![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Spring is in the air
Mar. 27th, 2008 08:53 pmGot home earlier than I expected, so I got to ride outside. The weather was a little cool and there were some clouds, but it was mostly mild and it felt wonderful to be out.
Trudi has begun to shed a bit more seriously- I'm now getting enough hair per grooming to build a small cat. When we get to the point where I can build another horse, I'll know we're REALLY getting somewhere.
I took her outside and my mantra was Relax, Are your legs relaxed? Relax. Are your arms relaxed? Relax..."
I don't know if it was this or the thousand transitions I did Tuesday night, but it seemed to work. Trudi settled much more quickly than usual, only spooking at a metal bucket sitting overturned in the corner, and a chunk of styrafoam along the rail (and once a stone she kicked against the fence- way to scare YOURSELF, ninny). But the spooks tended to be small and she got over them fast. I told myself to step to the inside, wiggle the rein instead of pulling back, ignore it, relax, ignore, relax, leg off, leg on, rinse, repeat. And it seemed to really help.
We did some slower tempo trot work and she did a good job of bringing her back up and reaching to the bit. We cantered and totally blew the lead to the left when I cued at the wrong moment- and she picked it up correctly as soon as I brought her back and asked again. The canter was really good- pretty relaxed and no rushing, and I managed to get her to slow the tempo more than usual and reach with her hind legs- which was so great. Rolling seas vs. choppy ones- we rode the wave. I think she really liked it- I would straighten her a bit, give a bit of leg and half halt, and ask for a longer, slower stride, and her ears would flick and her stride would get smoother. As a result we had a fabulous trot transition- relaxed, smooth, balanced, no rushing. I made a big deal out of her and she seemed pretty smug.
Going the other way, she was like "More canter please" and kept slipping smoothly into the canter when I even started to think about it. I told her "No, we're not going to canter yet..." and as soon as she heard me SAY the C word boom another perfect canter transition. Goofball. I couldn't help but laugh, she was SO proud of herself. We managed to eventually get the canter when I cued for it, and it was almost as good as the other way- got the longer, smoother strides, and the same fabulous trot transition, and at that point I patted her and hopped off and walked her to cool out.
On our way around the arena spooky styrafoam piece scared her, so I picked it up and let her sniff it, then touched her with it, then dropped it on the ground near her repeatedly till she quit shying at it. Then we walked around the arena as I kicked it in front of me. She wasn't worried at all about it by the time we were done, even when I kicked it so that it landed on her hoof- so maybe there's hope that she'll become bombproof someday.
Trudi has begun to shed a bit more seriously- I'm now getting enough hair per grooming to build a small cat. When we get to the point where I can build another horse, I'll know we're REALLY getting somewhere.
I took her outside and my mantra was Relax, Are your legs relaxed? Relax. Are your arms relaxed? Relax..."
I don't know if it was this or the thousand transitions I did Tuesday night, but it seemed to work. Trudi settled much more quickly than usual, only spooking at a metal bucket sitting overturned in the corner, and a chunk of styrafoam along the rail (and once a stone she kicked against the fence- way to scare YOURSELF, ninny). But the spooks tended to be small and she got over them fast. I told myself to step to the inside, wiggle the rein instead of pulling back, ignore it, relax, ignore, relax, leg off, leg on, rinse, repeat. And it seemed to really help.
We did some slower tempo trot work and she did a good job of bringing her back up and reaching to the bit. We cantered and totally blew the lead to the left when I cued at the wrong moment- and she picked it up correctly as soon as I brought her back and asked again. The canter was really good- pretty relaxed and no rushing, and I managed to get her to slow the tempo more than usual and reach with her hind legs- which was so great. Rolling seas vs. choppy ones- we rode the wave. I think she really liked it- I would straighten her a bit, give a bit of leg and half halt, and ask for a longer, slower stride, and her ears would flick and her stride would get smoother. As a result we had a fabulous trot transition- relaxed, smooth, balanced, no rushing. I made a big deal out of her and she seemed pretty smug.
Going the other way, she was like "More canter please" and kept slipping smoothly into the canter when I even started to think about it. I told her "No, we're not going to canter yet..." and as soon as she heard me SAY the C word boom another perfect canter transition. Goofball. I couldn't help but laugh, she was SO proud of herself. We managed to eventually get the canter when I cued for it, and it was almost as good as the other way- got the longer, smoother strides, and the same fabulous trot transition, and at that point I patted her and hopped off and walked her to cool out.
On our way around the arena spooky styrafoam piece scared her, so I picked it up and let her sniff it, then touched her with it, then dropped it on the ground near her repeatedly till she quit shying at it. Then we walked around the arena as I kicked it in front of me. She wasn't worried at all about it by the time we were done, even when I kicked it so that it landed on her hoof- so maybe there's hope that she'll become bombproof someday.
