Skate had less time off than Pro (thank you indoor ring), but he was in his stall with limited turnout in the indoor for 4 days. I still expected him to be a little less loopy than he was! I opened the giant sliding door at the end of the arena to get some air in and he spied the light shining off the snow and just knew it was going to get him. So we worked worked worked on getting him over that for the first half of the ride. I have to say again, that he is so obvious that he's going to spook that I really have no excuse for getting caught off guard. He gives me a full 2 seconds of head up, ears at high alert - he may as well say, "hang on, I'm going to do a pivot to the left". Always to the left. He only bolts forward a few steps if we're tracking so that the wall is to his left.
Then the barn owner came in to chat and we had a few minutes of just hanging out...and the parade of cats followed the barn owner in and got Skate all riled up again. Off topic: there is a hole from where a horse kicked the indoor wall and the cats LOVE to climb in the wall, then jump back out at the most inopportune times. Most of the time, Skate is fine with this, but last night, he was on the idiot train and was just looking for crap to spook at (yes, I just ended on a preposition). So...we got back to work and had to start all over again with the terrifying snow, made exponentially worse by the cats jumping out of the wall. While hilarious, it was also annoying that I couldn't get Skate off that damn idiot train.
I did decided that my new favorite exercise for nice repetitious calm work is this (out of the dressage exercises book): Pick up a slow sitting trot on the short side. When you get to the center of the arena, do a teardrop back to the other direction. Circle at A. When you get to the center of the arena on the other side, do another teardrop back to the other direction. Circle at A again, rinse repeat. I try to do this all off my outside aids so we almost do a sort of reinback instead of a big teardrop once he's really listening.
Anyway, once we got some decent (not great) canter work in with him not trying to bolt and bulge away from the scary snow, we quit. I did do some groundwork afterwards, trying to get him to move his shoulders away from pressure - a turn on the haunches. We suck at that. He wants to walk forward or pivot his butt around. I can get a step or two of good crossing over in the front, but that's all. I guess I'll take what I can get.
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7 comments:
Sounds like a good ride. When/if you come next weekend I can show you shoulder stuff. ;)
Take videos of her sharing the shoulder stuff, because Pro needs serious help with that as well!
Sorry Skate wanted to be on the idiot train, but it sounds like you handled it really well. I like your exercise, though we'd need to modify it to posting trot since Pro is still learning to lift his back. Do you typically do it on the side without the scary stuff or with the scary stuff or just ignore the scary stuff and make him do the exercise? (Does Pro have to go past the bunny tree then turn in and back to the rail or does he get to turn back right before it?)
Ah, you're so lucky with the indoor! :) Weird that he always chooses left when he spooks.
Good progress! I like the teardrop exercise for putting him into a relaxed rhythm.
Andrea, I would be happy to help you guys with Pro's shoulders. I hope to plan a trip to the Raleigh area in April!!!
Personally if I rode Pro the bunny tree wouldn't exist in my world. If you want to turn him before it or ride past it.....it doesn't matter.....its not there.
Oooh! Assuming Kate doesn't mind us playing with her pony that would be great! He's reasonably good about yielding them from the saddle, but that damn Arab halter training has him very confused about yielding from the ground.
Andrea, Just let me know. The ground is easier than the saddle.
At least Skate gives you warning and always does the same thing? That is funny in a way. That exercise sounds really good!
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