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In a holding pattern
Nov. 2nd, 2006 11:47 amRode the Deputy a bit last night- he was actually really quiet on the lunge- usually he gallops a little and bucks, but not last night- maybe Peggy worked him earlier in the day. Tried cantering him for the first time- and he just about fell down. Must be my larger-than-Peggy's-behind or something. I've never ridden a horse that had real difficulty cantering on a 20 meter circle with a rider.
We did more of our usual walk/trot work after, and he's definitely steering better, but he pops his shoulder in a certain spot when we circle left and I've got to get better about countering this- it's hard because it throws me to the inside and I want to lock my outside rein and leg- I think it may be time to go ahead and introduce the whip- "Hello shoulder, I hear you're getting out of line? Tapity tap...". I'm also thinking that counterflexing a little will help, and he needs a different bit. The 5.5" snaffle I've been using is much too large- it hangs out about an inch on the sides of his mouth. His head is long but he has one of those little teacup muzzles. We did some very forward trotting and I got him fairly round, then let him alone in the corners and the walls seemed to help him a lot as far as balancing and bending.
He's being a really nice guy for a 4 year old OTTB stallion. His soundness problems are especially sad when you see him trying hard to please. He spooked a bit at the arena door (a big sliding garage door) opening and closing, and tripped over the mounting block, but he calmed down pretty quickly. The mounting block didn't upset him, he just sort of stumbled around it untill he remembered how to stand on the ground again.
We did more of our usual walk/trot work after, and he's definitely steering better, but he pops his shoulder in a certain spot when we circle left and I've got to get better about countering this- it's hard because it throws me to the inside and I want to lock my outside rein and leg- I think it may be time to go ahead and introduce the whip- "Hello shoulder, I hear you're getting out of line? Tapity tap...". I'm also thinking that counterflexing a little will help, and he needs a different bit. The 5.5" snaffle I've been using is much too large- it hangs out about an inch on the sides of his mouth. His head is long but he has one of those little teacup muzzles. We did some very forward trotting and I got him fairly round, then let him alone in the corners and the walls seemed to help him a lot as far as balancing and bending.
He's being a really nice guy for a 4 year old OTTB stallion. His soundness problems are especially sad when you see him trying hard to please. He spooked a bit at the arena door (a big sliding garage door) opening and closing, and tripped over the mounting block, but he calmed down pretty quickly. The mounting block didn't upset him, he just sort of stumbled around it untill he remembered how to stand on the ground again.
