessive of him.
Because she was relaxed, the bridle session was very good too, in fact the best we've had, and she released and relaxed her jaw the moment I asked. She gave me some nice flexions both sides. It was lovely, but, again, if the dogs came near, she started pinning her ears back and pushing her nose at them. She's done the same with Jim when I've been riding and he's been leading me in the school, she's been a little snazzy with him. I can't believe she's possessive of me, more likely the treats! :-o
Anyway a good session and I enjoyed it!
The dogs had been milling about all the time I was grooming her, and she wasn't at all bothered, but when I started on her head and face and she really relaxed, she started snazzing at them. Not sure if it's a possessive thing, but I know Corky does it with the other horses when Jim's in the stable with her. It's like she's very possessive of him.
Because she was relaxed, the bridle session was very good too, in fact the best we've had, and she released and relaxed her jaw the moment I asked. She gave me some nice flexions both sides. It was lovely, but, again, if the dogs came near, she started pinning her ears back and pushing her nose at them. She's done the same with Jim when I've been riding and he's been leading me in the school, she's been a little snazzy with him. I can't believe she's possessive of me, more likely the treats! :-o
Anyway a good session and I enjoyed it!
Wednesday, 18 January 2012
Trainer envy
A session in the school with Bonbon, continuing lunge work and a little sit-on. Today, she was again, a little squeally and jumpy, but I was pleased that she settled and then did some calm, attentive work. I look forward to my little sit-ons, I like working with her, but I'm really getting desperate for a regular trainer to help me. With Remy, I need affirmation perhaps that my work is going in the right direction, and as we progress, I feel that it's even more important to get the support of 'eyes on the ground'. Bonbon's a completely different kettle of fish to Remy, with an unpredictable temperament and for that alone, I'm beginning to feel that a trainer is even more of a priority.
It gets me down always working alone, but what gets me down more is that I don't know what to do about it. I really envy folk who find a trainer who's on the same wavelength that they can really relate to.
It gets me down always working alone, but what gets me down more is that I don't know what to do about it. I really envy folk who find a trainer who's on the same wavelength that they can really relate to.
Tuesday, 17 January 2012
Hacking, snorting and backing
It's been one of those days when everything seems more difficult than usual, I had a definite lack of enthusiasm, and I just wanted it to be an easy day. With this in mind, I decided to take Remy out for a hack, thinking that a nice relaxed ride was just what I needed. What did I say about him being jumpy yesterday, well, it hadn't even entered my mind. Am I stupid?
Anyway he seemed pretty calm as we set off, but as we neared our neighbours house he stopped to look at a car that isn't usually there and then stood snorting and trying to peer around the hedge to see if the dog that was there one time and startled him, was there today. As it happens, it wasn't.
I let him stand and gave him time to look and relax a little, but then when I asked, he wouldn't go past, and every time I put my leg on he just went backwards ( he's very good at reinback you know!). I was getting a little bit frustrated and impatient, and thought perhaps it just wasn't my day and I should turn back, but I really didn't want to give him that message, so thought , if he wants to back up then he can and I turned him around and backed him past the car and the empty garden with the dog that wasn't there. When I turned him around again, he just seemed to say 'ok then' and went on without a problem and was pretty relaxed for the rest of the ride. We went off down the track, round the bottom of the little fishing lake and then had a nice trot and canter back up the track towards home.
I feel bad for getting so frustrated and impatient with him, and I was a little firmer than I'd like. Was I unfair to him, I don't think so, but perhaps I was, I guess that I just wasn't in the right frame of mind to ride in the first place. I didn't hit him or pull him about, just made up my mind that we were going in the direction that I wanted to go. He was happy to go backwards, so I let him go backwards in my direction. The ride turned out ok though, we both came back more relaxed than when we set off, so perhaps that's justification enough?
Anyway he seemed pretty calm as we set off, but as we neared our neighbours house he stopped to look at a car that isn't usually there and then stood snorting and trying to peer around the hedge to see if the dog that was there one time and startled him, was there today. As it happens, it wasn't.
I let him stand and gave him time to look and relax a little, but then when I asked, he wouldn't go past, and every time I put my leg on he just went backwards ( he's very good at reinback you know!). I was getting a little bit frustrated and impatient, and thought perhaps it just wasn't my day and I should turn back, but I really didn't want to give him that message, so thought , if he wants to back up then he can and I turned him around and backed him past the car and the empty garden with the dog that wasn't there. When I turned him around again, he just seemed to say 'ok then' and went on without a problem and was pretty relaxed for the rest of the ride. We went off down the track, round the bottom of the little fishing lake and then had a nice trot and canter back up the track towards home.
I feel bad for getting so frustrated and impatient with him, and I was a little firmer than I'd like. Was I unfair to him, I don't think so, but perhaps I was, I guess that I just wasn't in the right frame of mind to ride in the first place. I didn't hit him or pull him about, just made up my mind that we were going in the direction that I wanted to go. He was happy to go backwards, so I let him go backwards in my direction. The ride turned out ok though, we both came back more relaxed than when we set off, so perhaps that's justification enough?
Monday, 16 January 2012
Remy and Bonbon - Spooky and Calm
A good start with Remy today when I rode him up the lane to the school. We'd just turned out of the gate when a tractor and trailer appeared at the top of the lane about 20 yds behind us. I put my hand up, asking him to slow down and then asked Remy to trot on. It's only about 100 yds before the turn off to the school and he gave me the most wonderful, light, powerful trot. He hovered a little past the house with the scary geese, but kept going and really gave me a good feeling.
Once in the school, we started on a long rein, moving him around the school until he relaxed and then continued our work on circles, concentrating on the softness and relaxation. He was fine until he spied our neighbour in the distance, coming out of the wood. Normally it wouldn't bother him in the slightest, but today he really was more than a little worried by it, so much so that he wouldn't settle and insisted on looking over until he disappeared into his garden. After that, it was difficult to keep his attention and he became increasingly jumpy and distracted. First the white cow down in the field next to ours, he's seen it every day for the last few months, but today it had some kind of horse-scaring vibe goin on. Then he spied Jypp (our wayward collie) jumping the fence into our top field and slithering accross the grass, herding imaginary sheep! So out of character for Rem, and I just wonder if, perhaps, we've been giving him too much alfalfa in his feed, I know it can affect some horses. It may have just been one of those days, we'll have to see.
I tried to keep his mind off things with lots of changes of bend and direction, but he wouldn't settle and when I accidently dropped my whip, I got off the retrieve it and walked him around for a while until he seemed to relax a little.
When I got back on, he was much better and settled into some nice work. Lightening the shoulders with reinback into walk and then some work on circles and then on squares, using the bottom 1/3 of the school. Shoulder-in, counter s/i on both reins, a little travers and then a few steps of renvers. We finished on a longer rein, allowing him to really extend his neck and he gave me some really relaxed circles on both reins.
A session with Bonbon next, starting with groundwork to relax, moving shoulders and quarters, small circles, and then extending the walk until she offered me trot. It's getting better, she's staying much calmer and listening, coming back to the walk and halt when I ask, and in a calm way.
I then had a short sit-on, asking for release and then halt/walk/halt transitions, a couple of reinbacks and some circles on each rein, asking for bend and softness. A friend stopped by as we were starting, and stayed to watch. After I came out of the school we chatted for a while and I was so pleased that Bonbon stayed relaxed and stood so quietly and calmly next to me.
A lovely, sunshiny, horsey day! :-)
Once in the school, we started on a long rein, moving him around the school until he relaxed and then continued our work on circles, concentrating on the softness and relaxation. He was fine until he spied our neighbour in the distance, coming out of the wood. Normally it wouldn't bother him in the slightest, but today he really was more than a little worried by it, so much so that he wouldn't settle and insisted on looking over until he disappeared into his garden. After that, it was difficult to keep his attention and he became increasingly jumpy and distracted. First the white cow down in the field next to ours, he's seen it every day for the last few months, but today it had some kind of horse-scaring vibe goin on. Then he spied Jypp (our wayward collie) jumping the fence into our top field and slithering accross the grass, herding imaginary sheep! So out of character for Rem, and I just wonder if, perhaps, we've been giving him too much alfalfa in his feed, I know it can affect some horses. It may have just been one of those days, we'll have to see.
I tried to keep his mind off things with lots of changes of bend and direction, but he wouldn't settle and when I accidently dropped my whip, I got off the retrieve it and walked him around for a while until he seemed to relax a little.
When I got back on, he was much better and settled into some nice work. Lightening the shoulders with reinback into walk and then some work on circles and then on squares, using the bottom 1/3 of the school. Shoulder-in, counter s/i on both reins, a little travers and then a few steps of renvers. We finished on a longer rein, allowing him to really extend his neck and he gave me some really relaxed circles on both reins.
A session with Bonbon next, starting with groundwork to relax, moving shoulders and quarters, small circles, and then extending the walk until she offered me trot. It's getting better, she's staying much calmer and listening, coming back to the walk and halt when I ask, and in a calm way.
I then had a short sit-on, asking for release and then halt/walk/halt transitions, a couple of reinbacks and some circles on each rein, asking for bend and softness. A friend stopped by as we were starting, and stayed to watch. After I came out of the school we chatted for a while and I was so pleased that Bonbon stayed relaxed and stood so quietly and calmly next to me.
A lovely, sunshiny, horsey day! :-)
Saturday, 14 January 2012
Starting Renvers
The chasse were out today so I rode Remy on the yard. We worked on circles at walk. He feels like he's gaining confidence now and is really starting to release through his neck and he's much more consistently soft in his mouth. We did some shoulder-in, counter shoulder-in, starting to combine lateral movements. and then started on renvers. This has been difficult for us as hes found it difficult to move in the direction of the bend. We've prepared for it in two ways on the circle. First by starting in counter shoulder-in and then moving the quarters around into renvers, and today we started in shoulder-in on the circle and then I asked him to change to flexion outside, keeping his shoulders in and continuing around the circle. He got it today, for the first time it was there, just a few steps, but he was relaxed and soft enough to enable him to offer it. We finished on a longer rein, circles on each rein, well balanced, with good even bend. I'm excited! What a good boy!
I took Bonbon on the yard, circles at walk, asking her to relax and stretch with inside bend. Despite the change of routine, she was fairly relaxed and did well with moving her shoulders and quarters, stepping under nicely and keeping her shoulders up. We then had a short session in-hand, asking for a release and mobility of the jaw, flexions either side and walk/halt transitions on the circle. I wanted to sit on, but it was enough for today.
I finished by giving them their weekly hoof maintenance, so they all went out without their rugs, freshly rasped feet, and last seen happily snoozing in the glorious warm sunshine!
I took Bonbon on the yard, circles at walk, asking her to relax and stretch with inside bend. Despite the change of routine, she was fairly relaxed and did well with moving her shoulders and quarters, stepping under nicely and keeping her shoulders up. We then had a short session in-hand, asking for a release and mobility of the jaw, flexions either side and walk/halt transitions on the circle. I wanted to sit on, but it was enough for today.
I finished by giving them their weekly hoof maintenance, so they all went out without their rugs, freshly rasped feet, and last seen happily snoozing in the glorious warm sunshine!
Thursday, 12 January 2012
Hacking out, extending our rides.
A hack out today with Susan and Laura.
Remy was very calm, looking at things, but taking it all in his stride. We went further than Remy's been before and he was a little tired coming home. Nice and relaxed though, stretching out on a long rein.
Corky was a good girl, first for Laura who rode going out with Susan walking and leading and then they changed places and Susan rode Corky home.
Remy was very calm, looking at things, but taking it all in his stride. We went further than Remy's been before and he was a little tired coming home. Nice and relaxed though, stretching out on a long rein.
Corky was a good girl, first for Laura who rode going out with Susan walking and leading and then they changed places and Susan rode Corky home.
Wednesday, 11 January 2012
You are my sunshine.......
Two great sessions today.
First with Remy, starting on a long rein, moving him around just using body and weight aids until he started to really stretch and relax. Then taking up the rein but staying at halt with flexions to mobilise the jaw, allowing him to extend the neck and then asking for the walk transition. I made it as clear as I could today and as soon as he lost the mobility I asked for halt and we started again, asking for the release with a lift of the rein to the corner of the mouth. I'm not doing this enough and I'm allowing him to continue, even though he's tensing slightly, especially on the outside when on the left rein.
What we got today was the best he's been and we worked on circles first, lots of changes of bend and direction, some shoulder-in into counter shoulder-in, asking for halt and rebalancing at the first sign of any tension through the rein. We then worked on the long sides, introducing the reinback/walk-on work, keeping the shoulders up and the softness into the walk transition. It felt light and well balanced, working with slight inside flexion. If he lost the softness on the outside rein, I asked him to change flexion to the outside which remobilised the jaw and freshened the contact on that side. It was a great session and I'm pretty chuffed with him!
I then took Bonbon into the school, continuing the close-lunge work. Asking for good, even bend, relaxation and a nice, easy stride. She was more attentive today and we worked for a few minutes moving her shoulders and quarters before returning to the circle. She offered me trot on the right rein and it was fairly soft and calm, a real improvement. She returned to walk on command and stretched out into a relaxed walk. Same on the left rein, very relaxed in the walk, she offered the trot, not as calm, and not as well balanced, but, again, a real improvement on our previous session.
I couldn't resist getting on and we had a few minutes just moving her around with lots of changes of direction. She responded well when I asked for the release and felt soft and relaxed in my hand and responsive to my leg, giving me nice even bend. It's a while since I sat on and she felt bigger, with more in-front. Perhaps she's finally getting a wither - it's about time! :-)
My little rays of sunshine, I couldn't be happier with them both.
First with Remy, starting on a long rein, moving him around just using body and weight aids until he started to really stretch and relax. Then taking up the rein but staying at halt with flexions to mobilise the jaw, allowing him to extend the neck and then asking for the walk transition. I made it as clear as I could today and as soon as he lost the mobility I asked for halt and we started again, asking for the release with a lift of the rein to the corner of the mouth. I'm not doing this enough and I'm allowing him to continue, even though he's tensing slightly, especially on the outside when on the left rein.
What we got today was the best he's been and we worked on circles first, lots of changes of bend and direction, some shoulder-in into counter shoulder-in, asking for halt and rebalancing at the first sign of any tension through the rein. We then worked on the long sides, introducing the reinback/walk-on work, keeping the shoulders up and the softness into the walk transition. It felt light and well balanced, working with slight inside flexion. If he lost the softness on the outside rein, I asked him to change flexion to the outside which remobilised the jaw and freshened the contact on that side. It was a great session and I'm pretty chuffed with him!
I then took Bonbon into the school, continuing the close-lunge work. Asking for good, even bend, relaxation and a nice, easy stride. She was more attentive today and we worked for a few minutes moving her shoulders and quarters before returning to the circle. She offered me trot on the right rein and it was fairly soft and calm, a real improvement. She returned to walk on command and stretched out into a relaxed walk. Same on the left rein, very relaxed in the walk, she offered the trot, not as calm, and not as well balanced, but, again, a real improvement on our previous session.
I couldn't resist getting on and we had a few minutes just moving her around with lots of changes of direction. She responded well when I asked for the release and felt soft and relaxed in my hand and responsive to my leg, giving me nice even bend. It's a while since I sat on and she felt bigger, with more in-front. Perhaps she's finally getting a wither - it's about time! :-)
My little rays of sunshine, I couldn't be happier with them both.
Sunday, 8 January 2012
Keeping the weight off the shoulders
A session in the school today with Remy, working in walk, concentrating on keeping the softness and mobility in the jaw and relaxation through the neck. I've been concentrating too much on the mobility of the inside rein and not enough on obtaining and then keeping the acceptance and mobility on the outside, so also wanted to work on this. He's really starting to lift into the reinback, so I decided to try this to take the weight back and then try to keep the balance into the walk on.
After warming up on a long rein, I took up the rein and concentrated on asking for the release at halt, into reinback and then walk on, trying to keep him light and round, accept and stay soft on the outside rein, not overbending the neck but with slight inside flexion.I wanted him to keep his back end underneath him, and most of all, not lose the balance to the shoulders. I worked in a very slow walk, really asking him to maintain his own balance and use his back end. This seemed to help keep him soft, and after a few repetitions of halt/reinback/walk-on, I worked him like this on the long side, let him stretch out a little on the short side before bringing him back slowly again up the long side. I then allowed him to extend his neck a little more, giving him more rein and he settled into a lovely soft contact, stretching down and out without falling onto his shoulders. I'm going to use this again as I think he really understood what I wanted of him and was soft and relaxed and very mobile by the time we finished the session.
I took Bonbon in the school to continue our lunge training. Working at walk to get her attention with relaxed inside bend, moving the walk along to get a good length of stride, keeping her attention if she wanted to look outside and eventually she offered the trot quite calmly. I kept the trot for a few revolutions until she started to relax and then asked for a walk transition. We repeated this several times and then changed the rein and did the same. I'm pleased with her, I think she's realised that it's ok to trot and as long as she's relaxed and I've got her attention, she stays focussed and doesn't worry about it. It was a good place to finish the session so resisted the temptation to ride her, but I really did want to!
After warming up on a long rein, I took up the rein and concentrated on asking for the release at halt, into reinback and then walk on, trying to keep him light and round, accept and stay soft on the outside rein, not overbending the neck but with slight inside flexion.I wanted him to keep his back end underneath him, and most of all, not lose the balance to the shoulders. I worked in a very slow walk, really asking him to maintain his own balance and use his back end. This seemed to help keep him soft, and after a few repetitions of halt/reinback/walk-on, I worked him like this on the long side, let him stretch out a little on the short side before bringing him back slowly again up the long side. I then allowed him to extend his neck a little more, giving him more rein and he settled into a lovely soft contact, stretching down and out without falling onto his shoulders. I'm going to use this again as I think he really understood what I wanted of him and was soft and relaxed and very mobile by the time we finished the session.
I took Bonbon in the school to continue our lunge training. Working at walk to get her attention with relaxed inside bend, moving the walk along to get a good length of stride, keeping her attention if she wanted to look outside and eventually she offered the trot quite calmly. I kept the trot for a few revolutions until she started to relax and then asked for a walk transition. We repeated this several times and then changed the rein and did the same. I'm pleased with her, I think she's realised that it's ok to trot and as long as she's relaxed and I've got her attention, she stays focussed and doesn't worry about it. It was a good place to finish the session so resisted the temptation to ride her, but I really did want to!
Friday, 6 January 2012
Hacking and Cantering........
Yipeee, the sun is back!
Susan and Laura came over and we went for a hack down the tracks and then Laura had a lesson on Corky in the school.
Remy was pretty cool about the whole thing and was out in front. On the way back we decided to have a trot up a lovely grassy track. I was so pleased that he gave me such a lovely powerful trot and then offered me a lovely ground covering canter, our first out on a hack! Made my day! Corky got into the spirit of things too and decided she didn't want to be left behind so cantered to catch us up. It's a long time since she's done that. I think she quite enjoyed it. A bit of a surprise for Susan, but she handled it brilliantly!
Corky's not used to going in the school, in fact the only other time she's been in there she was with Remy. She settled really nicely though and was a good girl for Laura.I really enjoyed seeing Laura ride her and I hope Laura enjoyed it too.
Laura took some pics for us.
Susan and Laura came over and we went for a hack down the tracks and then Laura had a lesson on Corky in the school.
Remy was pretty cool about the whole thing and was out in front. On the way back we decided to have a trot up a lovely grassy track. I was so pleased that he gave me such a lovely powerful trot and then offered me a lovely ground covering canter, our first out on a hack! Made my day! Corky got into the spirit of things too and decided she didn't want to be left behind so cantered to catch us up. It's a long time since she's done that. I think she quite enjoyed it. A bit of a surprise for Susan, but she handled it brilliantly!
Corky's not used to going in the school, in fact the only other time she's been in there she was with Remy. She settled really nicely though and was a good girl for Laura.I really enjoyed seeing Laura ride her and I hope Laura enjoyed it too.
Laura took some pics for us.
Thursday, 5 January 2012
English pronunciation!
Our pronunciation is outlandishly self-contradicting.
If you can pronounce correctly every word in this poem, you will be speaking English better than 90% of the native English speakers in the world.
After trying the verses, a Frenchman said he’d prefer six months of hard labour to reading six lines aloud.
And I think that learning french is difficult!
"English Pronunciation" by G. Nolst Trenité
Dearest creature in creation, Study English pronunciation.
I will teach you in my verse
Sounds like corpse, corps, horse, and worse.
I will keep you, Suzy, busy,
Make your head with heat grow dizzy.
Tear in eye, your dress will tear.
So shall I! Oh hear my prayer.
Just compare heart, beard, and heard,
Dies and diet, lord and word,
Sword and sward, retain and Britain.
(Mind the latter, how it’s written.)
Now I surely will not plague you
With such words as plaque and ague.
But be careful how you speak:
Say break and steak, but bleak and streak;
Cloven, oven, how and low,
Script, receipt, show, poem, and toe.
Hear me say, devoid of trickery,
Daughter, laughter, and Terpsichore,
Typhoid, measles, topsails, aisles,
Exiles, similes, and reviles;
Scholar, vicar, and cigar,
Solar, mica, war and far;
One, anemone, Balmoral,
Kitchen, lichen, laundry, laurel;
Gertrude, German, wind and mind,
Scene, Melpomene, mankind.
Billet does not rhyme with ballet,
Bouquet, wallet, mallet, chalet.
Blood and flood are not like food,
Nor is mould like should and would.
Viscous, viscount, load and broad,
Toward, to forward, to reward.
And your pronunciation’s OK
When you correctly say croquet,
Rounded, wounded, grieve and sieve,
Friend and fiend, alive and live.
Ivy, privy, famous; clamour
And enamour rhyme with hammer.
River, rival, tomb, bomb, comb,
Doll and roll and some and home.
Stranger does not rhyme with anger,
Neither does devour with clangour.
Souls but foul, haunt but aunt,
Font, front, wont, want, grand, and grant,
Shoes, goes, does. Now first say finger,
And then singer, ginger, linger,
Real, zeal, mauve, gauze, gouge and gauge,
Marriage, foliage, mirage, and age.
Query does not rhyme with very,
Nor does fury sound like bury.
Dost, lost, post and doth, cloth, loth.
Job, nob, bosom, transom, oath.
Though the differences seem little,
We say actual but victual.
Refer does not rhyme with deafer.
Fe0ffer does, and zephyr, heifer.
Mint, pint, senate and sedate;
Dull, bull, and George ate late.
Scenic, Arabic, Pacific,
Science, conscience, scientific.
Liberty, library, heave and heaven,
Rachel, ache, moustache, eleven.
We say hallowed, but allowed,
People, leopard, towed, but vowed.
Mark the differences, moreover,
Between mover, cover, clover;
Leeches, breeches, wise, precise,
Chalice, but police and lice;
Camel, constable, unstable,
Principle, disciple, label.
Petal, panel, and canal,
Wait, surprise, plait, promise, pal.
Worm and storm, chaise, chaos, chair,
Senator, spectator, mayor.
Tour, but our and succour, four.
Gas, alas, and Arkansas.
Sea, idea, Korea, area,
Psalm, Maria, but malaria.
Youth, south, southern, cleanse and clean.
Doctrine, turpentine, marine.
Compare alien with Italian,
Dandelion and battalion.
Sally with ally, yea, ye,
Eye, I, ay, aye, whey, and key.
Say aver, but ever, fever,
Neither, leisure, skein, deceiver.
Heron, granary, canary.
Crevice and device and aerie.
Face, but preface, not efface.
Phlegm, phlegmatic, ass, glass, bass.
Large, but target, gin, give, verging,
Ought, out, joust and scour, scourging.
Ear, but earn and wear and tear
Do not rhyme with here but ere.
Seven is right, but so is even,
Hyphen, roughen, nephew Stephen,
Monkey, donkey, Turk and jerk,
Ask, grasp, wasp, and cork and work.
Pronunciation (think of Psyche!)
Is a paling stout and spikey?
Won’t it make you lose your wits,
Writing groats and saying grits?
It’s a dark abyss or tunnel:
Strewn with stones, stowed, solace, gunwale,
Islington and Isle of Wight,
Housewife, verdict and indict.
Finally, which rhymes with enough,
Though, through, plough, or dough, or cough?
Hiccough has the sound of cup.
My advice is to give up!!!
If you can pronounce correctly every word in this poem, you will be speaking English better than 90% of the native English speakers in the world.
After trying the verses, a Frenchman said he’d prefer six months of hard labour to reading six lines aloud.
And I think that learning french is difficult!
"English Pronunciation" by G. Nolst Trenité
Dearest creature in creation, Study English pronunciation.
I will teach you in my verse
Sounds like corpse, corps, horse, and worse.
I will keep you, Suzy, busy,
Make your head with heat grow dizzy.
Tear in eye, your dress will tear.
So shall I! Oh hear my prayer.
Just compare heart, beard, and heard,
Dies and diet, lord and word,
Sword and sward, retain and Britain.
(Mind the latter, how it’s written.)
Now I surely will not plague you
With such words as plaque and ague.
But be careful how you speak:
Say break and steak, but bleak and streak;
Cloven, oven, how and low,
Script, receipt, show, poem, and toe.
Hear me say, devoid of trickery,
Daughter, laughter, and Terpsichore,
Typhoid, measles, topsails, aisles,
Exiles, similes, and reviles;
Scholar, vicar, and cigar,
Solar, mica, war and far;
One, anemone, Balmoral,
Kitchen, lichen, laundry, laurel;
Gertrude, German, wind and mind,
Scene, Melpomene, mankind.
Billet does not rhyme with ballet,
Bouquet, wallet, mallet, chalet.
Blood and flood are not like food,
Nor is mould like should and would.
Viscous, viscount, load and broad,
Toward, to forward, to reward.
And your pronunciation’s OK
When you correctly say croquet,
Rounded, wounded, grieve and sieve,
Friend and fiend, alive and live.
Ivy, privy, famous; clamour
And enamour rhyme with hammer.
River, rival, tomb, bomb, comb,
Doll and roll and some and home.
Stranger does not rhyme with anger,
Neither does devour with clangour.
Souls but foul, haunt but aunt,
Font, front, wont, want, grand, and grant,
Shoes, goes, does. Now first say finger,
And then singer, ginger, linger,
Real, zeal, mauve, gauze, gouge and gauge,
Marriage, foliage, mirage, and age.
Query does not rhyme with very,
Nor does fury sound like bury.
Dost, lost, post and doth, cloth, loth.
Job, nob, bosom, transom, oath.
Though the differences seem little,
We say actual but victual.
Refer does not rhyme with deafer.
Fe0ffer does, and zephyr, heifer.
Mint, pint, senate and sedate;
Dull, bull, and George ate late.
Scenic, Arabic, Pacific,
Science, conscience, scientific.
Liberty, library, heave and heaven,
Rachel, ache, moustache, eleven.
We say hallowed, but allowed,
People, leopard, towed, but vowed.
Mark the differences, moreover,
Between mover, cover, clover;
Leeches, breeches, wise, precise,
Chalice, but police and lice;
Camel, constable, unstable,
Principle, disciple, label.
Petal, panel, and canal,
Wait, surprise, plait, promise, pal.
Worm and storm, chaise, chaos, chair,
Senator, spectator, mayor.
Tour, but our and succour, four.
Gas, alas, and Arkansas.
Sea, idea, Korea, area,
Psalm, Maria, but malaria.
Youth, south, southern, cleanse and clean.
Doctrine, turpentine, marine.
Compare alien with Italian,
Dandelion and battalion.
Sally with ally, yea, ye,
Eye, I, ay, aye, whey, and key.
Say aver, but ever, fever,
Neither, leisure, skein, deceiver.
Heron, granary, canary.
Crevice and device and aerie.
Face, but preface, not efface.
Phlegm, phlegmatic, ass, glass, bass.
Large, but target, gin, give, verging,
Ought, out, joust and scour, scourging.
Ear, but earn and wear and tear
Do not rhyme with here but ere.
Seven is right, but so is even,
Hyphen, roughen, nephew Stephen,
Monkey, donkey, Turk and jerk,
Ask, grasp, wasp, and cork and work.
Pronunciation (think of Psyche!)
Is a paling stout and spikey?
Won’t it make you lose your wits,
Writing groats and saying grits?
It’s a dark abyss or tunnel:
Strewn with stones, stowed, solace, gunwale,
Islington and Isle of Wight,
Housewife, verdict and indict.
Finally, which rhymes with enough,
Though, through, plough, or dough, or cough?
Hiccough has the sound of cup.
My advice is to give up!!!
Wednesday, 4 January 2012
More hacking please
I rode Remy today as the rain has gone and the sun has returned :-)
I took him in the school and unfortunately, it wasn't a good session. He just couldn't relax. He was rushing in the trot and running into canter. I was taking too much inside rein (which I have a tendency to do) and too little on the outside! Not his fault, totally mine. I wasn't relaxed either! Not one of my better days, I expected too much. I should know better.:-(
"Ask often, expect little, reward generously" Col. Podhajsky"
So I took him down the track for a short hack. We had several trots, he had a splash and a drink in the puddles and a quiet few minutes eating grass. He relaxed. I relaxed.
We really need to do more of this!!
I then took Bonbon into the school.
After our previous sessions, and my earlier ride on Remy, I was keeping my expectations low, but I was asking her for basics, things that she knows, and all I wanted was that she listen and keep her attention on me. We started off in the usual way, walking around the school, me in a close lungeing position, keeping her on the track, inside bend, asking for relaxation. I wasn't even thinking of a trot transition, but she offered it (without any squealing etc.) and so I accepted and let her trot a few revolutions of the circle before asking for walk, letting her relax into the walk and then asking for a halt transition. We changed the rein and the same thing, she offered the trot, a few revolutions staying calm on the circle before asking for the walk and then halt transition. It doesn't sound like much, but I think it's great progress. We left it there, finishing on a good note, hopeful of a repeat performance tomorrow!
I took him in the school and unfortunately, it wasn't a good session. He just couldn't relax. He was rushing in the trot and running into canter. I was taking too much inside rein (which I have a tendency to do) and too little on the outside! Not his fault, totally mine. I wasn't relaxed either! Not one of my better days, I expected too much. I should know better.:-(
"Ask often, expect little, reward generously" Col. Podhajsky"
So I took him down the track for a short hack. We had several trots, he had a splash and a drink in the puddles and a quiet few minutes eating grass. He relaxed. I relaxed.
We really need to do more of this!!
I then took Bonbon into the school.
After our previous sessions, and my earlier ride on Remy, I was keeping my expectations low, but I was asking her for basics, things that she knows, and all I wanted was that she listen and keep her attention on me. We started off in the usual way, walking around the school, me in a close lungeing position, keeping her on the track, inside bend, asking for relaxation. I wasn't even thinking of a trot transition, but she offered it (without any squealing etc.) and so I accepted and let her trot a few revolutions of the circle before asking for walk, letting her relax into the walk and then asking for a halt transition. We changed the rein and the same thing, she offered the trot, a few revolutions staying calm on the circle before asking for the walk and then halt transition. It doesn't sound like much, but I think it's great progress. We left it there, finishing on a good note, hopeful of a repeat performance tomorrow!
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