still not great because I get nervous when I finally get someone to take video. I want everything to show up in the video and I end up not being able to focus on riding!
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Monday, January 4, 2010
Floating trot :)
Yesterday our trot work was great! I've been riding him long and low so I decided to have Deuce go more into the bridle yesterday. I felt him using his back in the trot more than i ever have...and his stride lengthenings felt like he was floating! It was really fun to ride.
We worked on canter trot canter transitions again. Tons of them. I think he's over his tantrum now so that's good. I don't expect him to be completely on the bit when he goes from trot to canter. But he definately cannot throw his head up and use his neck to go into the canter. He's finally learning this I think. I need to be careful with my position when I ask for the canter too so I make sure I'm not leaning to one side.
I found that it's better to ask for canter departs on the rail when he is going track left, and on a circle when he
is going track right. He tends to over bend to the left so I think that's why. I also need to be sure to always have weight in my right stirrup. I don't want Deuce to grow up crooked! :)
We worked on canter trot canter transitions again. Tons of them. I think he's over his tantrum now so that's good. I don't expect him to be completely on the bit when he goes from trot to canter. But he definately cannot throw his head up and use his neck to go into the canter. He's finally learning this I think. I need to be careful with my position when I ask for the canter too so I make sure I'm not leaning to one side.
I found that it's better to ask for canter departs on the rail when he is going track left, and on a circle when he
is going track right. He tends to over bend to the left so I think that's why. I also need to be sure to always have weight in my right stirrup. I don't want Deuce to grow up crooked! :)
Saturday, January 2, 2010
...I guess he is only 4...
I've just been riding Deuce long and low the past couple days. I went over a little tiny cross rail yesterday and just played around in the arena. I was goin to do more serious stuff today but Deuce had a different idea. I didn't have a whip and I didn't have spurs, so Deuce just decided not to listen. Trotting slow and sluggish was about all he wanted to do no matter what. At first I borrowed a crop from my friend (that was all she had - no dressage whip) That sort of worked but I had to keep transferring my reins to one hand to be able to use it. I got him going in a nicer trot and did some canter work but couldn't get a nice transition on the right lead. Finally I borrowed a dressage whip and things went better. I just did tons of trot canter transitions and left it at that. That's not what I originally had planned but I think Deuce learned he has to be more attentive. Tommorow I think I'll do some walk/trot lateral work.
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Merry Christmas!
It's cold again and the barn has been quiet the past couple days because of the holidays. I rode on Thursday though when there was snow falling and blowing all around the arenas.
Today Deuce and I had a good ride. It didn't take too long for him to relax. We worked on straightness and also on keeping him active to my leg. I need to make sure that I stay right in the middle of my seatbones unless I mean to shift my weight. I think this is contributing to his crookedness...though not totally. Most horses are naturally more flexible to the left than to the right - so same with Deuce. I also have gotten him much better at the walk by making him march forward at the walk and really swing his back.
Tommorow I guess we will work on shoulder in and some counter canter. I'll keep it light though. Maybe go over some cavaletti in the jumper arena. :) Should be a fun week of riding ahead too since I don't have to work!
Today Deuce and I had a good ride. It didn't take too long for him to relax. We worked on straightness and also on keeping him active to my leg. I need to make sure that I stay right in the middle of my seatbones unless I mean to shift my weight. I think this is contributing to his crookedness...though not totally. Most horses are naturally more flexible to the left than to the right - so same with Deuce. I also have gotten him much better at the walk by making him march forward at the walk and really swing his back.
Tommorow I guess we will work on shoulder in and some counter canter. I'll keep it light though. Maybe go over some cavaletti in the jumper arena. :) Should be a fun week of riding ahead too since I don't have to work!
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Great day!
I worked with tons of horses at the barn today! I get there this morning and worked with Van Gogh on the lunge. He's building more muscle gradually and I think after just 4 days of me working with him he's looking a lot better. I also trimmed his mane and he looked like a different horse. :)
After working with Van Gogh I rode Silver for A. Silver is a phenomenal horse - he's a big beautiful grey off the track thoroughbred who just needs to be ridden correctly to get stronger and better at using his body. He also has trouble striking off on the left lead but we think this is just phsychological. Once he gets the left lead canter it is relaxed and easy. He's just a little weak on that side. He was a good boy and we got the left lead canter easier than yesterday. Sometimes I get anxious and look down as I ask for the canter - this never works. I need to make sure i sit up, keep him on my aids and straight. If I keep this throughout the canter transition, he will pick up the left lead when asked. I think a few more rides like this and the left lead canter will soon be no big deal!
After Silver came Captain. This is my first time riding Captain and he is really fun. He gets really tight though and it takes a while to work out his stiffness. S. got on him first and did some leg yields, shoulder in, haunches in etc.He seemed to be a little heavy in the bridle when S was warming him up, but once I got on he was better. I just did more loosening exercises and circles and a little bit of canter. He's really fun and apparently a pretty good jumper. We'll have to try it soon!
Next I got on Picasso just to give him a workout before his owner got on.It was funny getting on him after riding Silver and Captain because he has a really short neck and he's kind of small to begin with. It looked like there was nothing underneath me! He's a young horse too (about 3 or 4 not really sure) so I just tried to get him to relax and get his rythymn. I did lengthening down the long side and shortening on the short side. He also tried to resist picking up the left lead but I got it after a few tries. I just held him on my outside aides so he couldn't pop his shoulder.
Finally i got to ride my baby. I took a lesson with C. to see what it was like. It went okay but Deuce and I were both off because of all the different things going on. I was riding in a jumping saddle, and Deuce was unsure of what to do when he couldn't feel me sitting on his back ( I was riding in half seat and in 2 point. I think I need to do more canter in half seat or 2 point to get him used to his own rythymn and balance at the canter. I was tense and I think Deuce really feeds off my behavior. He did a few jumps really nicely but then he ran out on one of them. We let him stop and think, then lowered the fence tried it again and he was fine. After that though he just got even more flustered and decided that he would rather just stop instead of going anywhere near the jump. Again, I was tense too and this really affected him. I had to really push him to get him to trot and canter around the arena and show him it is really not a big deal. We ended the lesson just cantering and trotting around the arena and randomly going over poles and cavalettis. I think the lesson ended nicely and we got over our tension, but i feel bad that he got so worried. poor guy. Will try to have a nice easy ride tommorow and just let him have fun! He's such a great horse and I love him SOOO much. Mwah!
After working with Van Gogh I rode Silver for A. Silver is a phenomenal horse - he's a big beautiful grey off the track thoroughbred who just needs to be ridden correctly to get stronger and better at using his body. He also has trouble striking off on the left lead but we think this is just phsychological. Once he gets the left lead canter it is relaxed and easy. He's just a little weak on that side. He was a good boy and we got the left lead canter easier than yesterday. Sometimes I get anxious and look down as I ask for the canter - this never works. I need to make sure i sit up, keep him on my aids and straight. If I keep this throughout the canter transition, he will pick up the left lead when asked. I think a few more rides like this and the left lead canter will soon be no big deal!
After Silver came Captain. This is my first time riding Captain and he is really fun. He gets really tight though and it takes a while to work out his stiffness. S. got on him first and did some leg yields, shoulder in, haunches in etc.He seemed to be a little heavy in the bridle when S was warming him up, but once I got on he was better. I just did more loosening exercises and circles and a little bit of canter. He's really fun and apparently a pretty good jumper. We'll have to try it soon!
Next I got on Picasso just to give him a workout before his owner got on.It was funny getting on him after riding Silver and Captain because he has a really short neck and he's kind of small to begin with. It looked like there was nothing underneath me! He's a young horse too (about 3 or 4 not really sure) so I just tried to get him to relax and get his rythymn. I did lengthening down the long side and shortening on the short side. He also tried to resist picking up the left lead but I got it after a few tries. I just held him on my outside aides so he couldn't pop his shoulder.
Finally i got to ride my baby. I took a lesson with C. to see what it was like. It went okay but Deuce and I were both off because of all the different things going on. I was riding in a jumping saddle, and Deuce was unsure of what to do when he couldn't feel me sitting on his back ( I was riding in half seat and in 2 point. I think I need to do more canter in half seat or 2 point to get him used to his own rythymn and balance at the canter. I was tense and I think Deuce really feeds off my behavior. He did a few jumps really nicely but then he ran out on one of them. We let him stop and think, then lowered the fence tried it again and he was fine. After that though he just got even more flustered and decided that he would rather just stop instead of going anywhere near the jump. Again, I was tense too and this really affected him. I had to really push him to get him to trot and canter around the arena and show him it is really not a big deal. We ended the lesson just cantering and trotting around the arena and randomly going over poles and cavalettis. I think the lesson ended nicely and we got over our tension, but i feel bad that he got so worried. poor guy. Will try to have a nice easy ride tommorow and just let him have fun! He's such a great horse and I love him SOOO much. Mwah!
Monday, December 21, 2009
Oh if I had a trailer!
It would be so fun to just take Deuce places and not worry about how to get there. I could easily take him to lessons and clinics or out on a trail ride somewhere. I've been looking into Brenderups...you can pull them with your car...but I just want to make sure that whatever I buy is completely safe. Plus, buying a trailer is wishful thinking unless 8000 dollars materializes from somewhere...haha. If I decide against a Brenderup I'd have to get a truck too so that's even more money. It's fun to dream though...
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