Pooka Rides Again

[dancinghorse]

Finally, Mr. Studly is out of jail. He managed 27 days of near-perfect behavior before staging a full-on meltdown during Sunday's lesson when I rode Camilla. Monday was challenging, too. Yesterday, not so bad, and we had a super walk in hand all around the block in the evening. This morning, he was back to the crazies. I let him out for the first time, and he didn't run but he did pace-pace-pace and work himself into a sweat. When I went to get him for the lesson, he wouldn't let me catch him. He was sure I was going to put him back in jail and ride somebody else. Probably that insufferable brat Camilla. Finally I stood there with the halter said said, "All right, fine, I'll ride somebody else. Or are you sure you don't want a ride?" He bopped right up to me at that, and pushed his nose into the halter.

Once he was tied, eating hay, and being groomed, life was good. Ride was excellent. Very basic of course, but we always recapitulate his training after a layup. This time we applied some of TL's principles of balancing and connecting the hindlegs a la Camilla--and with this knowledge I could easily feel how Pook is just like his sister. We got him balanced before I mounted, balanced again in halt, and when he went on, worked on straightness (if a rein is heavy, that hindleg is not working enough, plus all the usual seatbone/spine continuum). When he was balanced, he was long and engaged over the topline. When not balanced, he was a llama. So that was good work. We ended with walk-halt transitions, which he tends to blow off by dropping his back. Good practice in applying "electric" aids--clear, quick, and firmly modulated. He likes those.

Now we can settle down to work. I'm going to keep him in at night for a while longer; during the day he has the stalls and paddock, with plenty of room to move around, but he doesn't pace and get flippy. It helps anyway to have the arena at night for Oreo and Tia. More room for them.

Clinic plans proceed apace. We're going up tomorrow to look at the venue and firm up details with the owners. We have a videographer, Teacher and I have a place to stay, and we're getting a good number of riders and auditors. It looks as if it really will happen.

In the meantime, there is work to do, books to write, and freelance projects to finish. A new one of those is starting up and is going to get quite busy very soon.

Busy is good. Yes.

Comments

[dancinghorse.livejournal.com]

Thanks. A pep talk is always good.

Realistically however, 30-45 minutes of SRS-style intensity a day for 5 days straight takes serious preparation. These guys are world-class riders used to world-class horses and they don't fool around. Pook has been on layup for a month. Pandora is a lady of a certain age and a certain level of pasture potato-tude. They are Lipizzans so get into condition faster than the average horse, but still.

The plan for Pook is for me ride him 3 times, Florian to ride him once, and for us to do a day of work in hand. We'll see if it plays out as planned. It will be good whatever we end up doing.

[raithen.livejournal.com]

That sounds like an EXCELLENT plan. And I DO understand about th need for serious preparation and fitness. I just know full well that you three can pull it off with Grace and Aplomb. And preferrably with limited thuddage of any serious nature. Because above all else this is supposed to be something FUN for you. ;).

Hey, completely unrelated, but do you know if there are any Equine Osteopaths working in your neck of the woods?

[dancinghorse.livejournal.com]

Thank you.

Not sure about the osteopaths, but if they exist, they're probably in the area of the clinic. I'll ask. I know the trainer's fiancee does bodywork (and worked at the SRS).

You're going to love the B&B--though I had to laugh: "your" room has the same comforter set I've got in one of my guest rooms. 8)