Selena Ride 20; Wizard Session 91: Second Verse, Same as the First

Wednesday, 9/2/09

I think I’ve got a good thing going, so I’m going to keep up with it. Selena once again trotted over to me when I arrived at her paddock and I brought her in the barn for a snack while I took Wizard for a walk. Wizard and I went for another hand walk with Mary the Morgan and her owner on the Across The Street trails. We were out for about 45 minutes, just barely getting back by dark- both horses were fine in the low light. Wizard walked a little slower than he did the first few times out- I’m not sure if he was stiff from the walking or just bored, ha ha.

Wizard got his alfalfa snack when we returned to the barn and I grazed Selena for a few minutes. I tacked her up and rode her outside under the lights. The weather is still outstanding so I’m getting as much riding in as I possibly can.

We worked on the Orange Cone Square (see previous ride) again, plus I added a chute made of two jump poles. I borrowed the idea from 101 Jumping Exercises. The jump pole chute was part of the same theory as the orange cones: I used the chute as a visual half-halt. We did not ride over the poles, just through them, like a little path. Each time we went through the chute, I asked either for an upward or downward transition. Eventually, I felt Selena sit back just the tiniest bit on her hind end, which was great- we are working on gaining strength and suppleness. I also felt her stretch down several times into my hands at both the walk and the trot. When we trotted through the poles without any downward transition, I felt her pause for just a second as I half-halted with my seat and closed my fingers but kept the trot.

I continued my Orange Cone patterns, making them more complicated, such as walking for two/three steps at each cone and then going back to a trot. I also did two halt-trot transitions in each direction- she is light to my leg and the transitions felt nice.

It felt fantastic to finally find one of the keys to unlock good results with my riding and my communication with Selena. I think these patterns have the potential to grow into more sophisticated exercises with some simple repetition and patience…

Second verse, same as the first!

H! E! N-R-Y!

Ride Plan for Monday Night

If I don’t have a ride plan, I tend to trot a bazillion times around the arena and ride in little paisley-shapes. This is a tentative ride plan for both JR and Wizard for tomorrow night.

Goal: To improve and continue work on relaxation, suppleness, and connection to leg, seat, and hands.

Warmup:

For JR, I will long line for 5 minutes and longe him for about 10 minutes. He had about 2 weeks off of riding but now the saddle has been adjusted. If he feels tired, I will modify as needed.

Warm up at the walk on a loose rein, allowing the horse to take in his surroundings. Begin work at the trot on half the arena, first asking the horse to stretch down and reach for the bit. Ask for walk/trot transitions, using the entire arena. Encourage engagement of the hind end by asking for the transitions frequently. Be sure to actively ride into and out of the walk. DO NOT pull for a walk. Ask for the trot when the inside hind leg is ready to go forward. Change directions and work on walk/trot to the right and to the left until the horse feels more supple and is on the rider aids.

Ride on a 20m circle in both directions. Count the number of steps on the circle and determine if the number is similar the next few times around the circle.

Work:

Ask for a Figure 8 with a walk in the center, making sure to trot only after the center line.

Go back to riding a 20m circle in both directions, riding short into the circle and ask for a leg yield for just a step or two outward toward the rail and the edge of the circle.

Begin work on a more sophisticated and balanced trot by alternating between a forward trot and a working trot, making sure to keep the rein aids light and soft. If the horse gets tense or resistant, give, give give and ride softly.

Cooldown:

Trot on a loose/soft rein on a 20m circle, counting the number of steps again. Did they change? Are they the same?

Walk on a loose rein until horse is cooled out.

Wizard Ride 35: Stirrup Kisses and Dumbo Loses the Magic Feather

Tuesday 1/6/09

I broke my sessions with Wizard into two mini-sessions today. I longed him in his new Happy Mouth King Dee mullen mouth shaped bit so he could get a feel for it. Although the bit looked big, the plastic sides actually push the bit away from his cheeks. The mouthpiece itself fits him perfectly. Wizard normally takes a 5 or 5 1/4 inch bit bit Happy Mouth bits tend to need to be sized up so he wears a 5 1/2″.

We longed for about 15 minutes, mostly for a little fitness and to work on our walk-trot transitions. He was the perfect little horse and did everything I asked. I put him back in his stall and he ate his dinner while I watched some other lessons and hung out at the barn with my mom.

Later in the evening, I tacked Wizard up for our ride. For the past 4 rides or so, Wizard has become more reactive to the saddling process. I changed him to a sheepskin saddle pad but I see no difference- if anything, he’s more agitated. Once the pad and saddle are on him, he does not react to the girthing process, which is strange to me.

Wizard is also sensitive to grooming. I purchased the softest brush I could find, but he still flattens his ears when I brush him. I let him give his editorial opinion for many sessions, but I finally had to reprimand him recently. I simply yelled, “ENOUGH!!!” and bumped his neck with the hard part of the brush. He quieted himself immediately and I praised him profusely when he relaxed.

As much as I hate, hate, hate to scold any human or animal, Wizard was simply getting too pushy about grooming. I try to let animals tell me how they feel about things, but after 30+ sessions and with him getting more and more opinionated, I finally had to let him know that this is unacceptable. And he listened with one loud word and a brush bumped against his neck.

After we tacked up, I rode Wizard indoors for about 15 minutes.

We started with Stirrup Kisses, a suppling exercise known by many other names and one that crosses disciplines from dressage to western pleasure. I asked Wizard to turn his head to my right stirrup by pulling the right rein toward my hip, while releasing my left rein to allow his neck to bend. When his nose is close to my stirrup, I release the right rein. Then I did one to the left, reversing the cues. Wizard was quite good at this exercise and even held position on both sides. He’s a bendy guy!

Then we worked at the walk, which felt fantastic. My seat felt more relaxed and I rode confidently. Wizard responded with a big walk that I call The Dinosaur Walk- kinda like this.

The trot was not as smooth :^) Without my Magic Feather (aka my friend Sarah), I could not trot Wizard as well. We also were riding at the far end of the arena (away from the gate and barn) because the arena was watered but had not yet been groomed. The trot was just-OK, but I lost my quiet seat and began to fiddle with Wizard’s mouth again. Argh- SO frustrasting!!! More rushing, less balance on my part. My timing was off. Wizard even broke into an awkward canter at one point when he had trotted himself off balance. Good to know that I have plenty of stopping power, even in the Happy Mouth Bit ;^)

We DID get a few nice moments at the trot, but none nearly as nice as the ones from the night before.

After one last decent little trot, I went back to the walk with Wizard. The VERY good part was that he was perfectly willing to go back to the Dinosaur Walk immediately after trotting. He was relaxed and willing, even after a few clumsy trots with me.

Back at the barn, I worked on Wizard’s bow- he’s slowly learning how to lift one hoof and bow down like a little circus pony.

Wizard has Wednesday off. Thursday night? Another session with Sarah and Sarah :^)