Di and Rem, feeling the cold!!!

The weather here is grim at the moment. Over the last couple of days we've had glimpses of the sun, but it's lost its warmth and it's very COLD!!
Some pics  of our last session in the school continuing with the in-hand work. Notice Di sporting her snazzy winter wardrobe! LOL  We're just at the basics but we're making progress and I'm reliably informed :-) that we're at a good place to build from.

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!!!!

Venturing out from the gloom

We've been doing this over the last few days. The snow has gone, but we've had days of rain. Now we're getting drier, colder weather, with brief but very welcome sunny spells.
I had a short in-hand session with both Remy and Bonbon today, working with a cavesson on a small circle asking for relaxation, slight inside bend and lowering of the head and neck. They were both focussed and well behaved. After the in-hand with Remy, we had a mat session which he seemed to enjoy.

Brrrrrrrr...........

We've got our first snow of the year. It's been snowing overnight and still is.
Yesterday was very frosty but dry so I had a (very) short in-hand session with Remy. I was concentrating on having a good feel on both reins trying to keep him soft and relaxed. I think we're starting to get a better connection in-hand, he's started to take responsibility for his own energy and becoming more responsive. We are getting a better feel but lots to work on keeping the balance between the outside and inside rein. We're tending to get too much inside neck bend.
I then hacked Anky out and despite a little wobble going into the wood she was great. We did the same exercises as last time, halt/walk, halt/reinback/walk transitions and she started to soften in the mouth and flex the poll, then she stretched and took the rein down with a lovely forward walk. Her feet seem to be strengthening up really well, there was no sign of sensitivity on the gravel tracks.
 I had a short session with Remy at halt today working on getting a soft contact on both reins, letting him lengthen his neck a little and then asking for a very light flexion, keeping his neck much straighter. He was flexed (not too much) at the throatlash but not too much inside neck bend. It felt like a nice relaxed connection, just need to take that into movement!

It's a confidence thing.........

The last few in-hand sessions with Remy we've been concentrating on halt/walk transitions  - starting and stopping, having a quicker reaction into the walk transition, more energy in the work and a cleaner, lighter halt. This is improving and he's becoming more self motivated and we're starting to get a more forward, consistent walk. He's a very patient horse and he's coping with everything really well considering that I'm a beginner at this in-hand stuff and we're both learning together. 
He's starting to listen and wait until I ask for something, his focus and attention are really improving and I'm beginning to be able to break things down into small pieces of information that we can both grasp and build on.
All this is an ongoing thing and it's still very early days, but I feel that now, I need, and, I think, am able to work on the flexion, keeping the flexion and softness from the halt into the movement, working step by step until we have more consistent softness, bend and fluidity with no resistance. I think that then, we can start to progress with the lateral work.
 Thanks to Trudi  and her ongoing help and support, I now have more confidence to continue, and I think that we can make good progress.
I rode Anky in the school today, we've not been in there for a while and I was pleasantly surprised at how relaxed, forward and receptive she was. We worked at walk, working on circles, halt/walk, halt/reinback/walk transitions  and a little leg yield and shoulder-in. It was a really enjoyable session.

Had a fun, musical afternoon at Rickys.

Feelin' good

 
A nice lunch out yesterday at our horse group meeting. We had a new venue which was very cosy and welcoming.The weather was glorious, so I hurried home to do some work with Remy only to find that it was damp and overcast at our place.  The horses were hanging around the gate though so I brought them in and set off with Remy up to the school. I usually work the horses in the morning so Remy was a little nonplussed at having to work when he expected to come in for his tea. He was very distracted, looking and stopping then setting off at trot at every noise so all I could do was to try and get him to relax and lower his head. After a while he started to calm a little and we managed a few minutes in-hand work. He was still a little tense, but he was listening and containing his worries. I asked him for a few halt and walk transitions and finished on a good note.

Today, another in-hand session and he was really calm and attentive. Nice clean halt transitions.  Halt/reinback/walk on transitions were more fluid, we did a few shoulder-in steps off the corner interspersed with a few circles. I love it when you get that 'right' feeling, it makes my day.

Took Anky out for another hack, started off sticky when she refused to go into the wood. She 'offered' me backwards and sideways, but not forward, so I asked for more backwards and sideways until, when asked. she offered forward. It was all very calm and took about five minutes and eventually she decided she could go into the wood. After this she was ok, still looking, but forward and we repeated the exercises from the other day of halt/walk on, halt/reinback/walk on and she progressively became softer in the hand. She gradually became calmer and stretched into a soft contact and we did a little leg yield and shoulder-in on the way home.

More of those good feelings - how wonderful!!

A plan

I'm feeling guilty today for not doing anything with the horses! With one thing or another, life intervened to put the mockers on it. I was all fired up as well after a really good time yesterday with Remy and Trudi in the school. She gave me some much needed help and support, and today, a flowchart and a plan!! Thanks Trudi, you're a pal!
I busied myself this afternoon making cheesecake and steak pies, the cheesecake's in the fridge and the pies are in our stomachs - Yummy.

After a week of doing nothing with the horses, we returned to work today in the school.
I took Anky up there first for a short lunge session followed by a little in-hand work. She was pretty relaxed with the lungeing but tense in the in-hand. I'm finding that she relaxes really well when we're inside, but once we get outside in the school she's distracted very easily and the first thing she does then is tense and raise her head. We'll work on it.
The wind had got up a little by the time I took Remy in the school. He was a little distracted by the wind and the toot tooting of a distant chasse horn, but he's such a patient and willing boy and tried to focus. We started with a short lunge session and he was pretty responsive in the transitions. By walking around with him, I find he stays much softer and doesn't hang on the rein, I can try to bend him a little inside, help him relax and encourage a sharper transition. Today the trot was more relaxed and active than it's been and the transitions were better. We then had a short session in-hand including asking him to move individual legs from a light touch of the whip. He's getting better at this, giving me a quicker reaction.



So, after a week off, it all felt a little rusty, but glad to be back doing something.

Hey, don't flick my leg!

No rain this morning, but it was really blustery so I had another session inside. Remy was great, good flexions, good transitions to walk and nice soft halts. I also worked on asking him to move his legs by a light touch of the whip and he gave me an immediate response, a nice surprise and  hopefully not a fluke.  I like these short sessions inside, no distractions and good practice for when we're in the school.
I worked with Bonbon for a few minutes starting on some baby flexions and she was calm and attentive, a good girl.
Jim spent the afternoon putting guttering up and I tidied the garden - it really needs it and still lots more to do!

Anky and Remy in-hand

Short sessions in-hand yesterday with Anky and Remy, working on release and relaxation of the jaw, and, in Remy's case concentrating on focus and attention. I was trying to keep him soft in the hand with slight inside flexion, without too much bend in the neck or twist at the poll. The in-hand work is relatively new to me and in order to work my way through it's complexities, I'm now trying to break it down and isolate the aids (  with some good advice from a friend , thanks Trudi ). Once I'd got his attention, I worked for a few minutes asking him to move his shoulder from a slight touch and he was very responsive . I've started  to ask him to move individual legs by a slight touch of the whip and after a very long and lazy response on friday, he was much better yesterday.
It was raining this morning so worked inside with both Anky and Remy, working on the same as yesterday. We put them out and opened up the gate to the winter field, it was great to see them cantering down and kicking their heels up, led by an exuberant Anky.
It was fine by the time we brought them in so I had a quick in-hand session on the yard with Remy. He was calm and attentive and I managed to get nice flexion to the inside with good contact on the outside rein preventing excess bend in his neck or twisting at the poll. I also worked on asking him to walk on, with me remaining perfectly still ( I have a tendency to get slightly ahead of him) and he responded well, also the halts were very soft, straight and positive.

Warm but blustery weather....

The horses have had a couple of days off so back to work today.
I took Remy in the school, it was blustery and he was spooky. I put him on the lunge and he calmed a little so we had a short in-hand session working on rein-back, halt/walk transitions, giravolta and circles, all the time trying to keep him focussed and attentive. He was very good so I sat on and we did the same exercises ridden. He kept his focus, waited patiently at halt, listening and waiting for me to ask. The rein-backs were better as was the following walk on as he relaxed and flexed a little at the poll. After a couple of repetitions I took him onto a circle and we did some figure of eights with a nice change of bend. To finish we returned to the rein-back/walk on exercise and added the turn on the forehand, repeat in the new direction. There were a lot of distractions today and I was really pleased with his behaviour. I rode him back down the lane and had a little (our first!!) trot towards home.
I then rode Anky up to the school and I felt like we'd taken a few steps backwards as by now the wind had really got up and she was quite distracted.
She started off by not wanting to release to the flexions at halt, but after a few minutes she started to relax and stretch down and I moved her around on small circles trying to keep the softness and bend. We had some nice steps,but she was still worried about other things and it was far from consistent.
I then tried the reinback-exercise against the fence which seemed to get her attention and I was really pleasantly surprised at how softly and fluidly she moved into the rein-back from a light request. The whole exercise was improved, the walk forward after the rein-back and the turn on forehand to change the direction. Still lots to work on, but definitely going in the right direction. We finished with figure of eights on a long rein, keeping a nice softness through the change of bend. Great.

Windy Weather

I really enjoyed my session today with Remy.
It was really windy this morning, but apart from that it was a lovely day, so decided to take him into the school to see how he dealt with it.
He was pretty jumpy, the cows in the field next door were running around and the wind was making a lot of noise through the trees. I put him on the lunge and moved him around the school but he was very distracted and spooked a few times. He was fixated on the cows so we went over and just stood quietly and watched them until he turned his attention to me, then we continued around the school, taking in the poles, with circles and lots of walk and halt transitions. Eventually he started to calm down and we managed a short in-hand session. I was over the moon that he released and relaxed his jaw from a light vibration on the inside rein and that he felt safe and able to lower and stretch his head and neck down.

After my session with remy I had a short in-hand session on the yard with Anky asking for flexion and lowering of her head and neck. It was still blustery on the yard, but she stayed calm, stretched down nicely and was much more relaxed in her mouth.

Warm!!!!!!

A busy day today. The sun was shining and it was WARM!!!!!!
Started by bringing the horses in. Took Remy up to the school. A simple session, wanting to practice the flexion work that we've been doing  inside. Started with lunge work around the school, fine at walk, he's starting to relax and stretch down more so went on to some in-hand asking for slight flexion to the inside followed by a lengthening and slight lowering of the neck to walk transition. He was a little distracted in the school whilst we were doing this, but it was fine for a first session.
Before lunch I managed to get some weeding done and after lunch the horses came up from the bottom field, so I brought Corky in, gave her a really good grooming ( she's getting a lovely summer coat) and went out for a ride. It was bliss, just what I needed.
Finally, I treated the pergola on the terrace with some much needed wood stain.

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.

Dodging the rain..........

....this morning with Remy and Anky. I took Remy into the garden to practice our lungeing technique (said in the very loosest of terms!!). I had an "I am totally useless at this" moment when he got confused and instead of walking on he kept coming in to me, but we continued and he did 'get' it and we walked around on both reins. For our next session I will take him up to the school and with Jims help, take him out onto the circle properly.

Anky has a scratch across her back where the saddle would lie, so she's having a couple of days off hacking. I took her up to the school again for a short lungeing session followed by a little in-hand work. This is all experimental for me but I'm taking Trudis advice and I think with a combination of Anky moving better and perhaps me starting to get to grips with it we're making some progress. Today we got some nice steps in shoulder-in and then leg-yield.

I've just put some Himalayan Salt Licks in the stables and Anky spent a good five minutes licking it this morning. She obviously needs it. Bonbon thought she'd like to share!!

A weekend of ups and downs.

The Up.
I had a lovely morning on Friday when Trudi and her daughter Lydia came over. It was a lovely warm, fresh morning and we were able to work with Anky and Remy in the school.
Trudi did some in-hand work with Anky and then helped me as it's all pretty new to me. She made me realise that I have to find my own way with the in-hand work(thanks Trudi), find out what works for both me and the horse. In other words, "don't follow in the footsteps of the masters, search for what they sought." The quote is in my head, I'm not sure where I've read it, but it seems to sum it up.

Lydia, the video queen and budding film maker charmed both Jim and I. Before going off with Jim to oversee harvesting of produce in the garden she took this little vid, she's such a star.
Watch it with the sound on.

We took Remy up to the school and played, he's learning to walk on ahead now, he's quick to learn and apart from getting a little bit excited he was a good boy for his Auntie Trudi:-)



The Down.
We returned from an afternoon with friends yesterday to find Anky a little colicky in the field, she was stretching and lying down and rolling. My heart sank, I'm so emotionally tied to this horse now I can't be objective and it's really starting to get me down. We brought them in and she lay down in the stable, she wasn't rolling or pawing, just quiet. I kept a close eye on her and after about 30 minutes she stood up and whickered at me for her tea. By the time we put them out for the night she seemed fine. Jim did remind me that although she is still showing symptoms, she is much better than she was. Having started the Gastrogard treatment, we are now taking steps to try to heal any inflammation in the hind gut, which often goes hand in hand with gastric ulcers.

This morning she came in looking fine so I took her up to the school for some in-hand work. I concentrated on getting her focussed and motivated and we did some nice walk work, including a little shoulder in and leg yield down the long side of the school.

Another Up.
We've just spent a lovely afternoon with some friends, playing silly games in their pool and having a laugh. Like big kids we were - just what I needed.

Playing in the Sunshine

I had a lovely morning today, Trudi came over and we took Anky into the school.
I had some very much needed (and appreciated) instruction on the in-hand work, which is relatively new to me. It was very helpful to see Anky being worked this way and has given me the motivation to continue.
After a very short sit-on, Trudi got on and I had a chance to see Anky being ridden. It was great to see someone else riding her, and her responses. She was a very good girl, and Trudi made her look good. Why didn't I take some pics?????

We then had a little bitting session with Remy in the stable. I've done very little with him recently but I'd like to start some basic in-hand work with him. I'll just practice my technique on Anky first!! Oh, sorry, did I say that out loud!!



Thanks for coming over Trudi.

Work in the school

I had a very good ride out yesterday with a friend riding Corky. Anky was jumpy, but behaved very well. She was fairly forward and relatively straight. I enjoyed it.

This morning, taking Trudi's advice, I dug the camcorder out of the cupboard and headed off with Anky to the school.
Anky was, as usual, quite distracted, took some time to settle. We worked on walk- halt-walk transitions, some good, some not so good. We had two or three quite soft halts without shuffling and then she lost focus and started to hollow into the transition. I worked on small circles, turns on the forehand which settled her and we had better transitions to the halt. If she settles in the halt, the walk transition is good with quick response to the leg. Again, better results with more genuine flexion on the right rein. On the left rein we have the same resistance stated in last post, but slightly better today, glimpses of more genuine flexion, not as set against inside leg, quicker to yield. She is sticky on the turns on the forehand, which is obvious on the video showing a lack of suppleness in the crossing over. But, all in all a good session in that I am learning more about her each time.

This afternoon, I took Anky into the picadero (bottom of the garden :-)). I wanted to try some work in-hand. I started, holding the reins near to the bit and asking her for turn around the forehand, easy, slow steps not letting her rush and once she settled we got some nice relaxed crossing on both reins.
I then asked for flexions at halt. This is something I must work on , it is the key to all the work to follow. I was happy with one or two very good flexions on each rein, quite relaxed in the mouth with light froth.
I don't know how to post the vid as yet, I'll have to open an account on youtube, but Jim took one or two pics of todays session.

This was a fairly good halt transition, but she settled a little too much on my hands.

The crossing over doesn't look too bad on this pic.

Out to play

That's how it felt today, Trudi came over, the weather was lovely and we played out!

Anky had a knock (don't think it's anything serious) and her leg was swollen, so I suggested that we ride out first to get the swelling down (what a cunning plan, I love hacking out!). We had a lovely ride, chatting all the way round.

When we returned we took Anky to the bottom of the garden as my soon to be arena is still looking like a building site.
Trudi did some in-hand work with her before having a little sit on. Anky was very well behaved and Trudi said some very nice things about her. I think Anky enjoyed it too, she told me later, Trudi's ok mum, she can come again!!

It was a lovely day, thanks Trudi!!