Friday, minus the viral video
Apr. 6th, 2012 01:06 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dancinghorseBut we might end up doing one, at the rate the Living in Threes project is going. They say these things see a spike in the last three days. I'm not sure if that will play out here, but we'll find out. I just posted a teaser in the Updates, that's open to everybody. Little bit with alien creature. And moon. And ocean.
Yesterday started with a lesson and progressed to me going splat for hours, then getting up and getting work done. It was kind of a world out of time here, with the lesson coma and all.
We've been working with Ephiny, who has gone through the kind of growth spurt that's been characteristic of her since she was tiny: all hatracky and spindly and nothing to sit on. It always sorts out into round Lipizzan-y beauty, but it takes its own time. So, we've been working on keeping her in her body, defusing her tendency to go splooie at least once a session, and doing the work all dressed up in saddle and bridle with me ready to ride if the moment seems right. Which so far it hasn't. But it will.
The reason we're not pushing it, growth phase and hatrackiness aside, is because S says and I agree that we're teaching her important things about herself, that will make her extremely safe and solid once she's settled back into the routine of being a riding horse. Our groundwork is aimed at connecting her back to her front, and giving her a set of responses that, once she's under saddle again and starts to get reactive, will calm her and focus her and head the reaction off at the pass. Spookiness in the green horse, stiffness or rushiness in the intermediate horse--we can give her and her rider coping strategies for those now.
So yesterday she was a bit hormonal and more than a bit looky, thanks to the neighbors tromping around on their roof, cool-coating it and messing with the evaporative cooler. That had the older horses in the same state, so it wasn't just a green-horse thing. What would have been safe and a training opportunity for a more advanced horse, however, was judged to be not so safe if I wanted to add in the riding part. Which I agreed with.
What we did instead was "ride" in hand. Straightening her through the body, dealing with her inclination to throw the outside shoulder rather than go straight (in the dressage sense, with inside shoulder in line with hip). Plus coping with the tension of the Monsters Up High. With her, there's a spot midway down her neck that knots up solid when she's tense. If I can get her to focus on relaxing that knot, she forgets to go splooie. It's very interesting and will be very useful when she's under saddle. In fact the inside-hand release in some of the dressage tests would let me (or a future rider) apply the gentle reminder in the middle of a show. That could be a really handy tool to have in the box.
So we did lots of wiggly bits and changes of side and bend, getting her to balance and bend through the body, and in doing that, to soften and concentrate on the work instead of the scary things around her. We're getting much more connected as a trainer and trainee (and I couldn't tell you which is which ;> ), and building a strong foundation of trust that is going to be pay off hugely as we go on.
Homework for the next two weeks: more work in hand, more connection, more more more. Then we'll see if the next one is the one with me in the saddle instead of beside it. I won't rush it. I know that when the groundwork becomes ridden work again, she'll be totally on board with it. She asks to be worked with, waits on lesson day, and comes right up for her halter. This is good stuff, she says.
Interesting little weird note this time: when we were contending with the snortiest parts and the slambangiest episodes up high across the way, Pooka was in his run, radiating Calm White Pony Vibes. When we finished that part of the exercise, S said he heaved a huge sigh. He was actively participating and being Herd Stallion, Defender of His Mares. And she was responding.
Bear in mind, he gets wildly jealous if I ride some of the others. Ephiny, however--not even slightly. He wants this to happen. Evidently he has Plans.
After S had finished, Gabriella demanded her piece of the action. She is getting really clear about this. One day last week as I was groundworking Pandora, I had her literally at my elbow--her nose resting on it--radiating ME! ME! MEEEEEEEE! (and she did get her ride a day or so later). So with the arena clear and some time to spare, I took advantage of the opportunity. And we had our first trot under saddle in the arena (having had one Out a few days ago). Didn't last long--need to work on saddle slippage; it slid forward till it was blocking those big round shoulders--but it was lovely while it lasted. She has beautiful gaits. Next time, with the nonslip pad, we'll aim for more.
And finally Pooka got his turn: longe in the body wrap, all three gaits. We'll be doing more of that now, as he's quite sound for non-ridden work. I just don't feel that he's ready to carry my weight on the damaged structures yet; he injured his psoas, and that's taking a looooong time to heal. But he's up for just about anything in hand.
Which is probably the lesson I'm supposed to learn. Balance and engage and connect in hand, then translate it to work under saddle. Hokay. We are having a great time, so there's that. He's a gas to work with, and he has such fun. He's a happy guy.
Yesterday started with a lesson and progressed to me going splat for hours, then getting up and getting work done. It was kind of a world out of time here, with the lesson coma and all.
We've been working with Ephiny, who has gone through the kind of growth spurt that's been characteristic of her since she was tiny: all hatracky and spindly and nothing to sit on. It always sorts out into round Lipizzan-y beauty, but it takes its own time. So, we've been working on keeping her in her body, defusing her tendency to go splooie at least once a session, and doing the work all dressed up in saddle and bridle with me ready to ride if the moment seems right. Which so far it hasn't. But it will.
The reason we're not pushing it, growth phase and hatrackiness aside, is because S says and I agree that we're teaching her important things about herself, that will make her extremely safe and solid once she's settled back into the routine of being a riding horse. Our groundwork is aimed at connecting her back to her front, and giving her a set of responses that, once she's under saddle again and starts to get reactive, will calm her and focus her and head the reaction off at the pass. Spookiness in the green horse, stiffness or rushiness in the intermediate horse--we can give her and her rider coping strategies for those now.
So yesterday she was a bit hormonal and more than a bit looky, thanks to the neighbors tromping around on their roof, cool-coating it and messing with the evaporative cooler. That had the older horses in the same state, so it wasn't just a green-horse thing. What would have been safe and a training opportunity for a more advanced horse, however, was judged to be not so safe if I wanted to add in the riding part. Which I agreed with.
What we did instead was "ride" in hand. Straightening her through the body, dealing with her inclination to throw the outside shoulder rather than go straight (in the dressage sense, with inside shoulder in line with hip). Plus coping with the tension of the Monsters Up High. With her, there's a spot midway down her neck that knots up solid when she's tense. If I can get her to focus on relaxing that knot, she forgets to go splooie. It's very interesting and will be very useful when she's under saddle. In fact the inside-hand release in some of the dressage tests would let me (or a future rider) apply the gentle reminder in the middle of a show. That could be a really handy tool to have in the box.
So we did lots of wiggly bits and changes of side and bend, getting her to balance and bend through the body, and in doing that, to soften and concentrate on the work instead of the scary things around her. We're getting much more connected as a trainer and trainee (and I couldn't tell you which is which ;> ), and building a strong foundation of trust that is going to be pay off hugely as we go on.
Homework for the next two weeks: more work in hand, more connection, more more more. Then we'll see if the next one is the one with me in the saddle instead of beside it. I won't rush it. I know that when the groundwork becomes ridden work again, she'll be totally on board with it. She asks to be worked with, waits on lesson day, and comes right up for her halter. This is good stuff, she says.
Interesting little weird note this time: when we were contending with the snortiest parts and the slambangiest episodes up high across the way, Pooka was in his run, radiating Calm White Pony Vibes. When we finished that part of the exercise, S said he heaved a huge sigh. He was actively participating and being Herd Stallion, Defender of His Mares. And she was responding.
Bear in mind, he gets wildly jealous if I ride some of the others. Ephiny, however--not even slightly. He wants this to happen. Evidently he has Plans.
After S had finished, Gabriella demanded her piece of the action. She is getting really clear about this. One day last week as I was groundworking Pandora, I had her literally at my elbow--her nose resting on it--radiating ME! ME! MEEEEEEEE! (and she did get her ride a day or so later). So with the arena clear and some time to spare, I took advantage of the opportunity. And we had our first trot under saddle in the arena (having had one Out a few days ago). Didn't last long--need to work on saddle slippage; it slid forward till it was blocking those big round shoulders--but it was lovely while it lasted. She has beautiful gaits. Next time, with the nonslip pad, we'll aim for more.
And finally Pooka got his turn: longe in the body wrap, all three gaits. We'll be doing more of that now, as he's quite sound for non-ridden work. I just don't feel that he's ready to carry my weight on the damaged structures yet; he injured his psoas, and that's taking a looooong time to heal. But he's up for just about anything in hand.
Which is probably the lesson I'm supposed to learn. Balance and engage and connect in hand, then translate it to work under saddle. Hokay. We are having a great time, so there's that. He's a gas to work with, and he has such fun. He's a happy guy.
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