|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2007 9:53 pm
LOL Thats funny and lucky you, I wish I rode in English more than Western.
By the way oh no!!!!! I hope you're allright!!!! by the way, poor Custer, I hope his arthritis isn't too painful for him, no worries I'm sure you'll get better soon.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2007 3:44 pm
Arrrrgh! I really need to bring my camera to the barn lol!!!
Friday Update:
Well, it was technically too hot to do anything, so I went out to he field and brought Riley in, I groomed him and made him shine before putting him in his stall to eat.
I brought the other horses in as the barn owner put together the feeds. Then I got to play wth the adorable barn puppy... he's starting to get big!
Sautrday Update:
Late night, early mornings... I hate them! I got a phone call on my cell phone at 1:30AM ... my boyfriend... boooy did he hear what I had to say for waking me up xD
Anywho... I went out this morning to beat the heat and get a little more accomplished with Riley. He was the new paddock that has grass up to their knees - and they just love it! their coats are too shiny too and now that the second part of the pasture is opened, they have more space to run with less mud.
I brought him in and ran a body brush over him (He wasn't dirty) and picked his feet. He's so good about it... I have major back issues so it hurts me to bend over to pick their feet. Well, with Riley all I have ot do is say "Up." and he'll pick it up for me. Sometimes I have to touch his leg but he's usually amazing about it. And I'm proud since I taught him this to make things easier on me.
Well, I saddled up... he stood perfectly still and I walked him outside to briefly lunge him. 5 minutes each direction - get smooth transitions for all gaits and then stop (No need to go longer, especially in this heat) and so I checked the cinch and bridled him. I put on my helmet and jumped on...
I did a lot of walking to start, a lot of circles, bending and asking the hind legs to cross over, practicing the one-rein-stop etc. before moving to the trot.
I've found, just letting him trot along the rail (He's speedy....) and get him to soften and relax, and I won't start circling and bending until he feels right. Everything went pretty well. Things are going a lot better for us, and after a couple more rides we can start to get back into the dressage exercises.
Poor boy, when I was done and turned him back out, his friends were brought in since the barn owner's were going for a ride. He was left all alone in the pasture... they were working in the round pen and since Riley could see them, he kept calling, biting at the fence ... so I went out there. Opened the gate and he trotted over with a look "OMG a friend!" and he fallowed me around the pasture (Cute!) and I sat in the grass while he grazed. He went nuts about being left alone...
OH and inbetween after the ride and sittng with him in the pasture, my nice Billy Cook saddle & bridle got a good cleaning. It looks great now... no more dust lol. The barn owner walked by and asked if I wanted to clean her's while I was at it lol... I know this is weird but I accutally like cleaning tack.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2007 11:10 pm
You must bring your camera, LOl, by the way aww how cute a puppy!
By the way how cute when Riley followed you and I'd go nuts like him if I was separated from my friends, awww you're not weird, no worries, I love cleaning tack too and what does your Billy Cook saddle look like?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 5:35 am
This is my Billy Cook Trail saddle
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e127/Neko_chick/DSC01158.jpg
I love it to pieces. Its comfortable, and I could sit in it for hours. Theres another Billy Cook out at the barn I like (I need a picture of it) but its real old, its the training saddle of my coach (it fits any horse! seriously... Full QH bar, fits my big QH and then its been used on skinny Arabs - both with perfect fit) and its an honor to ride in.
Yeah, the poor boy was so lonely and I was afraid he'd try to jump or break through the fence so I had to get in there
Update: Reflection
This weekend my trainer, Mike, told me to keep reflecting on what had happened throughout my lesson and why everything went the way it did. Well I was looking through Ray Hunt's website, and I found a few quotes I would like to share, that have to do with my relfection on my ride.
"My legs are as important as my arms and hands, if not more. I have a directing rein and leg, and a supporting rein and leg. You always direct, then support. When you go to the left, you should look to the left. If you are going to the right, you should be looking to the right. We need to understand how to fix it up, so the horse can come from the other side and do what we are asking him to do. I first direct the horse, then support." - Ray Hunt
"You try to develop a softness in the horse; a softness that weighs nothing." - Ray Hunt
"All I do is operate the life in the body, through the legs to the feet, through the mind." - Ray Hunt
"The thing you are trying to help the horse do is to use his own mind. You are trying to present something and then let him figure out how to get there." - Tom Dorrance
There are so many more...
I know why Riley came through for me the last few rides, it all was what I was doing with my legs. Riley likes to do the "I want to go this way! -canters and floats out-" but lately, its been "Oh no you don't -inside leg back, outside leg at girth, push around with both, inside rein back a bit (turn the head slightly in - raise if needed)-" annnnnd result, he fallows through with the turn and a softness is created in the reins as he gives.
That softness in the second quote, is the one I'm always acheiving - no weight in the reins, medium to long relaxed rein with room for them to move and their still in the right frame of mind. Since I took a shorter rein on Riley, he started to lean into it... take it back to a long rein, he doesn't lean, theres no weight and its soft.
I feel proud of myself and of my horse. Its been a long road but now we're on the right path at last.
All because of Mike and his ways of thinking - which is why I've been looking more into Ray Hunt, Tom and Bill Dorrance (They have/had that frame of thinking that brought me to a new place in the horse world, and I want to learn as much as possible and with them my budget allows it)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 1:56 pm
Thanks for the Link and wow, thats a nice saddle.
Awwww I bet he was lonely but at least he was with his friends.
I'm so glad to know that aong with you being proud of you and your horse, I would be proud of myself and my horses too. biggrin
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2007 11:17 am
UPDATE!
I'm excited here - Friday June 15th (Aka. Tomorrow) is my day off school. That's right, my tutor comes at 9am and after that is THE BARN. I have big plans...
I bought new batteries for my camera and I'm going to have my dad take lots of pictures and videos of me lunging Riley, riding at walk and trot (lope/canter if I feel things are good) I'm going to get some videos of our ground exercises and whatever else I can think of. Maybe I'll catch Riley doing something cute.
I'm doing some planning so I walk into that barn with a plan of what I'd like to accomplish and how I'm going to do it.
-deep breath-
I will edit this post and post the second half of the update as soon as I get home.
EDIT!
Today was great!
He was a bit high strung during our quick lunging session but he gave me the smooth transitions I was looking for after a couple bucks and he settled after a few minutes of trotting. He seems to be having trouble picking up the proper lead going left (On the ground)- so that we'll work on. He gets it, after a couple corrections.
Um he was excellent under saddle, we did turns on the haunches and forehand, backed up, practiced the one-rein-stop, some leg yeilding at the walk (A bit at the trot). This was part of my warm up in the beginning... and of course my dad wasn't around to get any videos of it.
However, he did get some of me trotting Riley, doing 20 meter circles etc. in one of the clips Riley breaks into a canter and tries to take me down to he far end. Ha! I beat him. after that I took him a full lap of the ring, circled at the far end, and then kept moving my circle back up to where I was. Riley was cool with it but he was bored doing the same circle.
I did some serpentines, but no videos of that sadly and then a brief jog before stopping. Oh, do note that between all this there were constant walk sessions to give my boy a break. It was sooo hot out! even with the breaks he wsa covered in sweat.
So, I finished by hosing him down and he was really good about the water this time, less moving away from it. Of course the moment I turned him back out with his buddies - what does he do? ROLLS!!! right in some manure too! I just rolled my eyes and laughed. Then they all took off for a good gallop around their pasture. I love those horses.
I got a picture of Riley in his favroite grazing spot and Eagle making a funny face at me.
I put all the video clips together into one large video instead of loading multiples onto Youtube. That will be posted as soon as its done loading and I'm working on the pictures now - so be sure to check for these in my scrapbook!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2007 7:58 pm
Thats great Child and awwwww! how cute!!! yeah a lot of horses sweat when running and does Riley like water? by the way I hope to see those new pictures and video.^^
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jun 16, 2007 4:52 am
Well Riley's funny about water, some days he'll circle and circle trying to get away from it like its going to kill him, and others he stands there like he could care less. He doesn't like spray bottles, but hoses seem to be okay.
It takes him a while to sweat (if its not dead hot), he's like the energizer bunny, he just keeps going and going and going lol.
EDIT:
Well, rode Riley yesterday - things were awesome. He was FULL of it. I lunged him and he let out so many bucks, it scares me how much power he's got. I think if he ever bucked with me on, I wouldn't stay on... those bucks are high and full of power. Its good to know I have a loving natured horse who has never bucked with a rider on him - only on the lunge line.
I took him outside and we did some turns on the haunches and walked around to warm up. Then, we trotted. Oh man was that messy at first... to the right, he didn't want to go along the rail - he wanted to stay on a 20 meter circle and so he'd cut in and throw his head around... ha well, I made him do a relaxed 20 meter circle and kept making it larger and larger until he was down to the other end of the arena. After that, no troubles about going down the long side lol.
Then, to the left... I was doing a 20 meter circle at the far end, and he wanted to go back to the gate. He started cantering and I didn't feel like I could bring him back and get him to commit to the circle, so I put my outside leg back - took with the outside rein and swung him around in a circle that way and got back on track. Lets just say he never tried it again after that... everything else was smooooth.
We had lots of walk breaks so he didn't work himself up. We did some great turns on the forehand, some leg yeilds and practiced a few one rein stops.
He was a good boy. Though when I was brushing him off after, there were people bringing in hay - they needed to plug in this yellow extension cord and boy did Riley not like it! he moved as far away from it as he could and he kept his eye on it the whole time I brushed him. He was happy to get out of those cross-ties when I went to turn him back out with his buddies... I had gotten him into the pasture and was about to take his halter off and he heard a loud noise and spooked and gave a buck. YEAH WITH ME HANGING ON TO THE LEAD - I think I nearly had a heart attack lol.
Well, once I did get it off, he galloped over to Dakota and Eagle, sniffed the ground and put in a good roll.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jun 23, 2007 8:32 pm
Thats funny and he bucked you off? anyway he was afraid of the extension cord? also I'm glad to hear that Riley is a good boy, I'm glad you hung on to the lead when he bucked.
Riley rolled as he sniffed the ground? thats cute.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jun 24, 2007 11:13 am
Update - very long... Pictures in my scrapbook
Well, our rides are going good. I had to stop the carrot streaches (only briefly) because Riley was getting pushy rolleyes so, we're doing some breif work in manners and NOT to n** mommy's fingers for the carrot. We'll get back to them shortly though.
I was having some issues of when I lunged him to the left, he'd pick up the wrong lead. So, with some questions and answers from many people (I thank everyone who put in their opinion) I stared trying to solve the issue. A lot of anwers were physical pain, so I had his saddle checked and his back checked. I checked his back (with assistance of course) and Riley was half asleep with his ears forward and lip quivering lol - no obvious pain. I checked before and after the ride and there was no signs of pain.
I put him on the cotton lunge line and put him out as far as I could, until we hit fences but it was a large circle... he's very senstive to he lunge whip (I discovered) so ... I had it sort of there, to remind him but I didn't use it. When I did ask for the cante, I waited till he was relaxed at the trot and just made the kissing sound until he struck off into the canter. Dong this to the left, he picked up the correct lead about 4/5 or 6 times.
Which was a LOT better. And then of course he was perfect going to the right (Thats our better direction)
I repeated the same thing with the saddle, and he was pretty good about it. He did trip at one point and that tensed him up, so he was starting to pick up the wrong lead again. I got 2 smooth transitions on the correct lead before asking him to come on. He got a good scratch and lots of praise.
I then rode. Now our ride went beautifully. He was quite an energetic hors... we did a good warm up before the lunging and before riding (we worked on the crest popping exercises), of lots of bending and streaching out. When I first trotted him, with me on him, I let him go all around the ring a few times - he was speedin' and I just gradally asked him to come back to me and soon he relaxed. We had started off going left (our tough direction where he constantly tests me) and I asked him to come across the arena to do a 20 meter circle and I was prepared for him to break into a canter and try to drift out and do his own thing... but... NOTHING! he came across, never thought about it, never tried it. I gradually let my reins out and we were trotting on a very long rein (Almost at the buckle) and he was streaching down and feeling good. He's working nicely and building some nice muscle.
I changed direction and repeated, he was excellent, we did some serpentines and lots of work on a 2 meter circle (In both directions) he's carrying himself, and he's doing good with the exercises Stargazer suggested.
I did ask him to canter to the left, to see if he'd pick up the correct lead, it was to asnwer a question an experienced horsewoman asked me about our problem. So, I asked. Yes, he picked up the correct lead - but he also tried to take off with me. rolleyes I shouldn't have done it... I really shouldn't have... but I did. I ended up doing the one-rein-stop to get him under control. I wanted to trot a circle and he tried again, so another one rein stop since I felt if I tried to bring him back like I usually would - I'd be at the other end of the arena and he'd have really won. So, I trotted the circe again, this time being really ahead and he broke to the canter but we came around on a nice 20 meter circle. I trotted it again, he tried again but once I pushed him around, he came back to the trot and we made a nice circle. I asked a few more times for that circle and he stayed relaxed and trotted them.
I know now, because of that mistake, he's going to test me in our next ride. Though as long as he doesn't succeed, we'll be okay and he should quit again. Though, I don't regret my mistak because how will we ever move forward if we don't try? I tired, and found out we're just not ready yet. So we took a step back, no biggie - we'll work at it and get back to where we were. Then, once their set in stone at the trot, we'll try the canter again. This time, I'll have a better plan and I'll be more ahead.
We all make mistakes, but how will we ever learn if we don't? My dad started yelling at me, and trying to instruct me on how to ride. The only thing I said in a firm mature voice. "How do you ever expect us to progress forward if I don't try?" and then I walked away. He knows nothing about horses but still acts as though he can instruct me on how to ride this horse. I really don't get it... -shrug-
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jun 24, 2007 5:59 pm
Thats great Child, and awww Riley made the kissing sound, how cuuute, by the way that sucks about your dad, a lot of dads think they know everything when it comes to horses and riding but they really don't know anything, how sad.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2007 10:54 am
Update
I've been working on the lunge line more with Riley. Monday we had an awesome ride.
When I lunged him, he spooked at something and bolted, he hit the end of the lung line (I bent my elbow and locked it, and held it at my side) he went into a bucking fit and pulled me 5 steps forward. I could have let go, but he would have gotten tangled and scared and hurt. Comforting words, take and release and a few clucks sent him on his way. When at the same time "Oh god please never do that with me on you" was running throug my head. He put his head between his legs and let it rip... lol I have never seen so much power in one buck before.
Then....
I thought we'd have a bit of trouble afer my mistake on Saturday. Well, I was able to ride Riley around on the end of my reins, he's such a good boy.
In our better direction, we're having a problem. He manages to cut into the inside and take me around in a 20 meter circle. rolleyes This is what I get for doing circles with him rofl well usually I catch it and make him go down the long side but I had difficulties with that yesterday.
I would have continued but he was getting worked up, he was starting to sweat bad and nothing gets accomplished with a horse who's starting to get worked up and anxious. So I cooled him out.
I went to hose him off, and guess what... he's like "NO! NO! NO! I WON'T GO NEAR IT!!!!" and kept side-stepping and backing up. Lol silly silly boy... he's seen this hose like millions of times before! well in the end he did get hosed off, but I think I came out just as soaked! rofl rofl heart
Then when I turned him out, Dakota was in a "Lets play!" mood and Riley trotted past me, getting into a "Okay okay, lets play!" and I'm like "AHHH! crap" well, he didn't try to drag me off heart but we had troubles getting his halter off, he wanted to run and eat - and I wanted ot take his halter off. I havn't had to do this in a while but I gave a quick pull on the lead and... he stood there and waited.
See, he can be a patient good boy - but... he also knows he weighs like 1000lbs and I weight like 110lbs. There are times when I have to be firm, because he's trying to pull away and go play but my safety is at stake when I'm that close to him with the lead line in my hand attached to his halter and he's wanting to run and buck... so he learned I have to wait till mommy takes off my halter and steps away
He's a good horse, and I love him to bits.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jun 27, 2007 11:44 pm
Awwww I'lm so glad you ove him to bits, I love all my horses to bits too, by the way serious? ouch! I hope you're allright, anyway you're doing circles with him? thats funny. rofl By the way how come he's afraid of the hose? anyway I'm glad you cooled and hosed him down, you got soaked? hahaha. rofl Wow he weighs a lot and awwww Riley and Dakota are so cute! 4laugh
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jun 28, 2007 9:27 am
Riley's funny about things like that... he'll be familiar with the object but some days he's just afraid of it. He's a silly boy but it was cute to watch him, he'd keep side stepping away from it - he arched his neck and kept looking at it. His ears were pricked forward and it was just all aroud cute.
Update!
Today we just had some fun bonding. Well, only because Wild Turkey's were running around in the outdoor arena xD ... well I groomed Riley and took him out to the round pen.
We did some stretching, I asked him to stretch his neck down to the ground. Then to each side (To grab the camera rofl ) and I stretched his legs... he was all "Whatcha doin?"
I free-lunged him and he was very good about trot to canter transitions. He picked up the correct lead to the left each time (YAY!).
We also worked on when I turn him in to face me that doesn't mean he gets to come to me. Well, I started off on a long line. I'd ask him to turn into face me, and he'd start to walk toward me. I said "Whoa!" firmly and gave a tug on the line. He stopped and looked at me. After a few moments Id either send him back out or ask him to come into my space.
Then I did it with no line... I asked him to face me and as soon as he started walking to ward me I said "Whoa" very firmly, and at one point I had to throw my hands up to keep him from coming into my space.
Eventually he got the point and he was doin' it like an old pro. Then we had some time together, just me and him... I sat in the dirt and let him do his own thing. He accutally decided to stay with me and he was sniffing and nibbling my hair and my shoes.
We did some pressure and release, and just sat there enjoying each others company. He got a few good scratches in his favorite spot (His belly, girth area, chin and ears)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jun 28, 2007 4:12 pm
Teehee thats funny and cute, by the way a wild turkeys? how funny!
I'm glad you and Riley are bonding together and he was sniffing at your hair and nibbling at your shoes? hiow cute! awww I always loved giving my horses belly rubs too! 4laugh
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
