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! 

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!

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.

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!

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!

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.

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.

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!

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.

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?

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! :-)

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!

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.

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.

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!

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.

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!!!

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!

Happy New Year

It's raining today and it was raining yesterday. I used to ride in the rain - actually,  I used to ride in all weathers, but I'm afraid to say that I'm more of a fair weather rider these days!
On thursday I trimmed Bonbon and Remys feet and they're looking good. Bonbon has chipped a chunk out of her hoof but that's growing out really well and her frogs are starting to look very healthy. Remy's getting real concavity and his feet are looking really strong.
Yesterday I did Corkys feet and they're looking the best I've seen them. It's taken a while, she's been without shoes now for well over a year and I think it's the best thing we could have done for her. Of course the youngsters have never had shoes and hopefully they never will!
After finishing her feet, I brought Remy into the barn and introduced him to the clippers. For the amount of work he's doing he doesn't really need clipping, but he does get a bit sweaty around the girth area and between his front legs so I thought I'd just try to take that off. I expected him to be his usual accepting self, and he was. My sweet boy did what he always does, and as I held them towards him, he hesitantly touched the handle of the clippers with his nose to check them out, first switched off, and then on. I then touched him on his shoulder and finally under his belly before clipping the small area around the girth. He wasn't sure about it at all, but he stood quietly and trusting.
Not wanting her to miss out, I brought Bonbon into the barn to introduce her to the clippers too. She doesn't need clipping ( just like her mum, doesn't really grow a thick winter coat), but I thought it would be a learning experience for her.  As expected it took longer to convince her that it was all ok, but she stayed calm and after a few minutes, she let me touch her along her body with the clippers switched on.

I've done nothing today, the weather is awful, the ground is wet and soggy and the horses, having come in for their breakfast, don't want to go back out! The only thing I've done is played sticks in the rain with Obi dobe and Elfin and now I'm sitting in the warm surrounded by cats. It's New Years Eve, I'd actually forgotten and only remembered when the newsreader on the telly reminded me. It's going to be a quiet one, and I'm thinking that there's nothing wrong with that!

Back onboard

Back onboard today after a week off and it felt good. It seems the break has done us both good and we had a good session.
Trying to keep relaxation and a soft contact at walk, with circles, s/i, counter s/i, and lots of changes of bend and direction. The trot transitions felt improved and the trot's starting to feel much more manageable. The right rein is coming better, he's starting to keep the inside shoulder up, and the resulting trot is now more correct than the left rein. Although very much underpowered, it's starting to have a nice rhythmic feel to it.

Just come across these vids for a warm up routine. I don't know the rider, but she seems to make a lot of sense.

HERE

Di and Sue, Remy and Corky too

Nothing to blog about from the last few days as both Jim and I have been ill, so Christmas has been very quiet. Here's a vid from a few weeks ago when Susan and I hacked out and it was Remys first hack with another horse.

Remy was pretty chilled as you can see from the pic where he's falling asleep :-)

Merry Christmas Everyone!

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Gently playing with the bit

 I started with Bonbon in the school today. She's not been up there for a while as we've been working in a small area at the bottom of the garden.
We did some groundwork at walk and she worked well although not entirely settled. There were a few things going on around us and she was a bit distracted. I delayed asking for the trot and concentrated on getting her relaxed on the circle, walking out nicely with good, even bend, also working on moving quarters and shoulders, lots of halt/walk transitions and some reinback.  I don't know if I'm transmitting some weirdy 'were going to trot now' vibes, but I swear I saw a little glint in her eye as I was thinking about the trot transition and she started squealing and first trotting and then cantering, all entirely without any form or balance! I stood quietly in the centre of the circle until she halted and stood to face me and then continued with the walk work to try to restore some calm and relaxation.  I changed the rein and waited until she was relaxed and then asked again, same thing although not quite as explosive as the first time and she did settle a little. We finished on a good note with a good forward walk, with stretch and relaxation through the body.
I'm not sure why she's doing it and I'm not sure how we're going to handle it, but I'll continue doing what I'm doing now and see if she settles. She's a funny girl sometimes, but I think we can come to some agreement one way or another.

It's been a good day with Remy today. I walked him to the school and started with a little groundwork, asking for even, relaxed bend on the circle, giravolta on both reins and a short trot on each rein. He was relaxed and soft and he kept this in the trot work, moreso than I've seen from him before.
I started the ridden work on a long rein, moving him around the school, letting him stretch out to the hand. He felt loose and active, overtracking really well. Then I took up the reins and started to work on small circles, keeping inside flexion, stretching the outside and trying to keep even bend round my inside leg. We worked on shoulder-in to counter in on the circle and then moved to shoulder-in and counter shoulder-in on the long side. Also some reinback and travers. When we started the trot work, I asked for the transition from shoulder fore on the circle, this seems to work well and he keeps the softness in the hand and relaxation through the neck. The trot lacks any power, but it's becoming more rhythmical and balanced, he's managing to keep his inside shoulder up  and keep the inside bend. Of course it's still very basic and not so good on the left rein as the right, but it's improving. What gave me the biggest thrill was the last five minutes of walk work before we finished which felt so well balanced and light. We were changing the bend and direction with ease and he was gently playing with the bit with a lovely lipstick of white foam. I just wanted to keep riding him and never get off!

My mum and dad went home yesterday after spending the week with us. I always miss them and the place seems empty without them.
It was a bit drizzly today, but no wind, and quite warm after a couple of frosty mornings.
I took Remy up to the school, my main aim to keep him relaxed and soft in the hand.  We started off on a long rein, allowing him to stretch out to the hand, keeping the mobility in his mouth, lots of transitions to halt/reinback-walk on. Then taking up the reins asking him for more bend with small circles, more activity with shoulder-in and counter shoulder-in and generally moving him around the school with lots of changes of bend and direction.
We practiced the trot too, obtaining a nice bend on the circle before asking for the transition, and then a couple of transitions from shoulder-in, keeping the shoulder-in for a few strides before taking him onto a circle. The trot's slowly becoming more balanced and he offered me canter a couple of times today. For the first time, I felt more able to guide him, keep him soft and balanced for longer.
As I noted in the last post, I'm concerned about him flapping his lips, and he did this again today. What's strange is that he's becoming so much more relaxed and maneuverable and he's giving me that lovely relaxed 'blowing through his nose' thing. He's still testing the contact also, and I give him the rein so that he can stretch and also lots of regular stretch breaks. He's a sensitive horse, and if this is a sign of worry, I hope I can reassure him and we can work through it.

I had a short lungeing session with Bonbon. It's been a few days since our last lungeing session and she was a little bit distracted. She contained herself until I asked her to trot and then started her antics, squealing and jumping about. She's not strong and doesn't pull me, so I stood quietly until she realised that I wasn't getting involved, joining in or chasing her. She halted and then we started again at walk until she relaxed before asking for another trot transition. She did it twice before settling and then she seemed to realise that there was nothing to be worried about. It's my fault really,  I need to get her into the routine of regular work!

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!! :-))

Timber!!

It was such a horrid night, windy with heavy rain, and this morning it continued with heavy showers and a mean grey sky. I had no intention of doing anything with the horses in that. so had another jambette session with Rem, and a bridle session with Bonbon, all nice and cosy inside the barn.
Remy's understanding is improving and today we progressed to asking for the leg raise followed by a step forward. He offered me more lift today, not through anything I was doing,but perhaps because he's decided it's a good game. :-)
A couple of scrawny dead trees at the bottom of the chook run finally gave up the ghost in the night, so we spent the afternoon, between showers, trying to clear them away and mend the fence. Not very enjoyable, but at least we've got a few weeks worth of firewood to add to our store.

Starting jambette

It's been horrible weather today, wet and windy so I had a short indoor session with Remy practicing our jambette.
Trudi's been doing some of this with her horses and she's given me some pointers so I thought I'd have a go at teaching Remy.
I ask by touching him high on the side of his foreleg, which seems to be the best place for him. It's noticeable that up to now, he gives me more on his left leg which ties in with the fact that he doesn't use his right shoulder as well as the left and tends to fall in on that side. He's getting it though and I'm sure it's going to help to loosen up those shoulders.
I had a short flexion session with Bonbon, first asking her to release her jaw and then flexion and neck extension either side.

Bonbon and Remy progress

It's been a busy weekend so not had chance to do much with the horses.
This morning the weather was lovely and ideal for a session in the school with Remy. He was very calm and responsive, he was staying soft and relaxed and gave me some really nice work. Shoulder-in and counter shoulder-in on both reins, some nice reinback and some of the nicest, balanced trot work to date. A long way to go, but definite improvement.
My last two sessions with Bonbon have been a bit wayward. Groundwork and close lunge work ok in walk and then squealing and overreacting when asked to trot.
Today, we continued with this and although reasonably calm in the walk work, we got the same reaction into the trot transition. Not as extreme, a bit of an explosion and a squeal, then stopping to face me.
It's definitely a worry thing, and in the walk work, I've always walked with her, staying reasonably close and she's pretty ok and relaxed with this. When I ask for the trot transition, I am, in effect sending her away from me and I think it's this that's confusing her, so I started to trot slowly at her side as I asked her to trot, and after a few seconds she started a hesitant little trot with me, and it seemed like you could see a little light bulb go on in her head. I asked once more and she gave me another little trot, so we happily left it there for the day. Hopefully it's a start and we'll progress from there in our next session.

Remy and Corky hack out

Susan, Laura and Max came over on Friday and we went out for a short hack, me and Remy, and Susan riding Corky. Laura and Max came along as 'ground crew' which was great for taking pics ( to follow ) and extra support.
The weather had been pretty bad and I'd not had chance to ride Corky, so it was the first time ridden for quite a while. She was a very good girl, although once or twice decided that, perhaps she didn't really want to restart her ridden career! All in all they were both very good and Remy took it all in his stride. He's never ridden out with another horse before, but as it was Corky, he just settled down and accepted it readily. In fact, at times he was a little too switched off and went into 'follow' mode, cheekily trying to bite Corkys bum!   On our return we headed off to the school and Laura had a sit- on Corky, and Susan gave her a little lesson. Both Laura and Corky seemed to enjoy it and I'm hoping Laura will come over on a more regular basis to help with and ride Corky. It was good for Remy to have another horse with him in the school as he's used to being in there on his own.

Excess Energy.

It's been a horrible few days, non stop rain, dreary and miserable. The horses have stayed in the stable the last couple of nights, they've been hanging around the gate mid afternoon looking fed-up, so came in for a feed and then just not wanted to go back out, can't blame them!!
This morning was quite bright and warm so I took Remy up to the school. He showed me some of the spirit I've been wanting to see, but not quite in the way I expected! As I was leading him up there he let off some of his excess energy by trying to spin round and rear. Not usual behaviour, but it just goes to show how much calmer they are when they're out 24/7. When we got up to the school, he bounced in and showed me just how he can move when he makes the effort. I lunged him at walk and trot until he relaxed and then I got on.
I've decided that we've got to start looking for more activity behind. I've not wanted to push him too much as it's just caused tension at the front. It's still a real balancing act, but he's more consistently soft in the hand now and I think he can deal with a little bit more from behind.
With this in mind, I expected quick reactions to the leg today and if I didn't get it I gave him a quick tap with the whip to remind him. He realised very quickly what was expected and we had a really good session. He was offering trot from a very light aid and then in the trot, offering canter. He's only ever offered canter once from the trot, and it was a run into the canter. Today he offered it 3 times from a fairly balanced trot, which, although I hadn't asked for it, I'm happy to accept, as I think he'll prefer to canter, it'll help his balance, and it can only improve the trot (which needs a lot of improvement).
I think I'm going to have to clip him. Not sure how that's going to go, he's never seen the clippers before. I'll just take his lower neck and belly, so unfortunately he'll be stripey - I hate stripey horses!

The last session with Bonbon was pretty heated, throwing herself around and squealing when I asked her to trot on the lunge. She's calm in walk when I'm working close to her and seems a little worried into the trot transition as I ask her to move out and away on the circle. I've tried to keep her relaxed and soft, with good bend before asking for a soft, calm transition into the trot, keeping a shorter line and going with her on the circle. This seems to help.
Today we had the same behaviour, but she was more determined ( more excess energy, I guess) and I'm not quite sure when the apprehension turned to  defiance, but when she started to throw herself around squealing and then dragging her head down to eat grass, I had to be a lot firmer with her, a quick 'no' and a tug on the rope to lift her head, and then straight back to walk on the circle, waiting until she relaxed and then trying the transition again.
I don't mind her letting off steam on the lunge, but within the parameters that I set, and if she's behaving dangerously, twisting and trying to spin, throwing her back legs around (you get the picture) I can't have that. She gradually calmed and we finished on a good note, with a trot on each rein. I think next session will be better, she's quite opinionated, but she's not a bad horse and today she seemed to realise that trotting on the lunge wasn't too bad really.  We'll see!

Trimming, treatment and trotting

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

Moving Shoulders and Quarters

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

A nip in the air

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

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

Trailer trouble

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

Remy Hacking and Bonbon Squealing

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

Posts required

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

Saddles on, saddles off......

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

Windy weather

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

Thank you

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

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

Remy and Bonbon Trailer Training

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

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

Spicy Fruit Loaf

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

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

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

In the school and on the tracks

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

Improvement

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

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

Release

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

Starting travers

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

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

Prickly

I set off up the track with Remy today, got as far as the little wood when a shot rang out through the trees. It scared Remy half to death and he jumped up a bank, spun round and started heading back towards home! I was about to turn him back when I heard another, so decided he was probably right and we should head for safety!  The horses are used to the bangs of the chasse, but this, I think was an air rifle which makes a totally different sound that the horses are not familiar with.
He came back on a mission, a bit freaked, but perfectly behaved. What a good boy.
Not much of a ride so I carried on up to the school and we had 20 minutes in there, starting with some lateral work in walk and then practicing our trot transitions. When he's out on the tracks and motivated he feels great, it's made me very aware that I need to really get him working his hind legs as he's a bit lazy and doesn't pick them up as he should when working in the school. When he makes the effort I can really feel him coming together and some of the transitions today were good into a much better balanced trot.
I had a short ground work and lungeing session with Bonbon and I'm really enjoying working with her, but Jim wants to sell her. :-(  Not sure what's going to happen there as he's made it quite clear that he's no real interest in the horses any more and he's not interested in helping me with Bonbon as it's always been his intention to sell her..........
I spent the afternoon, stringing electric fencing, clearing brambles and picking chestnuts. So between the brambles, chestnuts and bits of wire sticking out of the electric fencing, my fingers are ripped to bits!
Bit of an up and down day.

Catch up

Catching up over the last week.
I've started lungeing Remy again with lots of transitions walk to trot aiming for a relaxed, soft, easy trot. He's getting it. I'm going to get the poles out, get him to pick up his lazy back legs!
He seems to be over his mouth problem and he's now sucking in the bit when offered, as he was before.
I tried him in Corkys saddle today.  I just wasn't totally happy riding him in the bates, which is a 17 1/2 inch with quite a flat panel and not totally suited to his shape, although it seemed perfectly fine used with the suber pad. I re-tried the lexington barefoot again and it just didn't feel right, perhaps just because I've got used riding a treed saddle again, but it felt like I couldn't get my leg on properly, it just felt held-off. I tried corkys saddle on him and it seemed a better fit.  It's a 17inch, with a cut-back head which accomodates his high wither and a slightly more curved panel which accomodates his curvy back.  I took him in the school to try it and he seemed quicker to relax, and seemed happier and softer in the lateral work. I asked for a couple of rein-backs and he offered a trot transition straight from the reinback each time, so I schooled him in the trot from the reinback and they were light, soft and well balanced transitions. We really seem to be making progress. Hopefully not a fluke, we'll see how it goes.
Bonbon's continuing to be a sweetie, we've been doing some ground work and lungeing and she's starting to settle to the work.

It's been an expensive week, the brushcutter packed in, so a big bill from the repair shop and Elfin ripped a hole in Obi's side 'playing' down the field, so no doubt a big bill to come from the vets.

Ups and downs

Thanks for your comments guys on my truly pathetic post yesterday.  I really wasn't having a go at Rem, in all honesty, he's pretty fab, just my inability to deal with the situation sensibly at the time, and letting my hormones and emotions get the better of me.
Today was much better, I wanted it to be a confidence boosting exercise for Remy, no great expectations, I was happy to accept what he offered and calmly deal with any problems.   Well, he was pretty bloody great. He set off with some purpose and just kept going. Jim followed about hundred yds back and came up once when we crossed the main road and once to accompany us past the stone cutting shed. We were out for over an hour, we went right up to the little stud just outside the village where Remy was very interested in the horses grazing in the far fields. We turned for home there and he was a little reluctant to leave them and as we headed back started whinnying.
As we neared home he really was on a mission, so I asked him for lots of walk/halt transitions, sometimes with a couple of steps of reinback and it was such a nice feeling as he came up and together, and really soft into my hand. The last few hundred yards I gave him a long rein and it felt like a tidal wave as he really opened up the walk stride. Ups and downs eh, well, today was definitely an 'up'.

A short session with Bonbon in-hand, and she was very sweet. She's a quick learner and I enjoyed our session today. Walk/halt transitions, shoulder-fore on the circle both reins, and a little bit of rein-back.

We spent the afternoon doing the fence in the bottom field, so a busy day and I'm cream crackered now!

:-(

Well, it's a bad day, hormones, age, taking it personally, overreacting, totally pathetic, ridiculous behaviour for a woman of my age!
Remy didn't want to go this morning, stopped at the neighbours when he saw him up a ladder trimming the vine and refused to go forward. It's understandable, the rational part of me knows that.  I'm pushing him out of his comfort zone, and he's a little worried about things. Paul led him past and we continued on up the track, through the wood to the road.. He was ok and Jim met us at the road. We crossed the road, but then he refused to go again, backing up, shaking his head. I got so annoyed with  him, annoyed at myself  for losing my patience, annoyed at myself for taking it so personally. Am I so naive to expect him never to say no, all horses go through this, don't they? But I feel myself getting impatient, I want to tack up, just go for a hack, have fun!! I think I've been fair with him, taken it slowly. Perhaps I've taken it too slowly, not done enough, not shown him enough. God, I don't know, I think perhaps, I'm too bloody old, too bloody sick of doing it on my own, and perhaps I just don't want it enough.
Anyway, I got angry and frustrated, The only redeeming thing about it was that I didn't take it out on him.  I got firm with him, but let him work it out, letting him halt, but then asking him again to go forward. 
The thing is, after a few minutes of working it out, he did go, in fact he went marvelously, we carried on and went for another km or so, down the lanes towards the village, tracks he'd never been on before, and although he was looking at things he kept going forward. 
So why am I focussing on the bad things? All-in -all, after a sticky start, he was pretty good today. Someone on a forum I go on said it only a few days ago, it's so easy to get frustrated when it means so much.
I really need to get things into perspective, it seems like a tall order at the moment.

Remy says no

For the first time, today out on a hack he wouldn't go down the track, stopped, planted his feet, tried to turn round and shook his head decisively. I've never felt a 'no' in him, but it was there today.
Everything looked fine to me, but for some reason he was worried enough to stick to his guns.
We had to continue, I really couldn't allow him to decide to turn round so we waited at halt for a while until he relaxed a little and then I asked him again. I had to ask him a few times, halting and waiting in-between until he decided he could go, but when he went that was decisive also and he went on with purpose. He came home very forward, but quite edgy and jumpy, we halted several times on the way back and although he really just wanted to keep going, he listened and stood quietly.
By the time we approached the neighbours he was chilling a little, until he saw some new logs at the side of the barn, he huffed and puffed at them, but went up to have a look and a sniff.
Jim had come out to look for us as we'd been gone quite a while by this time and Rem stood quite happily as we chatted with the neighbour.
I don't think he lost confidence today, I'm hoping that he's gained some.
If Jim had been with us, despite his worry, I think Remy would have followed him, but now he knows that he can do it with just the two of us. Well, I hope that's how he sees it! We'll see.

Dentist time

We had a day off on Sunday, but back in the school yesterday with Remy. Something was going on in his mouth, he was working ok, but over-salivating.
We worked at walk on figures of eights, shoulder-in to counter shoulder-in, which he managed ok, and on squares, shoulder-in to travers, which was tricky,but the travers is definitely improving.
His rein-back is becoming more fluid and straighter, he doesn't seem to be throwing his inside hind out like he did.
His trot transitions were pretty good, more active into a better balanced trot, which he managed to keep for longer. All-in-all a really good session.
It couldn't have been better timing as the equine dentist was booked in for today. He seemed to think that the recently erupted wolf tooth may be causing problems as it had become very sharp. He smoothed it back to the gum, so, for now it will be fine - we'll see if it needs any more attention next appointment. Apart from that, he gave Remy a clean bill of dental health, so we'll see how he is next time I ride.

A really great session with Bonbon yesterday, sitting-on with Jim leading her, circles on both reins, lots of halt and walk transitions. She was really attentive and responsive in my hand. First attempt at reinback, which was nice and soft. Really pleased with her.
A little star also with the dentist, calm and relaxed (well, as relaxed as she could be with a bloody great chunk of metal holding her jaws open!), I'm so proud of her, little sweetie.

Cold!!

Cold today, a shock to the system! It's too soon for cold weather, bring back the sunshine please.

I took Remy to the school, warmed him up in walk on a long rein, lots of changes of bend. Then onto small circles, asking for softness through the neck into my hand, letting him extend and relax, some shoulder-in and turn around the quarters trying to keep the softness. Lots of rest breaks then into some rein-back, which was very good today with a real feeling of coming together, the walk forward being full of energy but staying soft. Onto some trot work, transitions from shoulder-in and reinback. Lots of energy, more than I could handle at times, need to have manageable energy without losing control and balance. A mixed bag today, some really nice stuff, but the trot work was a bit all over the place. Nevertheless, I got the urge to canter, so before we finished I asked for a canter transition and although he gave me a few trot strides first, we cantered - our first canter ever.  I was pretty chuffed, but have the feeling it was too soon, don't know if it was, but just feel that way. Am I jumping the gun, should we be working on the canter when the trot's so far off being balanced?  LOL - out of my comfort zone again!

New tracks

A good morning. I took Remy out for a hack, Jim was to meet us at the road, but when we got there a farmer was going up and down with his tractor directly opposite. Not wanting to create an issue, I doubled back and took Remy down a new track, it doesn't really go anywhere, sort of peters out, but as he'd never been down there I thought it would be good for him. He was great, really striding out, looking at things but really thinking forward. Couldn't have been better.
We then tacked up Bonbon and took her to the school. She's not been up there in a while, but she was good - a little in-hand, walk and trot and then a short sit-on.
We practiced a few flexions at halt and then Jim led her around on a circle on both reins, interspersed with halt and first attempts at reinback mounted. She was pretty cool about it, starting to stretch out and soft in my hand.  I started to think about where I was placing my weight and she responded really well. She'd been so well behaved that we walked her back down the lane home.

Autumn Leaves

A bit overcast this morning, quite a nice change after all the hot weather and fewer flies!
I took Remy in the school, working on trot transitions with more activity which he's giving me, and staying soft and round for longer before he starts to lose balance.  Also continued working on the quarters-in and he's getting the hang of it now. We managed quite a nice travers up the long side, alternating with shoulder-in. Tried travers on the circle, which according to some, should be easier, we got a few steps, but I find it quite difficult, mainly because I lose my place and can't keep the circle. I'll have to get a piece of string and scribe a small circle into the sand so that I know where I am. LOL

We've been saddling Bonbon up every day, just to get her to accept it without getting worrying and getting snazzy. Whether it was her season or not, I don't know, but she's coming round a little.
I groom her, saddle up, a little in-hand and then a short sit-on, which is going ok. Jim leads her round the circle and today she was calm and attentive. We practiced some flexions mounted and for the first time, she stretched out into my hand.

It rained most of the afternoon, the leaves are all turning now and we're losing the summer. Although it's very beautiful this time of year I always feel a little sad that another summer is over and winter will soon be upon us.

Hacking!!

We spent a couple of hours down the field this morning re-stringing the fence so it was going up to twelve  before I thought about riding.  I wanted to take Remy out for a hack and thought lunchtime would be good (less traffic about, total french population home for lunch) so off we went. Jim followed as he wanted a walk (to keep an eye on me, I think), so we went through the little wood to the road and he made sure there was no traffic so we could cross and then we continued on past the small lake, past the stone cutting place and down the lane towards the village. Remy was on his toes, very active and huffing and puffing, but apart from a couple of little spooky jumps, he was brilliant. I felt brilliant too, it's what I've wanted for so long, to actually hack my boy out. At times he stretched and relaxed his neck and was so soft in my hand it was like all my birthdays had come at once. He was great coming home too, no rushing, just nice and forward. Oh, nearly forgot - the leccy fence has gone too, Yippee!

Tick v.g.

Back in the school with Remy today. Starting with relaxing the neck with a soft contact in the hand, small circles with lots of changes of rein, then allowing him to stretch and walk out. Back to a little shoulder-in on the circle and turn around the quarters. Then some trot transitions, asking for bend and relaxation of the neck into a transition. Then trot from reinback asking for more activity. The trot was a little more active today and felt a little better balanced. We did more work on starting travers, he's getting the hang of it, and finished  alternating shoulder-in to travers down the long side on each rein. Lots and lots to work on, but seeing gradual improvement in his comprehension and suppleness.

Bonbon was a sweetie today, a little unsure as I tightened the girth, but we took it calmly and slowly and she relaxed into it. A short session on the yard in-hand, both reins, nice relaxation through the neck, a little shoulder-in, some reinback and then a short sit-on. We practised a few flexions mounted and then walked a few steps on both reins. Much better, tick v.g!

Moody mare

A short hack up the track with Remy today. He huffed and puffed at a guy cleaning up a few leftover heads of maize in the middle of his field, but went past undaunted. He was on a mission again coming home - oh I love that feeling, and if we're going to activate his back end, this is going to help no end!
Bonbon was a little cow - pmt, I think! I put  the saddle on and as I tightened it up she shot backwards and upwards, not nice at all! I'm not sure what we'll do, I suppose we'll go with it and carry on, see what happens. I took her onto the yard and walk and trotted her around until she settled. She was squealing, and throwing her head at me, but nothing huge. As we were finishing, an airforce jet came over and both Jim and I wanted to run for cover, it was flying so low and making a hell of a noise. Bonbon jumped backwards, but then stood quietly without a murmur - she can be a very good girl. She seemed calm enough so I had a little sit-on, no problems so walked a few strides and then got off and left it on a good note.

'knowing the hand'

I've had a couple of bridle sessions with Bonbon the last two days and she's really starting to release and extend and relax her neck now. She's starting to 'know' the hand and accept it.

In the school with Remy, continuing on from the last session, paying particular attention to the release and relaxation through his neck, keeping the softness into the hand.
Trying to keep him attentive with a quicker reaction and more activity in the hind legs. We had some nice trot transitions, staying soft, but a little more oomph to the trot.Lots of changes of bend, some nice relaxed turns around the quarters and a little light-bulb moment for both of us (well, perhaps more for me, to be honest) when asking for quarters-in off the corner as he responded nicely to a slight shift of my weight to the inside and slightly to the inside hind  (if that makes sense). As usual, he tells me when I'm getting it right ( I really need to do that more often!)!