Many of you may remember a few years ago when I called upon the Lead Fairy to come down and pay Johnny a visit, which said fairy so generously did when Johnny suddenly began picking up his right lead canter. The same Lead Fairy must have paid Cool a visit over the past week because
WE DID FLYING LEAD CHANGES TONIGHT!
The left to right change wasn't very clean, but the right to left was almost perfect! I was SO proud of him!! This is the first time that I have ever really asked him for a flying change, lately it has just been simple lead changes. He was awfully fresh tonight, so I can only assume that this helped him a lot, but I was just SO pleased and amazed by him! We did a single canter pole, a 4 stride line of canter poles and then a set of 9ft bounce poles, followed by a small vertical on the diagonal before working on the lead changes. After riding, I fed him TONS of cookies and took him out for grass. After grooming him back off, I linimented his legs and bandaged them all just to be safe. His hind leg swelling has gone back to normal with a little bute, turnout, liniment, ice and stable bandages. I want to make sure that it stays this way! I didn't give Cool any bute today, so I am curious to hack him early tomorrow morning (before heading to the show again to groom) and see how he feels without the bute in his system. I'm wondering if he was so good today because he still had the bute in his system? I'll be curious to see...I think that he really need to see a chiropractor and get his back adjusted.
I didn't get to ride Emmy today, but that's alright because she was a LOON when I rode her the other night. Which is wonderful, because it means that my old lady is still feeling good, but she actually considered bucking me off! (Cool also threw a couple bucks in after jumping today...he was just full of himself!) I'm glad she feels so good, I can't wait to ride them tomorrow morning. I'm really trying to get back in riding shape...I used to ride so well and now my equitation is really terrible...and I haven't jumped anything of a reasonable size in FOREVER.
I keep taking my camera to the barn and then forgetting to use it...I wish I would have gotten a video today :(
Peace.Love.Ponies.
Showing posts with label lead change. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lead change. Show all posts
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Monday, May 10, 2010
The Cold Weather Creaks
Thank you to everyone who commented on my last post! If anyone else has any thing to add or any comments or suggestions please feel free!
The past few days have been quite cold here in Northeastern Ohio, not to mention the ENORMOUS amounts of rain which have left the riding field sogggyyyyy. Today the temperature barely hit 60 by late afternoon....my friend at the race track told me today that it was 33 during his morning gallops! Emmy and Johnny aren't huge fans of cold weather. While Johnny prefers it to be a little cooler because he sweats a lot, both of them get pretty creaky when the cold comes, especially when we went from 80 to 50 in the matter of a few days!
Today I only worked a half day because the barn where I work is closed to clients on Mondays. It was so nice to get out early! I stopped at the barn on the way home to clean my stalls and say hello to Em and John in the pasture and then I went home for a nap! I've just felt so sleep deprived lately! I slept for about an hour and a half and work up feeling refreshed, went back to the barn and brought Emmy in from the field to clean her up and take her for a ride. Even though he was still outside with the group, Johnny was behind the barn screaming for her for like 10 minutes after I took her away. Does he really like her that much? I don't think so...I think she's just the only horse in the herd who likes him! She's his only friend!
I saddle Emmy and took her for a hack in the woods. We warmed up with some trot sets up and down the drive and then cantered through the apple orchard and up through the back field. She was hanging on me pretty bad, which is mainly because I just haven't ridden her all that much since she's been home. The weather hasn't cooperated much and there's only so much I can do with her out on the trails while I wait for the riding field to dry again. We did some leg-yielding back and forth across the drive and then I worked her hanging in the canter by cantering short sets, bringing her to a walk and then asking her for the other lead (on a straight line) essentially she was doing simple lead changes down the road. It did help her get lighter in her shoulders and it also helped when I reminded myself to use my body to ask for the downward transition before the reins. I brought her back mildly sweaty under the saddle pad, which is good for her because she's not much of a sweater.
Johnny was next. After I brought the horses in, fed and let him digest for a while I cleaned him up and took him back in the riding field. The ground was still pretty soft, but along the fence line was good so I did what I could with him. At first, I thought he was lame he started so stiff and wonky, which is really unlike him. The footing may have been a small factor, but he worked out of it so who knows? He also had a mysterious swelling on the right side of his neck today. It pretty big and hot and starting to drain down and form a little pouch under his neck. I think he may have gotten kicked, because it's too big to be a bug bite. It didn't seem to bother him to ride so I kept on going and after we cantered his trot got better. We worked over a couple cavaletti, worked on some bending in the trot and then did a few simple lead changes on the diagonal. He was very good, but I see some of our old problems starting to come back (bulging the shoulder, dropping the shoulder, heavy on the forehand, hips not staying straight...) It's really hard to keep up with his training when I don't have an arena with level footing, or at the moment, even dry footing for that matter. The barn next door told me I could pay to use their outdoor, but even their outdoor arena is still on a hill, which doesn't solve anything but the footing problem and if I wait a week my footing will be dry and I can ride on un-level ground for free. What a predicament huh? I talked to C and as soon as I get paid we are going to haul the horses to the polo fields and ride in the rings there. Maybe we can get something actually accomplished?
The weather man is calling for rain all week. Gahhh.
Peace.Love.Ponies.
The past few days have been quite cold here in Northeastern Ohio, not to mention the ENORMOUS amounts of rain which have left the riding field sogggyyyyy. Today the temperature barely hit 60 by late afternoon....my friend at the race track told me today that it was 33 during his morning gallops! Emmy and Johnny aren't huge fans of cold weather. While Johnny prefers it to be a little cooler because he sweats a lot, both of them get pretty creaky when the cold comes, especially when we went from 80 to 50 in the matter of a few days!
Today I only worked a half day because the barn where I work is closed to clients on Mondays. It was so nice to get out early! I stopped at the barn on the way home to clean my stalls and say hello to Em and John in the pasture and then I went home for a nap! I've just felt so sleep deprived lately! I slept for about an hour and a half and work up feeling refreshed, went back to the barn and brought Emmy in from the field to clean her up and take her for a ride. Even though he was still outside with the group, Johnny was behind the barn screaming for her for like 10 minutes after I took her away. Does he really like her that much? I don't think so...I think she's just the only horse in the herd who likes him! She's his only friend!
I saddle Emmy and took her for a hack in the woods. We warmed up with some trot sets up and down the drive and then cantered through the apple orchard and up through the back field. She was hanging on me pretty bad, which is mainly because I just haven't ridden her all that much since she's been home. The weather hasn't cooperated much and there's only so much I can do with her out on the trails while I wait for the riding field to dry again. We did some leg-yielding back and forth across the drive and then I worked her hanging in the canter by cantering short sets, bringing her to a walk and then asking her for the other lead (on a straight line) essentially she was doing simple lead changes down the road. It did help her get lighter in her shoulders and it also helped when I reminded myself to use my body to ask for the downward transition before the reins. I brought her back mildly sweaty under the saddle pad, which is good for her because she's not much of a sweater.
Johnny was next. After I brought the horses in, fed and let him digest for a while I cleaned him up and took him back in the riding field. The ground was still pretty soft, but along the fence line was good so I did what I could with him. At first, I thought he was lame he started so stiff and wonky, which is really unlike him. The footing may have been a small factor, but he worked out of it so who knows? He also had a mysterious swelling on the right side of his neck today. It pretty big and hot and starting to drain down and form a little pouch under his neck. I think he may have gotten kicked, because it's too big to be a bug bite. It didn't seem to bother him to ride so I kept on going and after we cantered his trot got better. We worked over a couple cavaletti, worked on some bending in the trot and then did a few simple lead changes on the diagonal. He was very good, but I see some of our old problems starting to come back (bulging the shoulder, dropping the shoulder, heavy on the forehand, hips not staying straight...) It's really hard to keep up with his training when I don't have an arena with level footing, or at the moment, even dry footing for that matter. The barn next door told me I could pay to use their outdoor, but even their outdoor arena is still on a hill, which doesn't solve anything but the footing problem and if I wait a week my footing will be dry and I can ride on un-level ground for free. What a predicament huh? I talked to C and as soon as I get paid we are going to haul the horses to the polo fields and ride in the rings there. Maybe we can get something actually accomplished?
The weather man is calling for rain all week. Gahhh.
Peace.Love.Ponies.
Friday, April 2, 2010
The Lead Fairy
The Lead Fairy must have paid Johnny a visit since the jumper show. I've only ridden him twice since then, but suddenly he totally understands right lead canter...it's just about all he wants to do now! In both of our last rides we've been doing neat and clean simple lead changes through a figure 8! It seems like he finally figured out what to do with his inside hind when cantering on the right lead. He's much more willing to reach through with it now instead of just digging it into the ground and leaping through corners. I've changed around our training schedule slightly and I'm only working Johnny every other day now, instead of schooling everyday. He seems to come to the ring with a little better attitude and more energy, which makes accomplishing things like leads and lead changes a whole lot easier. On the days that I don't ride him, I make sure that he gets out while E hacks Emmy. Granted, both of my horses get out every day, but since we are on partial self care they only get out when I put them out. For Emmy, half an hour to 45 minutes is sufficient for her. Of course, she likes to stay out longer, but she won't through a fit if she only gets out for 45 minutes. She's getting old now (23 this month!) and prefers not to stand out in the rain/snow/beating down sun. Johnny on the other hand MUST have his outdoor time. Oh, he won't actively complain about 45 minutes, but he just comes to the schooling ring with a much better mind set if he can have an hour and a half or so. In the summer, when my horses go home, they will spend all day outdoors until it gets too hot, in which case they will spend all night outside, so I make sure they always get ample turnout at home. Sometimes though, with school it's not always possible, although next week I FINALLY will have a car here, so it will definitely increase their turnout time.
Either way though, it seems like the extra time has made a direct impact on Johnny's mind set and willingness in the schooling pen. Hopefully this will keep up! Tomorrow we are going to do some dressage work outside (the ring is finally dry and dragged!!) and then maybe go for a hack down the road. Next week we are going to start working over fences off the right lead and then Thursday I'm heading down to Equine Affaire :) We will see what goodies I can pick up from the clinics down there!
Yay for almost having a "real" horse with both leads established! I would say we are making excellent progress. Who knows...maybe in a few months we will be going Training Level in dressage? It's worth hoping for!
I'll try for videos tomorrow!
Peace.Love.Ponies.
Either way though, it seems like the extra time has made a direct impact on Johnny's mind set and willingness in the schooling pen. Hopefully this will keep up! Tomorrow we are going to do some dressage work outside (the ring is finally dry and dragged!!) and then maybe go for a hack down the road. Next week we are going to start working over fences off the right lead and then Thursday I'm heading down to Equine Affaire :) We will see what goodies I can pick up from the clinics down there!
Yay for almost having a "real" horse with both leads established! I would say we are making excellent progress. Who knows...maybe in a few months we will be going Training Level in dressage? It's worth hoping for!
I'll try for videos tomorrow!
Peace.Love.Ponies.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Form=Function: Finding the "Neutral Position"
Today was really a break-through ride for Johnny and I today. In preparation for the show this weekend I set up a small course of jumps to let him jump around a bit and see where we were at...he hasn't jumped a full course in a really long time and my biggest worry for this weekend is that he's just going to loose his focus.
He was quite fresh starting out. He really has only been hacked once since last Friday because I have been sick. Our ride started off with quite a bit of "dolphin-ing" and leaping in the air at the canter, but I've learned that if I just sit back and slip Johnny the reins he finishes playing much quicker when he realizes that he's allowed to. This was a big realization for me, the fact that Johnny isn't one of those horses who like to be "mirco-managed" around the ring...a big change from Emmy who needed you there for her all the time.
Anyone who rides knows that, as riders, our trainers are always stressing to us the importance of "position" on our horses. With my first trainer (whom I occasionally still take lessons from) I got the dressage aspect of position infused with her unique interest in the mechanics of horse and rider working as one. In the early stages of Johnny's training, we benefited from her lessons because Johnny had so many physical problems to overcome. My first trainer helped me to understand the use of my body as his physical therapist, helping him to balance backwards when he wanted to just throw his weight forward and fall into a running trot. For a harness horse who has only ever known to throw his weight forward into the harness, the concept of lifting the shoulder and rounding the back can be very intimidating.
When I came to college and started riding with M, I began to understand more of the hunter aspect of position...of what she called a "neutral position" in which the rider did not interfere with the horse's natural movement and in doing so, allowed the horse to move freely underneath the rider. This was a concept that I understood well in theory, but could never quite transfer over to my rides with Johnny. Granted, I rarely rode Johnny under the watchful eye of trainer, and although I soon learned how to best influence his trot, I could not find the same happy medium in canter and I could rarely find it to a jump, because I rarely saw a distance on him. If I micro-managed, we chipped. If got into my half seat and left him alone, we went long. There seemed to be no in between. For a long time, I attributed it to his green-ness over fences. His own inability to judge the distance to the jump, his lack of athletic ability and maybe just lack of experience to adjust his stride. In reality, that was only part of the problem. The main problem was that I couldn't find that neutral balance where I could best let him do his job.
That is where today's ride comes in. It was a real break through for Johnny and myself. For Johnny, he LANDED HIS RIGHT LEAD CANTER OVER THE JUMPS (over the jump on the diagonal he landed the right lead every time and he landed it once off an oxer on the quarter line, then another time landed in a cross canter and did a SIMPLE CHANGE to the right lead! WOOOHOOOO!!!!) For me, it was learning to stay out of his way. We cantered into a two stride and literally hit perfection...we got the perfect distance to the first jump, two perfect stride between, a perfect distance out and then landed in a well balanced canter on the back side which he held for two entire laps around the ring. I finally realized the true meaning of a neutral position on him where I just let him do his job. Johnny is happiest on a longer rein, with me an a three point position...not quite sitting, but not quite a half seat, with a supportive, hugging leg. From this position, we can do anything...including simple lead changes! He cantered his right lead so much today...so willingly too! It was one of our best rides to date and I think we learned a whole ton from it too!
Peace.Love.Ponies.
He was quite fresh starting out. He really has only been hacked once since last Friday because I have been sick. Our ride started off with quite a bit of "dolphin-ing" and leaping in the air at the canter, but I've learned that if I just sit back and slip Johnny the reins he finishes playing much quicker when he realizes that he's allowed to. This was a big realization for me, the fact that Johnny isn't one of those horses who like to be "mirco-managed" around the ring...a big change from Emmy who needed you there for her all the time.
Anyone who rides knows that, as riders, our trainers are always stressing to us the importance of "position" on our horses. With my first trainer (whom I occasionally still take lessons from) I got the dressage aspect of position infused with her unique interest in the mechanics of horse and rider working as one. In the early stages of Johnny's training, we benefited from her lessons because Johnny had so many physical problems to overcome. My first trainer helped me to understand the use of my body as his physical therapist, helping him to balance backwards when he wanted to just throw his weight forward and fall into a running trot. For a harness horse who has only ever known to throw his weight forward into the harness, the concept of lifting the shoulder and rounding the back can be very intimidating.
When I came to college and started riding with M, I began to understand more of the hunter aspect of position...of what she called a "neutral position" in which the rider did not interfere with the horse's natural movement and in doing so, allowed the horse to move freely underneath the rider. This was a concept that I understood well in theory, but could never quite transfer over to my rides with Johnny. Granted, I rarely rode Johnny under the watchful eye of trainer, and although I soon learned how to best influence his trot, I could not find the same happy medium in canter and I could rarely find it to a jump, because I rarely saw a distance on him. If I micro-managed, we chipped. If got into my half seat and left him alone, we went long. There seemed to be no in between. For a long time, I attributed it to his green-ness over fences. His own inability to judge the distance to the jump, his lack of athletic ability and maybe just lack of experience to adjust his stride. In reality, that was only part of the problem. The main problem was that I couldn't find that neutral balance where I could best let him do his job.
That is where today's ride comes in. It was a real break through for Johnny and myself. For Johnny, he LANDED HIS RIGHT LEAD CANTER OVER THE JUMPS (over the jump on the diagonal he landed the right lead every time and he landed it once off an oxer on the quarter line, then another time landed in a cross canter and did a SIMPLE CHANGE to the right lead! WOOOHOOOO!!!!) For me, it was learning to stay out of his way. We cantered into a two stride and literally hit perfection...we got the perfect distance to the first jump, two perfect stride between, a perfect distance out and then landed in a well balanced canter on the back side which he held for two entire laps around the ring. I finally realized the true meaning of a neutral position on him where I just let him do his job. Johnny is happiest on a longer rein, with me an a three point position...not quite sitting, but not quite a half seat, with a supportive, hugging leg. From this position, we can do anything...including simple lead changes! He cantered his right lead so much today...so willingly too! It was one of our best rides to date and I think we learned a whole ton from it too!
Peace.Love.Ponies.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Back on his feet...so far, so good
Johnny's had almost a week off now since his first colic episode at the beginning of last week and has shown considerable improvement since Saturday's illness. We made a few diet changes and he's been getting mineral oil out the wazoo to hopefully get his digestive system working properly again. I'm going to start him on some Probiotics but I don't have any up at school (usually Emmy is the one with digestive upsets!) so that will have to wait until we ship home this weekend for winter break.
Yesterday I put him on the lunge for about 15 minutes and let him play a bit. He was getting SO bored not being ridden and it was starting to reflect a little in his sour attitude. He gets exceedingly pushy when he's cranky -.-
Anyway, so I stuck him on the lunge for a bit and boy was he fresh! Usually he is one of those horses that you have to fling a whip at to get him to go anywhere and so I brought one into the arena just in case, but as soon as I picked it up he was adios; squealing and leaping and attempting to buck and kick out. Unfortunatly he's so uncoordinated that it wasn't really working. It was actually really funny to watch because he would canter and then buck and kind of trip himself and have to trot a step or two and then canter again...poor horse lol. The good news is that we cantered on both leads right away and he seemed to have a much fresher attitude afterwards.
Today E and I hacked him a little and he was excellent! E rode first and he looked to happy and relaxed going around that his back was actually swinging and he wanted to drop his head down a bit. His left lead canter has gotten soooo much better! After she trotted and cantered a bit I got on and worked on his right lead, which he gave me easily on the second try. After that he got it right away when I asked him, cantered down the long side and around the corner before breaking. I don't usually push him much...I'll take what I can get at this stage!
He was really, really soft and supple today though. His sitting trot was really good and he was bending right away off my aides and moving away from my inside leg when I asked him (he looovvveeessss to drop his inside shoulder.) His right canter (funny thing...) is actually better than his left lead as far as the quality of the gait goes. Strange that the lead that was so hard to learn is actually the better balanced one... We also got a really nice simple change left to right across the diaganol. I played with him once a while ago to see if he would do it and he did right away, so now I work it into our daily "right lead canter" work. He learns A LOT from repetition and then tries to anticipate what you want, which I'm spinning to my advantage with this whole lead change thing. If I can routinely canter him across the diaganol and ask him for a simple change, we might be well on our way to a left to right flying :)
As for me, I'm getting ready to start packing up the apartment and heading home for winter break. Johnny is shipping home Saturday and I will be right behind him with a car full of stuff. It's back to the farm for us in just a few days! I will miss my indoor arena...lol
Now it is time to start packing!
Peace.Love.Ponies.
Yesterday I put him on the lunge for about 15 minutes and let him play a bit. He was getting SO bored not being ridden and it was starting to reflect a little in his sour attitude. He gets exceedingly pushy when he's cranky -.-
Anyway, so I stuck him on the lunge for a bit and boy was he fresh! Usually he is one of those horses that you have to fling a whip at to get him to go anywhere and so I brought one into the arena just in case, but as soon as I picked it up he was adios; squealing and leaping and attempting to buck and kick out. Unfortunatly he's so uncoordinated that it wasn't really working. It was actually really funny to watch because he would canter and then buck and kind of trip himself and have to trot a step or two and then canter again...poor horse lol. The good news is that we cantered on both leads right away and he seemed to have a much fresher attitude afterwards.
Today E and I hacked him a little and he was excellent! E rode first and he looked to happy and relaxed going around that his back was actually swinging and he wanted to drop his head down a bit. His left lead canter has gotten soooo much better! After she trotted and cantered a bit I got on and worked on his right lead, which he gave me easily on the second try. After that he got it right away when I asked him, cantered down the long side and around the corner before breaking. I don't usually push him much...I'll take what I can get at this stage!
He was really, really soft and supple today though. His sitting trot was really good and he was bending right away off my aides and moving away from my inside leg when I asked him (he looovvveeessss to drop his inside shoulder.) His right canter (funny thing...) is actually better than his left lead as far as the quality of the gait goes. Strange that the lead that was so hard to learn is actually the better balanced one... We also got a really nice simple change left to right across the diaganol. I played with him once a while ago to see if he would do it and he did right away, so now I work it into our daily "right lead canter" work. He learns A LOT from repetition and then tries to anticipate what you want, which I'm spinning to my advantage with this whole lead change thing. If I can routinely canter him across the diaganol and ask him for a simple change, we might be well on our way to a left to right flying :)
As for me, I'm getting ready to start packing up the apartment and heading home for winter break. Johnny is shipping home Saturday and I will be right behind him with a car full of stuff. It's back to the farm for us in just a few days! I will miss my indoor arena...lol
Now it is time to start packing!
Peace.Love.Ponies.
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