Well, he is anyway.
Given his psycho brain when eating too much grass, I have been attempting to restrict his intake of the green stuff. And 'trying' is the operative word.
Simple electric tape is not enough: no, he can walk up to that and pop over.
Two lines of electric tape a meter apart, with flappy (supposed to be scary) plastic bags tied all over them is not enough; although he does muster a canter to pop over that.
Onto the tall standards...measured at between 1.20 and 1.30 high. That ought to stop him! Nope: all he needs is two canter strides off the turn and he is over.
Oh well: he's getting plenty of practice...although he did stay 'in' yesterday for some unknown reason.
Riding wise, I am slowly slowly gaining confidence and learning to keep my butt relaxed in the saddle even if I think he might do something.
His right canter lead has turned to custard however, with him anticipating a strike off every time I start to prepare him for canter...but off he toddles on the left lead, then that raking unco trot they do...rebalance....anticipate, left lead and here we go again....
I did manage to get it in the end yesterday, and I guess it is just green horses, one thing comes right and another goes out the back door.
I have however started to pop him over a few jumps again, which pleases him no end....first day the brakes left a lot to be desired, and we get some very 'boundy' canter strides immediately after the jump. Yesterday though, we managed to quietly trot over a related distance with just a couple of canter strides immediately after each jump, so that is all good.
I am sure that he laughs at my tiny jumps though. But, I know he can jump (he's shown me enough times) so it is the control and obedience that we need to establish before raising the height of the jumps. Nice too, that he doesnt even seem to notice filler.
Nearly three weeks since his last skedaddle, and on that occasion I can hardly blame him with Jackson galloping through the slopping splatty mud on the other side of the trees, while I am sedately wandering along on the buckle.....now that was fun - NOT.
Let us hope things will keep improving.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Decision Time ?
Have now had to work through some new ideas the pony had...i.e, if I lean down to cough, I can then put my head down and buck, which then means I am no longer working in that frame (which is such hard work) and I can skedaddle where I like :)
I 'think' we are now back to our plain old skedaddles which tend to remain somewhat constant to a greater or lesser extent - probably depending upon how confident (or not) I am feeling at the time.
Oh, and restricting his grass intake has absolutely definitely meant a saner horse (still naughty, but not demented). Difficulty is, that it is getting harder to restrict him. From trotting up to electric tape and popping over, he will now walk up to it, pop over, and within one stride have his head down eating.
Right you bugger, I thought, I'll stop that nonsense.
Up with a second electric tape, a good meter away from the first.
Raided the house for every plastic bag I could muster, and went about tying them all around the outside tape....yep; that'll be far too scary to jump.
Well, that lasted....oh, at a random guess....about ten minutes maximum. Although he does feel the need to pop into a canter to jump that.
Grrrrr.....so every morning when the boys go out, I put Willie in behind the scary plastic bag double tape (he was also rather feeling the effects of the grass), then in goes Sampson...then out comes Sampson....grrrr....I am just going to have to hope that the evening on hay and off the grass is enough to keep him sane; meantime he gets to practice jumping a couple of times each day.
Anywho: was really looking forward to the final Kaurilands day as he had been going great at home.
Arrived, having even washed and prettied up his tail (he has a lovely tail)...wearing his new (pink) headcollar and leadrope - which of course everyone dissed me about.
He was lovely and relaxed, went to warm up and initially he was relaxed, the whammo, game on. First was a head in the air and away we go....ha ha mum you cant stop me, then it was simply skedaddle after skedaddle with a mouth like rock and totally blocking with his shoulder. Not a pleasant feeling as there simply isnt much control. I am afraid I got off him, then felt awful for doing that, and got back on again for a repeat performance (three times!)...when we almost entered an arena at E, I thought maybe it was time to call it quits for the day....yet still feeling like the blighter had won....I know he was not upset, nervous, or worried; he was simply taking the mickey out of me...grrrr
Indeed, he was extremely relaxed standing in the middle of the warm up with horses milling all around.
However, during the week following I did continue to ride him, albeit with the odd moment of anxiety, and dealt with the skedaddles; not that he really did any. Back to the centre for a lesson, and the whole lesson was simply about me relaxing (and of course believing in myself that I can deal with it), so all back in the positive frame of mind again...yay.
However, I have had mum (and Dave) trying to tell me I should sell him, he's too much for me, I'm getting older etc etc....which really doesnt help the psyche when you are trying to build your belief in yourself.
Instructor put it in perspective which was JUST what I needed. Yes, you are capable of dealing with it, he's basically a sensible horse, but how about setting yourself a time frame: say, a year, and then decide.
Take him through Summer and see where you are at.
Obviously if one gets to the point where they are terrified to ride the horse, and dont enjoy it when they do, it is time.....but I actually LOVE riding him, he feels wonderful a lot of the time.....you do however have to stay awake; but then, that's young horses for you.
So, that is now decided.....no decisions yet....give it time, and dont pressure yourself into 'having' to compete just yet.
Onwards and upwards
:)
I 'think' we are now back to our plain old skedaddles which tend to remain somewhat constant to a greater or lesser extent - probably depending upon how confident (or not) I am feeling at the time.
Oh, and restricting his grass intake has absolutely definitely meant a saner horse (still naughty, but not demented). Difficulty is, that it is getting harder to restrict him. From trotting up to electric tape and popping over, he will now walk up to it, pop over, and within one stride have his head down eating.
Right you bugger, I thought, I'll stop that nonsense.
Up with a second electric tape, a good meter away from the first.
Raided the house for every plastic bag I could muster, and went about tying them all around the outside tape....yep; that'll be far too scary to jump.
Well, that lasted....oh, at a random guess....about ten minutes maximum. Although he does feel the need to pop into a canter to jump that.
Grrrrr.....so every morning when the boys go out, I put Willie in behind the scary plastic bag double tape (he was also rather feeling the effects of the grass), then in goes Sampson...then out comes Sampson....grrrr....I am just going to have to hope that the evening on hay and off the grass is enough to keep him sane; meantime he gets to practice jumping a couple of times each day.
Anywho: was really looking forward to the final Kaurilands day as he had been going great at home.
Arrived, having even washed and prettied up his tail (he has a lovely tail)...wearing his new (pink) headcollar and leadrope - which of course everyone dissed me about.
He was lovely and relaxed, went to warm up and initially he was relaxed, the whammo, game on. First was a head in the air and away we go....ha ha mum you cant stop me, then it was simply skedaddle after skedaddle with a mouth like rock and totally blocking with his shoulder. Not a pleasant feeling as there simply isnt much control. I am afraid I got off him, then felt awful for doing that, and got back on again for a repeat performance (three times!)...when we almost entered an arena at E, I thought maybe it was time to call it quits for the day....yet still feeling like the blighter had won....I know he was not upset, nervous, or worried; he was simply taking the mickey out of me...grrrr
Indeed, he was extremely relaxed standing in the middle of the warm up with horses milling all around.
However, during the week following I did continue to ride him, albeit with the odd moment of anxiety, and dealt with the skedaddles; not that he really did any. Back to the centre for a lesson, and the whole lesson was simply about me relaxing (and of course believing in myself that I can deal with it), so all back in the positive frame of mind again...yay.
However, I have had mum (and Dave) trying to tell me I should sell him, he's too much for me, I'm getting older etc etc....which really doesnt help the psyche when you are trying to build your belief in yourself.
Instructor put it in perspective which was JUST what I needed. Yes, you are capable of dealing with it, he's basically a sensible horse, but how about setting yourself a time frame: say, a year, and then decide.
Take him through Summer and see where you are at.
Obviously if one gets to the point where they are terrified to ride the horse, and dont enjoy it when they do, it is time.....but I actually LOVE riding him, he feels wonderful a lot of the time.....you do however have to stay awake; but then, that's young horses for you.
So, that is now decided.....no decisions yet....give it time, and dont pressure yourself into 'having' to compete just yet.
Onwards and upwards
:)
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Update
My goodness it has been a time of ups and downs. No sooner do I feel that I am making progess, when we seem to take a few steps backwards.
I scratched him from the last Kaurilands, as he was just too demented to even get his cover off the preceding day, let alone ride him (incidentally Willie had been totally jelly brained the previous day also).
For about a week, he was just beside himself.
I had restricted his grass, but given later developments, obviously not enough. Although one really likes to see their horses round and glossy in Winter, I guess rideability must come first.
He has, along with his two paddock mates, for the past week been brought in at night off the grass, and during the day he has his own smallish mud area with very little grass for daytime turnout. His hard feed also consists of predominantly meadow chaff, and I have now added back in a rice based feed.
The last four days, he has been fine. Although too wet and slippery in the paddock to do anything but trot, he basically hasnt put a foot wrong....funnily enough he has spooked less than Willie (although Willie does have the run of the big paddock during the day, and gets proper dinners).
Today, I even cantered him right around the paddock feeling that the wind had dried it out enough to be ok.....he again was absolutely fine, no spooks, no skedaddles, no naps, nothing. He did one (normal horse) type of baby skedaddle on the right rein; I halted him, then trotted on as if nothing had happened and he resumed good behaviour.
Now the scary thing, is that having committed our recent progress (and return of sanity), to black and white, does that mean I have now jinxed it?
Let us hope not!
I scratched him from the last Kaurilands, as he was just too demented to even get his cover off the preceding day, let alone ride him (incidentally Willie had been totally jelly brained the previous day also).
For about a week, he was just beside himself.
I had restricted his grass, but given later developments, obviously not enough. Although one really likes to see their horses round and glossy in Winter, I guess rideability must come first.
He has, along with his two paddock mates, for the past week been brought in at night off the grass, and during the day he has his own smallish mud area with very little grass for daytime turnout. His hard feed also consists of predominantly meadow chaff, and I have now added back in a rice based feed.
The last four days, he has been fine. Although too wet and slippery in the paddock to do anything but trot, he basically hasnt put a foot wrong....funnily enough he has spooked less than Willie (although Willie does have the run of the big paddock during the day, and gets proper dinners).
Today, I even cantered him right around the paddock feeling that the wind had dried it out enough to be ok.....he again was absolutely fine, no spooks, no skedaddles, no naps, nothing. He did one (normal horse) type of baby skedaddle on the right rein; I halted him, then trotted on as if nothing had happened and he resumed good behaviour.
Now the scary thing, is that having committed our recent progress (and return of sanity), to black and white, does that mean I have now jinxed it?
Let us hope not!
Monday, June 22, 2009
Dementia in one so Young
Yes, not only is Willie feeling the effects of the grass, but Sampson was literally unrideable on Saturday (well unrideable for a nanna that is; no doubt those younger and braver would have been fine).
Put his gear on, and led him around so he could watch others jumping and riding. He was interested, but not too worried it seemed.
Then out of the blue, and for no reason I could determine, he became Mr Leapy Passagie Pony!
Would snort, leap, tail up in the air and start grunting and passaging and leaping. Some ground work to get his attention back on me, then away he would go again. This carried on for some time, and then I (stupidly) thought I would get on him.
Clambered on at the mounting block, took a few walk steps and away he went again. I firmly attached myself with the 'oh shit' strap and pulled him round. But rather than stopping him quickly he continued to circle. Finally he stopped, and we tried again....several walk steps later we were again reeling round in ever decreasing circles (he must be amazingly well balanced).
I am afraid that all I achieved was that I got so dizzy I was wobbly and whoozy. Time to get off.
However, after being dosed up on Saturday night, I rode him in the carpark at WEC on the sunday, among floats and trucks, and apart from one (normal) little spook, he was absolutely fine, and doing a lovely trot also.
Hmmmm; obviously Winter grass can also have an evil effect.
It will be interesting to see if continued supplementation will result in him continuing to be rideable.
Time will no doubt tell!
Put his gear on, and led him around so he could watch others jumping and riding. He was interested, but not too worried it seemed.
Then out of the blue, and for no reason I could determine, he became Mr Leapy Passagie Pony!
Would snort, leap, tail up in the air and start grunting and passaging and leaping. Some ground work to get his attention back on me, then away he would go again. This carried on for some time, and then I (stupidly) thought I would get on him.
Clambered on at the mounting block, took a few walk steps and away he went again. I firmly attached myself with the 'oh shit' strap and pulled him round. But rather than stopping him quickly he continued to circle. Finally he stopped, and we tried again....several walk steps later we were again reeling round in ever decreasing circles (he must be amazingly well balanced).
I am afraid that all I achieved was that I got so dizzy I was wobbly and whoozy. Time to get off.
However, after being dosed up on Saturday night, I rode him in the carpark at WEC on the sunday, among floats and trucks, and apart from one (normal) little spook, he was absolutely fine, and doing a lovely trot also.
Hmmmm; obviously Winter grass can also have an evil effect.
It will be interesting to see if continued supplementation will result in him continuing to be rideable.
Time will no doubt tell!
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Kaurilands Dressage: 07.06.09 Day two
Beautiful beautiful weather!Sun shining and not a cloud in the sky.
6 x 5 nice steady trot, swung quarters at A, could show more imp,
9 x 6 a little off line after X but tracked up, fair into trot, fair loop, a little overbent
4 x 7 trot loop, both canters (‘smooth trans’)and trans to med walk
Prelim 1.6 ( low marks across whole class)
5 x 4 shld be long rein (walk) neck still restricted, ½ O too big (skedaddle from dog)
9 x 5 much better trot (lengthn)
1 x 6 L canter
94 = 47% (which isn’t bad for that judge!)
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
It's Skedaddle time!
This week's lesson, he started off much more 'heightened', and very soon showed the instructor his skedaddle mode. I did cope with the first one, then the second wasnt toooo bad, but the leap in the air and skedaddle was the one that got me!
Time to get off and see how it should be dealt with.
Nice to see however, that the skedaddles arent actually a reaction to anything I am doing, but just where he is at in that moment.
Was very good for me to see how they are dealt with, and then you just keep riding. He was actually very naughty.
Nice to see that with a skilled rider, capable of riding through the 'moments', he can look quite impressive at times. It's always great to see a good rider on one's horse!
After some work by the instructor getting his attention on her, and working through, it was my turn again, so I could feel what I should be aiming at. Then some work on serpentines, and shoulder ins, concentrating on keeping a VERY light contact with him supple and flexible, and working through from inside leg to outside rein.
Rode him again today (lesson yesterday) and yes we had a couple of skedaddle moments but I was very pleased to simply ride through them and just carry on with whatever I had been doing beforehand.
There is hope for me yet!
Time to get off and see how it should be dealt with.
Nice to see however, that the skedaddles arent actually a reaction to anything I am doing, but just where he is at in that moment.
Was very good for me to see how they are dealt with, and then you just keep riding. He was actually very naughty.
Nice to see that with a skilled rider, capable of riding through the 'moments', he can look quite impressive at times. It's always great to see a good rider on one's horse!
After some work by the instructor getting his attention on her, and working through, it was my turn again, so I could feel what I should be aiming at. Then some work on serpentines, and shoulder ins, concentrating on keeping a VERY light contact with him supple and flexible, and working through from inside leg to outside rein.
Rode him again today (lesson yesterday) and yes we had a couple of skedaddle moments but I was very pleased to simply ride through them and just carry on with whatever I had been doing beforehand.
There is hope for me yet!
Friday, May 29, 2009
Lesson, 28.05.09
Having turned into a jellified nanna (as opposed to the normal nanna state), the instructor got on him first. He looked like a totally 'normal' horse (first time I have really seen him ridden), and trotted forward round the carpark with nary a look at anything.
then across the road and into the sand arena...
Apart from a wee spook at the big puddle, he was absolutely fine; ditto the grass arena with not even a spook. Oh boy, did I feel dumb! Goes to show how much they feed off of us.
He did have a wee tanty when asked to flex each way, and stiffened totally, however she soon got through that.
He really looked quite nice ridden. He moves straight and seems to have a nice rhythm, and at the canter there looks to be a wee moment of suspension, so plenty to work with. He did one moment of shortening and starting to passage when some horses were moved up the hill behind him; I was told to ENJOY it when that happens, and just go with it.
So, onto my turn....
Just need to keep the nerves in check, and resist the temptation to shorten the reins.
He was absolutely fine, and even when a horse TOTALLY crashed a jump behind him, just leapt forward a bit, then back to rhythmic trotting...(Willie would have reacted more to be honest).
He needs me to reassure him when he is feeling insecure; rather than me grabbing on tight, and supporting his notion that things might just be a bit too scary!
Oh well, just keep working at it I guess. (Rode him the following day, and all was great!)
And here he is sporting his new hair cut. He was absolutely GREAT to clip, apart from the difficulties clipping when they are trying to smooch.
then across the road and into the sand arena...
Apart from a wee spook at the big puddle, he was absolutely fine; ditto the grass arena with not even a spook. Oh boy, did I feel dumb! Goes to show how much they feed off of us.
He did have a wee tanty when asked to flex each way, and stiffened totally, however she soon got through that.
He really looked quite nice ridden. He moves straight and seems to have a nice rhythm, and at the canter there looks to be a wee moment of suspension, so plenty to work with. He did one moment of shortening and starting to passage when some horses were moved up the hill behind him; I was told to ENJOY it when that happens, and just go with it.
So, onto my turn....
Just need to keep the nerves in check, and resist the temptation to shorten the reins.
He was absolutely fine, and even when a horse TOTALLY crashed a jump behind him, just leapt forward a bit, then back to rhythmic trotting...(Willie would have reacted more to be honest).
He needs me to reassure him when he is feeling insecure; rather than me grabbing on tight, and supporting his notion that things might just be a bit too scary!
Oh well, just keep working at it I guess. (Rode him the following day, and all was great!)
And here he is sporting his new hair cut. He was absolutely GREAT to clip, apart from the difficulties clipping when they are trying to smooch.
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