The Weekly Neep, and Various

[dancinghorse]

Capria is now in Teal, and healing extremely well. I'll change her bandage tomorrow, and based on Friday's progress, she may be all or mostly healed. I don't think we'll have to do two weeks' worth of bandages. Hock swelling is 'way down tonight, and that is good.

Dog and goat are rallying--dog is back to her usual self, goat has been eating steadily all weekend. It started Friday when I offered apple peels from the dessert I'd baked, and she woke up and ate them eagerly. She graduated to carrots, then this evening ate half a cup of oats, two carrots, and a small handful of alfalfa. She's back up, and is alert and has her evil look back, which is good to see.

So it seems she'll be with us for a while longer.

Today we ended up with a mini-clinic. casacorona came over to kibitz, my neighbor offered her wonderful little horse to take Capria's place as lesson pony, plus Teacher and I did the usual. I rode Pandora in what has become the customary Sunday-morning gale. Some excitement over that, but she settled quickly and we did a lot of trot work. Word for the week was, Don't let her throw you high in the rising trot, get the posting low and horizontal and barely clear the saddle. That was hard for her at first as it meant she had to tuck her butt and really use it instead of dropping her back and paddlewheeling out behind, but once she settled into it she was much more balanced and secure. Also of importance: keep that outside rein in gear, and if she loses her balance to the inside (which she was doing to the left since her weak hind is on that side), keep elbow down but lift inside rein and ask inside hind to step up with seatbone. And that worked very well.

Then our camper had her lesson--a first for her and it went very well. She learned how to sit and how to ride the walk and trot. The trot was disconcerting--and the horse was giving her his sweetest, kindest little jog, but I admit, it can be a shock if you've never experienced it before. She then appreciated my experience with Pandora-the-Slingshot a bit more, I think.

After a quick lunch, Teacher rode keed, to the amazement and accolades of the spectators. Keed has become a fine dressage pony indeed. And then I dressed up a very willing and eager Camilla (she took her bit like a pro) and she was lovely for her in-hand work with Teacher. I did a little as well--not nearly as easily as Teacher; for one thing Camilla is a lot bigger on me than she is on Teacher. But Camilla was patient and we had a most enjoyable time playing with my center of gravity and keeping that outside rein and not directing my energy into her. If I do that, she bulldozes. If I direct it where I want her to go, she turns to silk.

Once we'd had that bit of interaction, Teacher told me to get on and ride. This was me steering and trying to apply the gas, but Camilla needed a security blanket so wanted to follow Teacher. She did figure out the Go command (the one with the softball under my navel) and she got a bit about the Turn Here thang, and she had a beautiful halt at the end. I had to work on quiet torso, following but not rocking hips (a challenge because she is a huge mover with baby balance and a spine like a Slinky), and dealing with her brief panic attack at the beginning (my heart started to pound like crazy, then she got over it and was simply uncertain). She was more comfortable under me than she's ever been, and the in-hand work has made her quite at ease with the bit, plus it's taught her to relax and go with the flow. I am ever so glad I asked Torture Lady From England to teach us this. She'll be back in May--we can't wait.

At any rate, we asked a lot of Camilla today and she was all soft and happy at the end--and that for her is a big, big thing. The MillaMobile is ready to rumble.

Comments

[gracefulshrimp.livejournal.com]

yay for the pretty white ponies :)

[dancinghorse.livejournal.com]

:)

[plutosonium.livejournal.com]

Reading about you riding Camilla makes me a bit more secure about riding Pluto. Or rather about how I feel when riding him. :)

[dancinghorse.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah, riding the young ones can be a leetle bit scary. Especially if they project their fear on you. I find I just have to get through it, center myself and remember to breathe and keep the tension as far away as possible. Which is hard.

[plutosonium.livejournal.com]

I tried singing, but as it turns out it makes Pluto tense.

Also I ride based on his comfort level. Is it windy? Is he spooking at everything? It's a ground work day. Is it warm and lovely and he's all cuddlesome? Up in the saddle I go.

[raithen.livejournal.com]

that's interesting - I sing to keep myself breathing, and it relaxes my horses. When JJ was tense during her early farrier visits, a song from me calmed her Right. Down.

Of course, I was at a clinic last year, and was being (re)introduced to folks I had competed against the previous year at the local gaited horse show. The way that people remembered me? "Oh, you were the one who was always singing" :).

[plutosonium.livejournal.com]

Playboy liked my singing. I like my singing. I recommend singing to others.

Pluto, however, does NOT like it. And I'm not going to push it when it's making him all tight. Maybe he'll get used to it at some point, but at the moment it doesn't have the desired result. He likes to be talked to. From the ground he likes to get his nose raspberried. But don't sing to him.

Playboy got a lot of folk songs from me. He also liked country and western, particularly love songs. (We had radio piped to the arena.) His absolute favorite was Gilbert and Sullivan showtunes.

[dancinghorse.livejournal.com]

Maybe Pluto is a reincarnated opera singer and he has perfect pitch.

At least he likes it when you talk to him. Lipps are so verbal.

Marita used to like "The Mikado." Only way I could keep breathing when she had one of her, ahem, little episodes. I think she really should have been named Katisha.

[plutosonium.livejournal.com]

Wouldn't surprise me in the least. He has the hefty ribcage development of one. :)

[dancinghorse.livejournal.com]

And tends to get hefty, too.

[plutosonium.livejournal.com]

So the question that immediately occurs to me is: Are opera singers afraid of ducks?

[raithen.livejournal.com]

hmmm. good question. I will ask my sister ;).

[raithen.livejournal.com]

*hee* re: Pluto and perfect pitch. I know ALL our animals prefer it when my sister (the trained opera singer and professional performer - she is moving to more modern stuff now) does the singing ;)

I sing Kim Richey's _Let the Sun Fall Down_ often - it seems to have the right tempo to calm us all down. _Twinkle Twinkle Little Star _also comes into rotation. I use _Row Row Row Your Boat_ occasionally, though I have to remember NOT to use the alternate lyrics from my childhood - "Tip your teacher overboard and listen to her scream" - as I fear the power of suggestion ;).

The most memorable instance was singing Oh Canada all through the first class in a show, because they opened the day with said anthem. *hee*

[dancinghorse.livejournal.com]

In a dressage show you'd get nailed for use of voice.

8)

[raithen.livejournal.com]

yes. of this I am aware. I am not, however, anywhere NEAR close to be a Dressage Rider. Or even a dressage rider. Yet, anyway ;). I am, however, thinking that Trekking could be fun, if it gets off the ground in this area.

[raithen.livejournal.com]

that said, I fear the jumping anymore, so will likely never trek ;).

[plutosonium.livejournal.com]

I fear jumping too. I didn't think it was in issue since Pluto spent a year kicking all jump-like things down to the ground before he'd go over. But in the last month he's decided that jumps are OK. So I guess we might go over some things. Eek!

I was so proud - last weekend he went up a bank jump without blinking while we were on walkies. The seasoned jumper who was on walkies with us completely boffed it and banged his knees when he did up it. My greenie did something better than an experienced horse!

[raithen.livejournal.com]

Oh, poor JJ. She is gonna be So. Challenged. When I start her... Cuz she has me ;). Maybe I'll have a chance to come for Joni and Judy torture before then ;).

[dancinghorse.livejournal.com]

Hey, what an excuse!

I feel that way about all my young ones. Camilla especially. She is a complicated horse.

[raithen.livejournal.com]

No no - not an "excuse"- a serious training REASON!

[dancinghorse.livejournal.com]

A reason can be an excuse. I mean.

[bdenz.livejournal.com]

CLEARLY I'm behind the times. What's with the animal injuries?

[raithen.livejournal.com]

As I understand it, Camilla and Pandora had A. Fight. Rather, Camilla picked a fight with Pandora, and then lost the battle. Which falls into the category of Mares! Spring! *eyeroll*

And Spot has been having Back Issues. ANd the goat I am unsure about.

And dancinghorse herself is in on the fun too, with a torn shoulder muscle (also courtesy Pandora, who is On. A. Roll) and other sundry horse-related ouchies....

Correction:!

[raithen.livejournal.com]

and it is CAPRIA, not Camilla, who is warrior like and war wounded.

my brain....

*shame*

Re: Correction:!

[dancinghorse.livejournal.com]

Hey, you got most of the letters right. ;>

The goat is absolutely ancient and is wearing out. Though she's been a lot more alert today--is eating everything I feed her. She seems to be rallying.

Re: Correction:!

[bdenz.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the update. I didn't think goats wore out.

Re: Correction:!

[casacorona.livejournal.com]

The Goat, who my husband insists is named Juno, is unbelievably ancient. She is at least 15 years old, which is about double the usual goat life-span. She's a lovely goat, though -- large and white, with beautiful curving horns and big yellow eyes. A danger to small people and animals, though, because she knows how to use those horns.