Despooking Remy and Bonbon

The weather's been lovely the last couple of days, the horrid cold wind has gone and the sun has returned!
I've worked both days with the horses.
I've taken Remy, first in the top field before going in the school and then worked mainly in lateral work at walk and walk/canter transitions. No spooking in the field, thankfully.
The transitions are becoming more fluid on the right rein and are becoming very sharp and clean, but now that we've got the go, we have to make sure we keep the stop. I must try to stay light on his back without letting him pull me forward, because after the first few strides, he starts to fall onto his shoulders and rush. I'm sure as we progress, we'll find a better balance.
His walk work is really improving and today he gave me some lovely shoulder-in, travers and renvers.
I've taken Bonbon for a walk round the top field the last two days as she'd gotten pretty spooky in there after seeing our neighbour coming across his field, stick in one hand and a large basket of cepes in the other. For some reason, his lurching and waving them at us freaked her out a bit.
Yesterday we got to the same bit of field and suddenly she lost it and started squealing and cantering around me. I managed to calm her without too much problem and then walked her around the field with lots of changes of direction, halt/back/walk on transitions until she was calm and relaxed.
Today, she was brilliant, focussed on me, halting as I halted, following my movements on a loose rein without any hint of spookyness.

A busy few days

We've had a busy few days.
The horse dentist came on wednesday for their 6 monthly check-up. All's well and not a lot of treatment necessary.
I had a lovely afternoon yesterday over at Trudi's, a good lunch and a good natter!
This morning I had two lovely sessions. First with Remy, who was as receptive and focussed as I've ever known him to be. He gave me some lovely steps of shoulder-in, both on the circle and on the straight line, plus the best trot transitions we've ever had. Just the transitions, basically one or two steps before I clicked him good boy. We did half a dozen transitions like this on each rein and he gave me a soft, round transition every time.
I then took Bonbon up to the school, and following a short lunge session, we continued the basics in ridden work of walk/halt transitions and lots of small circles and changes of rein. She was a little distracted, but after a few minutes she settled and started to listen.
Andrea came over this afternoon and we had a good chat while going over some admin for the group.

It's been a lovely sunny day and I've enjoyed it very much.

Calmness and feel

I didn't ride them yesterday as the vet came to give them their annual vaccinations, but I rode Remy this afternoon in the school.
I had such an amazing session that I had to write it up while I still had the thoughts in my head.
It sounds corny, but I felt a real inner calm today that I don't think I've ever felt before. There was so little thought and so much feel, and it was wonderful to see how 'with' him I could  be and also how I could influence him and still be 'with' him.
We moved around the school, with shoulder-in, a little travers and lots of halt/reinback/walk on transitions. We did shoulder-in on the circle, and for the first time a few balanced steps of travers on the circle. This tells me that we're getting there.  'There' is a way away, but we're on the way to it.
His trot transitions from reinback were more together, softer and lighter, and I began to feel that a canter transition would be possible from that lightness.
I'm a lucky girl, and I love that boy so much!

Moving quarters and shoulders

It's been warmer today, overcast, but very mild compared with recent weather.
Remy was very relaxed and attentive and I continued trying to keep the relaxation and softness through his neck and into the hand.
I worked as usual, moving him around the school, changes of rein and direction. I practiced some halt transitions, trying to sharpen them up a little, and some reinback, which he's giving from a much lighter aid now with a more definite step backwards. I've been working also at halt, asking him to move his quarters, first to one side and then the other. Just one step to try and clarify the aid as he gets a little confused when I ask for travers ( I'm sure a faulty ask!).
So this is what I did today, moved shoulders and quarters. Going in quite good balance at walk, down the long side, I asked him to move his quarters inside, walk one or two steps, then asked him to move his quarters back. The same with the shoulders, move them inside and then move them back, and hey, we had travers and shoulder-in. Early stages, but calm and relaxed, and more a feeling of having the whole horse under me if that makes sense.
I tend to want to micro-manage and this can really interfere with the relaxation, but this way I'm just moving him around trying to strengthen and gymnasticise him and in that process we're getting the lateral movements I've been aiming for.
For me, it's a much more helpful way of processing things than, saying, right, we're going to work on this movement now, or we're going to practice this movement.  Don't know if it makes sense, but it's working for us.
The trot is improving too, he's gaining a much better balance. The transitions are still hit and miss, but becoming more hit than miss, and even though he has a tendency to want to drop the inside shoulder on the right rein, we're managing to rebalance through that more than not. If he continues to fall-in or starts to rush off, I bring him back to walk or halt and ask again.
I've not asked him to canter yet, but he offers it me sometimes from the trot. The last couple of times, it's been quite well balanced and I really would like to start training it, but would prefer to train it from the walk. Not sure that he's ready for that yet. We'll have to think on it.

Had a nice grooming session with Bonbon and trimmed her feet. She was a sweetie. We have some decent weather planned so can start taking her up to the school, I'm looking forward to riding her.

Lips, lunch and video games..

A lull in the horrid weather this morning so I took Remy up to the school for a ridden session.
It was a bit of a strange session as he seemed perfectly fine, in fact he gave me some of the best shoulder-in at walk that I've ever had. He generally felt soft in the hand, relaxed through the neck and active behind, but, half way through the session he started flapping his lips. He does this if he's a little apprehensive about something, but he has done it before when he's really given his mouth and completely relaxed through his neck, so I don't know, but I'm hoping it's the latter as he was working so nicely.  I'm careful to give him lots of stretch breaks and today was no exception, so I don't think I was asking too much of him. We carried on for a short time, including some trot work, which also felt ok and finished on a good note, moving him around with lots of changes of direction stretching to a fairly long rein.
We had a lovely lunch out with my mum and dad who are here for a week and spent the afternoon playing video games - oh how childish!! :-))

Spicy Fruit Loaf

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

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

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

Fantastic attitude

Gareth came yesterday to trim the horses so didn't get to do anything with them.
Their feet are doing fine and Remy's showing no discomfort when I'm riding him on the tracks so I'm hoping that will continue, although there's always the option of getting some boots for him in the future. Bonbon's had a problem in one of her frogs, a deep central sulcus which I've been trying to keep clean. It's improving now and her frogs are looking much stronger. Hopefully we'll be able to keep it that way going into winter.

It was hot this morning with lots of flies, but I had a cracking session in the school with Remy. Mainly walk, one or two trot transitions, but mainly focussing on lateral work in walk. Shoulder-in on the circle, both reins, bearing in mind what Trudi said about having too much bend and losing the outside shoulder on the left rein. Aware of not taking too much bend and controlling the shoulder with my knee and thigh, the shoulder-in felt more secure and stable. On the right rein, comfirming her other observation that it doesn't feel as easy, but as he's starting to lift the inside shoulder, it's developing into a more correct movement, with the outside shoulder being more stable on this rein. She's a clever clogs - thanks Trudi!!
Turn around the quarters on both reins, much more fluid on the right rein today, I think he's realised that he can do it.
I want to start quarters in, and today I tried keeping the quarters through the corner onto the long side with varying results - one or two strides before he started to question it and tense up a little. I'm happy with that though, I'll take one or two strides until he realises that he can do it and stays relaxed. I'll try it on the circle next session.
My boy has such a fantastic attitude and I love him for it, I can only hope that I'm not letting him down and that I'm taking him down the correct road with his training.

Working through the distractions.

Todays session with Remy was all about working through the distractions. He started off in his usual calm manner and then spied Joe (our farm cat) coming up the field. He's seen him plenty of times, but not in this setting and it set him off. Within seconds he was at the fence snorting. I went over to stand with him until Joe disappeared into the hedge and then we continued with our lungeing session. He was completely distracted and kept looking down the field so I moved him around the school until he started to calm a little.  Joe then appeared out of the hedge and jumped onto the school fence, which set him off again snorting and cantering around.  This time I brought him to a halt and we stood quietly for a few minutes asking him to relax his jaw and a lowering of his head and neck. This seemed to bring him back down to earth and we continued with some in-hand work of rein back, shoulder-in on the circle with a few strides down the long side.

I then took Anky to the school  and we had  a short lungeing session which helped to relax her and then a short  in-hand session. I'm really beginning to see improvement in-hand, she's much more mobile with more movement through her shoulder and less tension in her head and neck. I finished by riding her for about 10 minutes, working on small circles and shoulder-in on the circle. We finished on a long rein and she stretched and lowered her neck  so I moved her around in this position changing the rein through the circle. There's a long way to go with the ridden work, but she's definitely progressing.

Lungeing sessions.

After a very quiet few days I took Remy up to the school for a short lungeing session. Although it was early (well, for me - 9am) it was very hot with lots of flies. He was calm and relaxed though, and we got some nice moments on the lunge, with relaxation and stretching down. The transitions are starting to be much crisper now, the walk is becoming more forward, and he is maintaining the trot. I'm aiming for a soft, loose,easy trot with a lowering and stretch over his neck, and at times today we got that. We finished with a short in-hand session, shoulder- in on the circle to a few steps down the long side. He's becoming more mobile in-hand, with much less tension. I was really pleased with him.
A lunge session with Anky and, I think it was the best she's been. A very soft, albeit, underpowered trot, but with moments of genuine relaxation and reaching down, spirals in and out varying the size of the circle and staying soft and rhythmic. Again, we finished with some in-hand work, rein-back, shoulder-in on the circle and then moving on down the long side.

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!!

:-(

Mum and Dad have gone home today. It always leaves me feeling a little lost. They were here for a week and it's gone so quickly. I'm going to the UK in 10 days though so I'll see them then.
Had a short session with Anky on the lunge this morning, much looser again. We finished with a short session in-hand and her walk was much more purposeful and the lateral work ( shoulder-in and leg yield ) was much more fluid.
Here's a pic taken by my Dad just before our hack on Monday.

Cantique

I was last up this morning, had a lovely lie-in. The horses were all in and breakfast was made. Great.
I took Remy up to the school, he was a little on edge as they'd all come in a little spooked.

He was very good, a short session, no confusion, he got it straight away. Walk on up the long side, I let the lunge line out to a couple of yards (showing my age now) and walked as if lungeing, level with his shoulder/girth, small circles in the corners and off again on the long side. He also kept out of my space today. I was really happy with him.

Jim had other plans so I also took Anky up to the school. I rode her at walk for about 20 minutes. Started on a long rein, encouraging her to stretch out to my hand, lots of changes of rein, walk/halt transitions, then leg yield from the quarter line, into the corner asking for inside flexion, out of the corner to shoulder-in. Trying to keep relaxation and softness. She certainly feels like she's starting to loosen up, less resistance, I hope it's a sign that she's feeling better in herself.

We were invited to a concert this afternoon by a friend who sings in a local choir-Cantique.
We were entertained to an hour of choral music in the beautiful church at
Montbron. The accoustics were perfect and the sound was excellent.

A relaxing hack.

It's nearly 3 weeks since I've ridden, so today I took Corky out on a hack. She is such a good girl, she hasn't been ridden in a long time, she's fat, getting on a bit and a little stiff, but everytime I ride her it reminds me why we have her.

She was so well behaved and we had a lovely relaxing hack. She was soft in my hand, responsive to very light leg aids and we got some nice leg yield and shoulder- in. I took her through the wood and she sometimes get's a little worried and wanting to rush ( I know, hard to believe with Corky!) so I practiced some halts by using my seat and closing my fingers. She responded really well, but then just sat on my hands a little so I asked for halt and then rein-back which lightened her to the hand. She is so tolerant, she does put up with "Mum messing"! I can hear her tutting as I take the tack into the stable, she keeps insisting that she's retired!!

A mixed bag!

Exactly what I got from Anky today.
I wasn't sure what to expect after her few days off, I was hoping she would be nice and relaxed, but I thought she might be jumpy. She was!
I did a few flexions in the barn before getting on and taking her up to the school, she was very jumpy on the lane going up there and then snorted at the posts laid out around the school for the fence.
I started working on halt-walk-halt transitions, but realized that wasn't going to work, she was too distracted, so we worked on small circles and figure of eights. This calmed her a little and we tried some shoulder in on the right rein which seems to be coming better. We had one or two nice turns around the forehand on the left rein. I was pleased as she has been quite resistant when I've asked for this. She is becoming straighter on the left rein with a much more uniform bend.
Having settled a little, the halts were better and we managed some reasonable halts with immobility so we then practiced the ridden flexions at halt which were quite good.
Having been quite settled, she then saw the neighbours dog in the little wood so, obviously, that was very frightening and every time she had her back to the wood, she tried to leg it up the school. I managed to settle her again by doing small figure of eights, achieving quite good change of bend. As a final exercise I walked her around the perimeter of the school on a longer rein allowing her to stretch (why did I do that???)but, just as we approached the little wood, a dove flew up out of the trees and we were back to jumping and snorting.
The walk back to the stable was done on tippy toes, but we managed some reasonable leg yield up the lane.

Levelling up!!!

Another day in the school today. Anky started off quite restless, but soon settled. We had some very good halts with responsive walk transitions. She was much better on the left rein today and strangely , the flexions today were better to the left than the right. The leg yield from the left leg was much better than our last session and we had some good shoulder in on the right rein. All in all a good session.

The wood for my school fence is all treated and today Jim and Thomas took all the posts up to put them in position for our friend Pascal to push in with his machine.

Anky's coming in season, so was stretching a little this afternoon. I'll see how she is in the morning, I may give her a day off.

Bonbon looks to be levelling up, Yay!!!