Spring Fever

It's spring break (obligatory WOOOO) and it's my last spring break EVER. So far, I'm not really living it up. Thursday was our last day of class and it included my last test EVER. Thursday night we celebrated by going to a tap takeover at a local bar, Friday was my bff's birthday so we went out, and last night, Saturday, I sat at home playing video games and watching TV with the boyfriend. This week though, we're heading out for a couple nights on a camping trip. I just got two new camera toys to play with- an extended battery pack and a intervalometer- both of which (plus photoshop) will let me capture star trails! Coolness.

Today I headed out to the barn in the afternoon. Poor TC was left all alone in his pasture (all of his roommates- 2 horses) were out. Because of this, I got a whinny! And he came up to me a bit quicker than normal, which isn't saying much

He was kind of an idiot to tack up. He kept wiggling around the pole and one of the girls at the barn pointed out that I could cross tie him with another rope, so I did. He was pretty surprised, since he's never been crosstied. He tried to walk around the pole and his nose got a tug from the second rope and he turned to stare at the rope and then tried to chew it. He stood much better tied so I think I'll be doing that from now on.

TC in "cross ties," yeah my chambon is all
weird, I didn't feel like undoing his halter

I opted to longe him which was an EXCELLENT idea, this asshole has some spring fever. He took off galloping around, yanking at me and bucking. There was an innocent bystander who got a bit too close once or twice and TC set her horse off by dragging me halfway across the arena. Sorry person! After installing some manners, I let him canter in each direction until he chilled out. I could tell he really wanted a turnout or something, despite living in a large pasture. Rico never needed turnout living in a paddock. I think I'm going to have my hands full with this one.

(by the way, while I was switching sides, I texted boyfriend to say "on Halloween, I'm dressing up as Neil Young and TC can just act like he is today and we'll perform Cortez the Killer," which is a song performed by Neil Young and Crazy Horse) 

After the crazy longeing, we had some really nice moments on the longe with the chambon. He's totally relaxed and happy walking in it with his neck long, and is definitely making more progress at the trot too. I have yet to canter in it, as I don't think that his canter is balanced enough on its own to warrant any sort of contraption.

Undersaddle, he started out better than he has in a long time. Instantly on the bit and steady, with a longer neck than he has been giving me at the ends of our rides, let alone the beginnings. We did some geometry work at first, practicing circles, figure-8s, and riding across the diagonal. Then we started in on the leg yields.

I decided to do them along the rail again, and will be doing them that way for a while, I think. I will eventually go back to centerline to the rail and rail to centerline, but he needs more flexibility. They were MUCH better today than they were on Wednesday. He's really understanding the crossover and I feel like I have more control over the angle.

He was so excited to go out, he needs a trail
ride soon

Back into trot, he was feeling really forward so I decided that I was really truly going to install a damn good halt. He proved to me on Friday that his halt goes away when he's being crazy so I want to make them super super good at home.

I started with trot to walk transitions off the seat, which he was surprisingly good at. I've been using a wither relief pad because he's slightly underweight right now so lost the beefiness over his back to support my saddle. The problem with that pad is that it is SUPER thick and doesn't give me a lot of feel. But he managed to feel my thigh through it and gave me some great transitions.

The halts are still rough but I could tell as I aided that he understood the aid and just needed time to get his hind legs under him before stopping. That I'm fine with. Ignoring my aid isn't okay but extra time to do it right is.

Finally, we ended with him offering me a stretch circle for the first time ever! It wasn't a good one, persay, but it was much stretchier than he has been in the past. I taught him my aid for it and he responded well. Yay! He's basically a first level horse now right? We have a leg yield at the walk and along the rail only, a stretchy circle which is neither stretchy enough nor circle enough, and he loves to lengthen against my wishes, oh and he barely steers and wants to chuck me into the ceilings at the canter. Ahahaha we're sticking with Intro for quite a while.

His neck has filled out quite a bit! He really needs to stop
standing like he's about to fall on his face though. 

Isabella (his half sister) was excellent again today, her owner was there and we discussed the techniques that I am using. I figured I'd break it down since it seems to be working well.

Isabella is a very hot, forward, sensitive mare with an attitude. She isn't nervous or jittery though. She's your typical can't-put-my-leg-on, sitting-on-a-cannon type of ride. Rigid in the bridle or behind the bit with very little in between. Aids have to be slow, steady, and a bit long winded or she gets upset. She's very responsive to, well all aids but especially lateral aids, meaning she moves sideways very well off both legs.

I've finally figured out what works (ugh took a while, she had an argument for everything I did): offsetting her lateral balance.

I always want to be able to put my leg on a horse. Horses are not allowed to take away aids from the rider, since it gives the horse more control and the rider less. So I put her on a circle and push her laterally outward while continuing to turn her. When she slows and softens, I support her on the outside aids and give her more balance. When she flips her head or gets rigid, I let go of the outside aids and she loses balance. If she runs off, she gets turned faster and pushed more sideways.

Essentially, she earns her balance by being good. She's caught on to this very quickly. She likes feeling balanced, so she has been quite soft in the connection, relatively steady, and actually allows me to put my leg on.

Thought it'd be interesting to write that down! I don't think it'd work on too many horses, since a lot of the hot, sensitive types tend to be jittery or nervous. She is neither. I think a more nervous animal might freak if you really threw them off balance. This one is pretty special. And damn I want to jump her!

Such a cutie! And not as furry now...