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! 

Be positive...

I was that person today. Our in-hand session was positive with lots of energy. Very simple work in the headcollar, moving first the shoulders and then the quarters, putting it together for a good giravolta on each rein, keeping the shoulders up, good crossing over. Jim called it 'taking charge', it felt a little bit like that too! LOL
Remy thanks his Aunty Trudi for providing the stimulus for some semblance of order!!!!

Respite

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 :-)

Happy Day

A good session with Remy. Starting with a short in-hand session, we tried the giravolta- not yet consistent, but getting there, I think. I then got on and for the first time, started to try and move him around on circles. He was a little hesitant at first (probably couldn't move with this heavy sod on his back), but settled into it. He was so calm and I was really pleased with him. Jim came up and took some vid for me.



I finished the session with a little try at mat work. this is all new to me and I'm not quite sure what I'm doing, but it was fun. Jim did a little vid of that- to follow once it's uploaded.

I took Anky up to the school this evening once it was cooler, and she was great, very relaxed. We did a little in-hand work first, working on the giravolta, and then I rode her at walk on small circles and tried the giravolta ridden. I was pleased with her, she was giving me some genuine softness and bend, so much so that we tried a little trot-work, large circles on a long rein, trying to encourage her to stretch down and relax and establish some rhythm. We both finished the session as happy bunnies.

Lungeing

Last couple of days have been busy with one thing or another, but I have lunged both Anky and Remy each day, Friday and Saturday. I'm going to continue to ride Anky but I'm also going to lunge her regularly to try and strengthen up her abdominal muscles, which, in turn will support her gut and, I'm hoping, help to make her more comfortable.
It's been quite a while since I last lunged her and I'm pleasantly surprised. We've had two good sessions. She's been responsive and forward, and as she started to relax in the trot and stretch over her neck she developed a lovely rhythm and calmness that I've never seen before.
I've decided to concentrate on the lungeing for a while with Remy. I move him around the school on the lunge, first at walk, using the whole of the school, alternating with large circles. He's not easy to motivate and I'm trying to find the way to do this. He's not unwilling and I've never known him to be naughty, he's just so laid-back.  I'm finding that staying close and moving with him is working the best, keeping his attention, aiming for quick responses. Today we got some decent transitions to trot and a couple of nice circles with him keeping the trot with good balance. Between rein changes I practice the giravolta and he's really starting to cross over with nice measured steps.  I'm trying to keep my signals clear, not wanting any confusion, it's not easy. Today I asked for halt a couple of times and he offered me giravolta with perfect, regular steps - very much appreciated and received. But...
I must be better and I must be clearer!

My boy's too tall for a wobbly dustbin!!

Took Remy in the school today and started just by asking him to stand and remain standing until I ask for something else. Sounds simple doesn't it! Probably due to my sloppy training he halts and then tries to guess what I'm going to ask him next, he'll either walk on, or, like today, volunteer a rather nice giravolta. He tries to anticipate as soon as I place myself close at his shoulder, so, on Jim's suggestion, I asked him to stand, stood perfectly still myself and then I walked to his side, gave him a gentle pat, quarters, round the back and returned to his head, gently patting him all the time. I repeated this 3 times and it worked every time, he didn't move a muscle. When I returned to his shoulder he remained standing waiting for the signal. I worked at walk around the perimeter of the school, using small circles, changes of rein and walk/halt transitions. Once he was calm and focussed I halted him, stepped up on my improvised mounting block and lent over his back. He was fine so I repeated it on both sides letting him take my weight ( quite considerable, believe me!). He was a very good boy as the only thing I had as a mounting block was an upturned wobbly dustbin.
I had a short session with Bonbon on the yard, leading and halting, she was very calm.
I wanted to ride Anky but she was stretching a litle so I took her out and lunged her at walk and trot. She didn't look particularly tight over her back and after a few minutes started to stretch down ( to eat the grass I might add) so we did a little in-hand work and she gave me a really nice giravolta on both reins. he's seemed ok since.  A good day with the horses.

A new week, a new season.

According to the weather men, today is first day of Spring and at some points today, I could believe them.
There was no wind this morning and the sun was making a valiant effort to show itself. I took Remy out for a short lungeing session and then wanted to start the exercises in-hand that I've been doing in the stable. These are preparatory exercises at halt, including the stretch down and to the sides and flexions both sides. I soon discovered that it is a whole different ball game outside and Remy couldn't understand the need to stand at halt while I fiddled about at his shoulder. He wasn't naughty, just confused and a little impatient, so definitely something to work on.
As the weather was so nice after our horrible weekend, I took Anky up to the school for a lungeing session. She looked fairly relaxed on both reins, and offered a nice relaxed canter, something that she's never done on the lunge. At one point she had a little squeal and a kick of her heels, but nothing too melodramatic. Between changes of rein we did giravolta  and the steps were measured with good crossing over. She's made my day.
The trailer is now back on the yard so when we brought them in we had a trailer loading session. It's been a while since our last session so we brought Corky and Bonbon in first and Jim led Corky through and I followed with Bonbon but let her stand inside nibbling the hay for a few minutes. I then led her through without Corky as a lead and , no problem, she just followed me up the ramp and inside. Again, stood calmly while she nibbled the hay and then led her out the front. Brilliant.
We then brought Anky and Remy out and did the same, Jim led Anky through and I followed with Rem. He followed me in without any hesitation and we stood calmly for a few minutes letting him nibble hay. I led him down the front ramp and he was really calm. Next job was to load him without Anky's lead. After his previous inability to work out how to put his feet on the ramp I wasn't sure what to expect, but I walked round to the back ramp and walked up it expecting him to follow me and that's what he did, no problem at all. We stood in the trailer for a few minutes while he sniffed the front and nibbled hay and then I led him down the front ramp.  Double brilliant!  I was contemplating riding Corky for a full house, but it started raining quite hard so thought better of it.

Tack Talk

Same again today with Remy, work in hand. I started with a short session with the bit asking for relaxation of the jaw and the beginnings of flexions and I was pleased with him. We worked on the giravolta and he moves forward and crosses his hind legs over in quite a controlled way, but he's not very consistent in his head and neck. We have either too much or too little bend. Something to work on.



I was out this afternoon at our local horse group, today was really just a horsey "ladies who lunch" but was quite interesting as everyone brought some unusual items of tack. Saddles, bridles, headcollars. bits, gadgets etc. we had a room-full, which provided us with some stimulating discussion. We even had a few examples of hoof boots which I'm very interested in as I want to keep the youngsters barefoot if possible.

A busy but enjoyable day.

All Three

A short session with Remy today. He seems perfectly happy with the bit now. He's mouthing nicely. I put the numnah and circingle on him today to see how he would react - hi didn't. I took him out to the picadero and we worked on the giravolta on both reins. He was a little distracted, but he did ok, he's definately getting the hang of it. I have to be careful now though as he's anticipating. I moved to his side to tighten the circingle and he started to move away from me. Asked him to stand and tried again and he stood quietly. He's had a swelling on his hock, there is a graze on the side, probably where Bonbon (our 2 yr old) has kicked him. He teases her something rotten and when she was little he got away with it, but she's more or less the same size as him now and quick to let him know she doesn't like it. Anyway it's going down slowly so I don't think it's anything too serious.

We walked Anky and Corky out today as planned, they were a little confused wondering why on earth we would want to do this. They were very well behaved and on the way back we came through the front field. I decided to walk round the perimeter with Anky, but Jim went down to the yard. Anky didn't realise that Corky had left her until we were half way round. When she realised she whinnied and pulled away, half rearing and kicking out, trying to get to her. I had her on the long rope so I let her canter around and sort herself out. She started to trot and then walk and I walked with her and then halted and asked her to come in to me. She was still focussing on Corky, by now in the bottom field almost to the yard but she came in and halted. I turned and led her around the field with a loose line, halting and changing directions and she just calmed, halted when I halted, walking on when I did, her focus returned to me. So I was really pleased that she calmed so quickly and walked down the field happily and calmly.