I rode Skate last night...it was about 7:15pm (shorter days suck!) so I turned the lights on to slowly get him used to riding under lights. He might have done this before, but I don't know, so I erred on the side of caution. As it got dark, he didn't seem to really care that he was riding through lots of shadows and stuff. That's good, because I ride under the lights all winter. One funny part..when we were done and we were walking to the various switches to cut the lights off, I reached up to rub his nose and must have tapped his side with my whip: all four of his hooves went straight up in the air in surprise. When they came down, he looked embarrassed about his overreaction. Funny pony.
Other good stuff:
I think he's really liking the mullen mouth snaffle. He actually accepts and even asks for contact on his own. The only time he inverts now is when I really boot him forward and I think that's a reaction to my leg, not the bit. I think I should start relying more on my whip and less on a strong kick when he gets a little behind me...
He walks willingly through the big puddles in the ring...it took a bit of coaxing at first, but now he splashes on through. This is important, as he will be a trail pony much of the time. He already walks easily over the fake bridge.
Only bad stuff:
I only rode for about 30 minutes last night. He did so well at everything I asked him to do that I didn't want to keep drilling. I really need to have some sort of game plan for when this happens...right now its just to quit! I almost decided to ask for the canter since he was so good, but I decided to wait until my instructor is there to tell me what NOT to do and avoid a meltdown : )
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4 comments:
I think you're doing the exact right thing to quit when he's good. I always feel silly hopping off after 15-20 min of riding but like you said, what's the point in bugging him when he's done his job already? Good luck cantering!
Im glad he is bening a good pony! When he does everything you ask, its a good idea to stop and end on that note.
But you can also reward him by doing something he really likes. This will be easier when he is ready to do more. But you could take him over a couple jumps, or a short gallop, or a trail ride, or a nice walk on a long rein.
I cant wait to hear about the canter.
Not spooky, chill about the whip, goes through puddles, walks over a fake bridge...
I'm totally stealing him! :)
Good luck on the upcoming canter!
It sounds like he is doing REALLY good! You will be cantering before long!
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