Still waiting on Dare to post about her ride on Pro yesterday. :)Today, it was too hot to ride after I did barn chores so I just decided to lunge Pro, but without side reins (just bridle). With poles!!
I had him trot on a circle - he did fine - and then shifted that circle so he would trot over one pole. Yes, one pole. (After he's done a ton of pole work lately, and even yesterday). He balked, all four legs splayed with a lot of snorting, and backed up. Nope, ON! Snort snort, LEAP the one trot pole. Repeat, but better the next time. I like watching him "figure out" the pole - he trots up, ears pricked, looking at it cautiously, drops his head/neck to figure it out, and bounds over it with his legs cranked up way more than necessary, lots of spring. I did that both directions, even had him canter over it, which he sorta did.
Then, a cross-rail. Well OH. MY. GOODNESS. Freak out!! I gathered up the lunge and walked him over it twice, then had him trot and got "behind" him as he trotted up to urge him over. He leapt it awkwardly (gotta love the Arabian jumping style), got LOTS of praise. The next time, he hit his hind leg on the pole, which banged against the jump block and scared him. That's okay! Still praise for going over. After awhile, he was doing it quite successfully.
I raised it up to a small (probably 18", if even) vertical with a ground pole, but he was NOT having that. So, fine. I walked him over. He figured it out. Then I managed to get him trot over it, but he hit it again and scared himself. That's okay, keep working. More walking over. Then I decide to go over first...so I jogged up, jumped it, and he walked behind, trotted one or two steps, and jumped. After awhile, I could jog up and jump it, and he would trot behind and jump it. Still wouldn't officially lunge over it, but that's okay, he was at least going over it willingly. But only when Mommy went over first. ;)
After about 10min I realized that 1) I looked like an idiot and 2) I was getting a pretty intense workout by doing this!!! We finished with a carrot and lots of pats. :) I think he enjoyed the challenge.
6 comments:
Hahaha. Oh Pro! Hopefully he'll enjoy the field tomorrow. His little brain is getting quite the workout but it sounds like he's enjoying it. I bet his favorite part was making YOU jump the jump.
I'm SO excited for you guys to go play in the field tomorrow. :) He hasn't been out there in forever! Make sure you play with his speed and see if you can get him to open up...his brain tends to short-circuit when you ask him to gallop, he just bounces up and down. ;)
And I really think he WAS laughing at me as I jumped. Mean horse.
Ive always heard that Arabs jump like deer!
He is so funny, making you jump too. It is a good workout though! Im glad you two are exposing him to new things all the time. I want to see him gallop!!
Pro cracks me up! He just wanted to make you work out instead of him!! Smart pony : )
Sounds like you both had an interesting workout! Are you sure it was too hot to ride, LOL? Silly pony. I know Arabs are smart, so he could figure that out. I bet he was snickering behind you as you were jumping!
Oh yes, I *KNOW* he was laughing at me as I jumped. :) Silly boy...he's such a mama's boy!!
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