3/27/11

Yay!! No crow-hops today. I'm hoping she is finally getting over the spring time sillies. She was paying a lot more attention to me, but still had a little bit of ADD going on when she saw other horses. We worked on bending to the right. I'm going to have to figure out what I am doing wrong..whether it's my hands, legs/feet, weight...or everything, because she is just so stiff and it's frustrating when she stiffly turns. I know all horses have a harder side and that's it for her. It'd make sense since I am right handed and horses are usually think opposite and with how her and I are alike, it would only make sense for her to be left handed/sided. The oddest thing about that is my left leg is stronger than my right, when a few years ago it was the opposite. 

We had a few little disagreements yesterday but not a whole lot. I'm also trying to get her to work off of the rail. She's too used to going and being on it so we mostly only fought about that. She did better as our training session wore on though. She's not fighting, playing, grabbing at, or going through the bit anymore. She still plays with it but I don't mind that as much as I did the grabbing and pulling, then running through it. I did have a dentist check her out, not time to float her yet and no notice of wolf teeth coming in so it's not a pain thing. Unless they're just starting to come in and it's at the "sore" stage where it hurts. I remember that all too well as a kid so I can relate, poor thing. She would go BTV quite a bit, but using a lot of leg to push her forward again usually popped her out. 

All-in-All, I am super happy with how well she went yesterday. I didn't have to put her in the hackamore. Seems she learned her lesson with that, LOL. Hopefully I am not speaking too soon..

Video:

3/25/11

The other day we did some more hackamore work. Very little fuss--although she actually spooked at the tractor. Normally I can ride her in the arena while it's being dragged with no problem. She wanted to spook at it this time. I expected it though. So I had her walk beside it, and then when my BO (barn owner) continued dragging, we followed him at a nice, collected, slow working trot...all around the arena. She did GREAT!

So, today I put her regular bridle (plain raised with a full cheek 3pc) on and the hackamore over it. We worked that way for about 20-30min. She minded herself a lot better and I would let the hackamore reins loose and just use the snaffle. She started her pulling thing again and so we did some more with with both pressure from the hack and mostly using the snaffle. She settled after a while and I took the hackamore off when I was pleased with how she was going. She started back again for about 15 min of being a complete mule. I urged her on, used much much more leg than usual, did some transitions, and she was golden. Super super happy with her and her responsiveness. We're having problems with our turning and dropping the shoulder..she is what I call..a dipper. I feel like I'm being dipped forward and down when she turns. It's hard to counter-balance. So I'm going to do some more studying and ask some friends for advice. Just work at it some more. I'm sure a lot of it is my fault so hopefully I can get someone to watch and tell me what I'm doing wrong. We worked at it a bit today and did make some progress that I was very happy with.

All-in-all, I was super happy with her. Oh, I did lunge her for about 5 min before-hand. She seems to be rather fresh and being as fit as she is, she doesn't wear out easily and is more powerful at her hops and bucks...so might as well get it out before hand if we can. Normally I do not lunge before a ride. She knows better enough to not act as she has been. We just ride it out like we did the hops and half-rears she's been pulling. She does it on purpose...I know she does. Ha!

After our ride, she got a good scrubbing and a mini photo-shoot. She hasn't worn her beautiful leather bling halter in a while so I got some snaps with her wearing it. She actually ground tied too! It was rough but she did rather well for being such a pig and having grass nearby, hahahaha!

Take That

Miss G seems to be feeling much better. Maybe too much--I should have turned her out or maybe worked her on the ground before riding yesterday. She had a few episodes of bucking and crow hopping at the dumbest things. Then she wanted to canter, so I let her and when she wanted to stop (after three laps around the jumping arena), I said no, you keep going brat and go until I say stop. After a few more strides I had her transition down to a trot and then a halt. It was rough. So we worked on transitions. She fought with me a little bit again, pulling at the bit, chomping hard (I may have a dentist/vet look at her teeth in case it's time they need to be floated), and obviously trying to do what SHE wanted to do and not listen to me.

More transition work and she was finally behaving herself and listening. Doing a nice relaxed slow trot and some circles and figure 8s. We dropped a high cross-rail to make it low enough to just trot over; there were cavaletties set up in front of it, so I aimed her over them. Her concentration and focus was actually on point so we did a few more transitions and that was it.

Today, because of her lack of respect for the bit, I put her in a hackamore. The shanks on it are kind of long and it's not what I would prefer to use (I'd rather have an english one as the shanks aren't as long), but using it is a good reminder to her that I don't have to put anything in her mouth for her to listen. I worked her in the Dressage arena for about 20min. She had a few attitude moments but those were more "normal" than what she's been doing. She was on POINT today. Our only rough spot was picking up the trot to canter transition. She sped up so I'd bring her back down, ask her again, etc., until she did it correctly. She kept herself round and on contact (I had very loose reins) without me having to actually USE the hackamore; the normal pressure had her paying attention. Her trot-walk-trot-halt transitions were absolutely perfect with no sticking her face out. I am so proud of her. She really is such a good girl but she's just been a PITA recently.

Someone on the horse forum (HGS) suggested adding some magnesium to her feed. I've heard from others at the barn how well it has worked for them and their horses so I may give it a go to see if it helps keep her focus/attention span better. I understand she is still young and it's just part of that, but a little bit of help would be nice to train her focus now so it doesn't become a problem later.

I've also personally been working on a few things. Sticking my chest out (even at home, rolling my shoulders back--I have gotten into such a bad habit of slouching...pretty much everywhere) in an over-done fashion .. it's pretty hilarious; and keeping my toes more in. It doesn't bother me too much but I hate seeing pictures of myself with my toes pointing out, hahaha. Its not a huge deal to me but..eh why not work on it?

Some pictures of G from the last few days. She's gotten over her upper respiratory infection and pretty much back to normal. And she's gained weight. She didn't *need* to but I wanted to see a few more lbs on her. She looks good and fit still :)