Selena Ride 36; Wizard Ride 108: This Little Piggy Had Roast Beef…
Saturday, 10/10/09
There was a nip in the air and the wind was brisk, but it was another lovely day for riding. I took Wizard and my friend took Mary on the trails. We were out for about an hour. Wizard’s walk felt a tad uneven- I could feel the saddle rotating in a circle instead of gently moving back and forth. My hope was that he would work out of it, but he did not. When we approached the spot on the trail where the pigs are kept, he flat-out refused to go forward. My urging only made him throw a fit. For the safety of me and Mary and her owner, I dismounted and demanded that he walk briskly past the pigs, VERY close to them. Mary is becoming such a good trail horse- she did not turn a hair while Wizard was hopping around and she followed him when we walked past.
I continued to ask Wizard to listen to my commands from the ground. Halt, walk, halt, back, walk. Reins soft, reins on contact, reins loose. We hand walked for about 20 minutes. When we found a good spot, I remounted and we rode the rest of the way back to the barn. Wizard did not settle well at all. He was bouncing and prancing and fussing the whole way back. When we arrived at the barn, I asked him to do several laps around the dressage arena at the walk. He fussed a bit but eventually settled. Out of curiosity, I asked for a trot, the first trot in over a month of riding. He fussed with his head and went into a jiggy trot. I asked for the trot two or three times, just for just the length of the arena each time. We went back to a quiet walk and he finally settled. After I dismounted, I put him on a longe line for a minute to evaluate his trot. I could not see any irregularity in his gaits. Hm. I’ll have to play it by ear with him.
Selena and I had a fantastic ride. We worked in the indoor arena, starting with walking on a loose rein, followed by circles and bending lines. Her trot has improved markedly and we did some work on lengthening and shortening her stride. She is beginning to bend better through her ribcage around curves and she is accepting contact, which in turn is improving my position. We did just a bit of canter work, which was also much better. Her head was high as she balanced herself, but she did not invert her neck or evade my cues in any way. Good girl!
And to follow up on a previous adventure, Mr. Spanky has been found! As we walked back on the trail back to the barn, it crossed my mind that we were in the vicinity of where I lost my dressage whip. I looked down, and, TA-DAAAA! There lay Mr. Spanky. Mary’s owner hopped off and picked it up. Three cheers for them :^)
Selena Ride 35; Wizard Ride 107: Indian Summer
Thursday, 10/8/09
Ahhhh, such a lovely day. Days like this make me forget that WINTER is on the way.
Rode Selena in the outdoor arena for about 40 minutes, including a long walking warmup and cooldown. The changes in her topline and gaits are really impressive. It is such a pleasure to ride her and feel her learning with each ride. The ride itself was not particularly demanding, but there was a lot of activity around us and she kept focused and relaxed while horses were brought in and out at feeding time.
I rode Wizard on the trails and my mom walked with us. We were out for about an hour. It was one of the best rides I’ve had on Wizard so far. At the pigs, he was tense but he passed them with the help of my mom, who walked by his side. He crossed the street like a pro. The up-and-down trails were no problem. On the trail back to the barn, he stretched his neck down, relaxing and swinging his back just a bit. Ahhhhhh, just a few more days with weather like this…
Indian Summer
Summer, you old Indian Summer
You’re the tear that comes after June-time’s laughter
You see so many dreams that don’t come true
Dreams we fashioned when Summertime was new…
Monday, 10/5/09
Rode Wizard on the trails with Mary the Morgan and her owner. The daylight faded as we headed out so it was dark before we even finished the first leg of the trail. The moon was bright so it helped us when it peeked out from behind the clouds. The main trail is covered with a light-colored sand so it is easy to follow even in the dark. The trail from the road to that main path, on the other hand, is quite dark, narrow, and winding.
It was the ultimate trust exercise to allow Wizard to work independently of me. I could not see the dark trail so I had to rely on his navigation skills while keeping a light contact on the reins. Mary’s owner and I kept talking as we rode, both to scare deer away and keep the horses focused on each other. We wore reflective safety vests and Mary’s owner also wore a blinking light on her back to alert drivers when we crossed the road to and from the barn.
Wizard was quite good on the main path- he broke into a little trot a few times but a half halt brought him back easily. The dark trail back to the barn is very difficult to spot from the main path, but Wizard knew exactly where it was, way before I realized it. He brought us back on the trail back home with no problem. On that trail, he began to do his speedy Wizard Walk, which left Mary at a disadvantage. While Mary has a lovely walk and will surely get great scores for it in dressage tests, it is not quite as fast as Wizard’s so we kept creeping ahead of them. At one point, Mary lost sight of us and both horses got a little jumpy but it was over quickly. As we got closer to the barn, Wizard fussed a bit and did one crow-hop but continued his walk and halted when it was needed.
For the entire ride, I kept my dressage whip (playfully named Mr Spanky) tucked under my arm. Wizard never needs a whip but I carry it just in case. On the way back, I forgot about Mr Spanky for a moment and lifted my arm. He fell into the woods and there was no way I was going to hop off and find him in pitch black darkness. Mr Spanky is a lovely green Fleck whip and I’ll have to send out a search party one of these days.
We arrived at the barn (ahhhhh- bright light!) without further incident. It was a great experience for me to ride Wizard in a more challenging situation because it showed me that we are beginning to get more comfortable with one another.
I scrubbed his legs (yes, we still have bugs!) and gave him his bedtime alfalfa.
Selena’s ride was far less exciting ;^) We warmed up in the indoor arena at a walk, first walking on the rail, then doing circles at intervals. We worked up to a trot and I worked on broken lines and circles at intervals. She’s beginning to relax her neck and round it a bit. After working at the trot, we did some walk-trot transitions at the base of the circles, followed by shoulder-in at the walk. I cooled her out by asking her to stretch her neck down at the trot and then the walk. Selena is getting fitter and more supple. It’s interesting how we hit little plateaus every few rides, followed by breakthroughs, which seem to happen after she gets a few days off.
Wizard Ride 105: Full Moon Fever
Sunday, 10/4/09
My grandmother rode horses for decades and she has some fantastic stories about it. One of her stories is of a moonlit trail ride. I’ve ridden Alibar in a moonlit field but I’ve never set out on the trails for a moonlit ride.
Mary the Morgan’s owner and I decided that we would give it a shot on Sunday night. Before we tacked up, we walked to the trailhead and walked on the beginning of the trail.
Hm. It’s pretty dark.
Like, really dark.
Hm.
But the moon is up…
Hm. We took the horses out of their stalls and groomed. I walked Wizard to the front of the barn.
Hm. Pretty dark.
Since we both were feeling the same thing about the darkness, we decided to just do a quick ride in the indoor and save the moonlit ride for another night.
Feeling inspired by the George Morris clinic I attended (more on that in a new post), I worked Wizard in the indoor arena. We started on the longe. I asked him for a walk in each direction, about 4 rotations. We went to a trot, about 4 or 5 rotations in each direction. I clipped on a set of side reins on the loosest hole and asked for a trot in each direction, about 3 rotations in each direction.
I mounted up and rode Wizard at the walk for about 10 minutes, alongside Mary the Morgan. The company of another horse decreased Wizard’d ear-pinning a little bit, but he still pinned them and bunched up his topline several times. I ignored his behavior and continued the ride. We did figure 8s and a large oval. When he gave me a relaxed walk with no fussing, I dismounted and gave him a pat. On to bigger and better.
Wizard Session 104: My Guys
Friday, 10/2/09
My husband visited the barn with me today. He’s not a horsey guy but he visits every so often to see how things are going. We’ve been doing a lot of hiking lately so we went for a hike with Wizard. We hiked a little over 4 miles and it was a wonderfully cool day. Wizard crinkled his nose when we got near the pigs but he did not hesitate at all as we walked past them. I was armed with carrots and I rewarded Wizard for halting at road crossings. Now that bow hunting season is in session, my friends and I have started wearing bright yellow safety vests when we are out on the trails. We plan to get bells for the horses, too.
After our walk, I scrubbed Wizard’s ankles in case there were any chiggers or tick nymphs still out on the trail. No bites yet, thank goodness. The Betadine scrub has done the trick every time I used it.
Wizard got a little playtime in the big arena to stretch his legs. There is a chunk out of his hoof wall of his right hind leg- it looked like he stepped on it somehow. It did not bother him at all when he was walking or playing but he did lift it up a few times when I was cleaning his legs. I think it will naturally roll with the curve of his hoof as long as we keep riding/hiking on good footing.
A wonderful day with my guys :^)
Selena Ride 33; Wizard Session 103: Drop It Like It’s Hot
Wednesday, 9/30/09
Four horses, all working in an indoor arena with a radio playing. Another new scenario for Selena :^) When we entered the ring, her ears immediately went to the radio and I could feel her react to it as we rode past it. We did a long walking warmup, followed by a lot of trotting around the full perimeter of the arena since I did not want to get in everybody’s way with a lot of big circles. I used transitions and a little shoulder-fore to keep her on the aids. I got my best trot and contact when “Drop It Like It’s Hot” played on the radio. I had no idea Selena was a Snoop fan. We rode for almost 45 minutes and she was barely sweaty at the end of the ride, which means 1) she’s getting fitter and 2) the weather is cooling down.
I did about 25 minutes of groundwork with Wizard in the indoor arena. We started exactly like we did the session before, with him wearing a saddle and halter. I worked on halt and walking forward, reinforced only with a clicker and a carrot and with no crop. He was much more responsive and relaxed. We did a few circles on the longe (about 3 each way) and then I put the bridle on and did a little more in-hand work, followed by free-longeing in tack. He was a different horse and back to his old self, responsive, curious, smart. It is an unsettling feeling when a horse loses his cool but they are remarkably resilient creatures- it was a relief that we were back on our previous level of communication.
Selena Ride 32; Wizard Ride 102: Stealth Mode
Monday, 9/28/09
During my ride on Selena, I had the benefit of a set of eyes on the ground. My barn buddy was in the arena while I rode and she gave me some great observations. I gave Selena a very long walking warmup and I felt great relaxation and her ribcage swayed nicely with each step. Her trot was equally loose and limber and she willingly stretched downward into the bit.
My friend noticed that when Selena was in her most relaxed frame (I use the term “frame” loosely here), her trot was very quiet! When she went back to the regular trot, her footfalls were louder. Fascinating!
She was so relaxed, in fact, that we did a little canter work, just two circles in each direction. She was bouncy but responsive. I think she will do best with canter work interspersed with trot/walk transitions so that will become part of our ride plans.
And then it was Wizard’s turn. After experiencing the feeling of him saying NO to the pigs on the trail in our last ride and his selective hearing during the free jumping session, I decided to do a little groundwork and a short ride in the indoor arena.
I started the session with him tacked up in a saddle but weating a halter so I could feed carrots and do clicker work. We worked first in hand at the walk, asking for go and whoah. I enforced “go” with a cluck of my tongue and a light tap of the riding crop on his rump. These cues were too much for him and he was leaping forward more than I wanted. I did a little jogging to keep him loose and moving forward and he relaxed a bit. I also enforced a good halt with a clicker and a carrot.
I then hooked the longe line to the halter and asked him to walk at the end of the line and we walked around the entire arena so it was not on a circle. He did this so well that I bridled him and got on. We had walked less than a minute when he began pinning his ears, tightening his entire body, and prancing. Wow- what a difference from the past six trail rides! He was back to his old behavior from April/May, but after several miles of riding, I knew it was not a physical issue (95% sure, anyway- anything is possible, I suppose). Knowing that he was not in pain gave me confidence to sit through his tantrums. He did the ear-pinning routine about ten times in the ten-minute ride. A few times, I growled scoldingly and rapped his shoulder with my hand and it seemed to stop the behavior. I did not want to do any more severe negative reinforcement than that because he is so sensitive to it. We walked in large circles and I changed direction several times to keep his feet moving and his mind active. One of his mini-tantrums felt worse than the rest and I could feel his hind end get light as if he was thinking about bucking or kicking. I sat up, gave a little leg, and rode on. It worked.
I asked for two halts during the ride. At the second halt, he let out a biiiig sigh and I patted him and dismounted.
But the work was not over for Wizard :^) I put him back on the longe and worked with a little walk/trot work (again not on a circle but on straight lines and a large oval). He was good until he got a little excited and burst into a very fast canter. I asked for a whoooahhhh and BOINK! He slammed on the brakes and spun. Argh- way more excitement than I wanted out of him. After I got something resembling a trot, I unhooked the reins and longe line and sent Wizard at liberty around the arena a few times, wearing a bit and saddle. I wanted to refresh the forward and come back cues, as well as let him recharge his mental batteries. It seemed to work well since he trotted back to me each time I sent him off. When he was done with the session, he was relaxed and responsive and not as jazzed up as he was on the longe.
What did I learn?
– All signs point to the ear-pinning as a behavior and not a physical issue because we just did six rides on the trail with no pinned ears.
– Great caution must be used with artificial driving aids, like a riding crop. Even the lightest tap sent him like a shot of a cannon.
– It appears that his spinning on the longe is a behavior that he does when he is nervous or stressed.
– The less restraint he has, the more relaxed he is.
– I have a LOT of work ahead of me if I want to continue ringwork with him.
– I might want to re-evaluate my goals.
Selena Ride 31: A Quick One…
Sunday, 9/27/09
Late night, quick ride. Selena is shedding up a storm and I can see hints of her winter coat. I tacked her up and rode for about 25 minutes in the indoor arena. We warmed up at the walk on a long rein, followed by walking over poles and working on circles at the walk. She had a few really nice moments of contact when I could feel her softly sitting on the bit. It felt great and it was yet another bit of progress for us.
We picked up the trot and I asked her to stretch downward on a large oval. We moved on to a figure 8 and then trotted serpentines. There were three sets of ground poles set up and for variety, I asked her to trot through them the long way (not over the poles, but through the “chute”). The poles were quite narrow on one set but she gamely responded to my leg and trotted on.. the sign of a good jumper :^)
We moved on to some lengthening at the trot with half halts, and then closed out the ride with a little more work on bending on circles. I can feel her having “aha” moments and then she flexes, takes contact, etc.
I cooled her out at the walk, gave her a good grooming (MORE shedding!) and put her outside for the night, next to Wizard and JR. They all seemed to enjoy the cool night air.
Possibly my quickest barn trip ever- I’m normally a bit of a dawdler.
“Cello, cello, cello, cello, cello…”
Selena Ride 30; Wizard Ride 101: Let my Cameron goooooooooo…
Flash forward to January:
Me: U riding?
U: No, it’s 40 below and there are two feet of snow in the indoor.
Me: Wish I’d ridden more when it was nice out.
– Text message received by Sarah K. Andrew on Thursday, September 24, 2009
He’ll keep calling me, he’ll keep calling me until I come over… OK, I’ll go, I’ll go, I’ll go, I’ll go, I’ll go.
– Cameron Frye in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
“Even with the greatest of care and the most serious diligence, no one should dream that it would be possible to reach the goal smoothly and without obstacles. With every horse you take in training, if it appears to be the most evidently suitable riding horse, be prepared for disappointments, embarrassments, and fights; then you might possibly not lose your good humor; and that is really the most important in all of your work.”
– Gustav Steinbrecht (Das Gymnasium des Pferdes, 1935)
Thursday, 9/24/09
Allergies? Swine flu? Whatever I have, I’m under the weather. I know I’m really not feeling well is because I thought about skipping the barn. But a few motivational text messages and a few flashbacks to Cameron Frye of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off when he wanted to stay in bed got me out of the house.
Rode Wizard on the trails with Mary the Morgan for a little more than two miles. Wizard was very slow at the beginning of the ride and picked up his pace as the walk went on. We crossed the street twice and he was great. We had a little drama when we arrived at the farm where the pigs live. There are only four pigs but both Wizard and Mary crinkled their noses and got tense before we got to the farm. We approached the farm from the opposite direction than our usual route, and Wizard balked and spun a bit and refused to go forward. Mary followed suit when she saw how strongly big, strapping Wizard felt about the pigs. I can’t blame her :^)
We were too close to the road and too far from the barn for me to do anything that would not have a surefire result so I dismounted and led Wizard past the pigs. I kept the reins short in my hands and worked on responsiveness to my vocal cues. I clucked my tongue and at the same time, tapped his left hip with the riding crop with my left hand (he was on my right). I repeated the exercise over and over. He balked twice at the pigs and then responded and passed them. I continued the exercise several more times until he was stepping smartly forward with every cluck.
A little way down the trail, we reached a mossy bank where I remounted- a first for me and Wizard on the trail! He stood really nicely and the rest of the ride was good. He was strong but totally responsive. The bugs/humidity were distracting him and he leapt through part of a puddle but I felt secure. It was a good, productive ride. I hate getting into disagreements with horses, but this one worked out well.
Selena is still stiff from her fall vaccinations so I walked her under tack for about 20 minutes. There were several horses in the indoor arena and she was happy as a clam walking along while the rest trotted, cantered, and jumped.
Wizard Session 100: Wish I Could Fly Like Superman
Wednesday, 9/23/09
At long last, free jumping night! With Wizard’s injury and our schedules, it has been several months since the last session.
Selena had her fall shots so she got the night off- just a little grooming and a feed tub full of goodies.
Wizard and Mary had a short and sweet free jumping session. Mary was first. We set up the chute with a ground pole and asked her to go forward through the chute and over the pole. Easy as pie. Then we raised it to a cross rail, followed by a small vertical. All the trail riding and dressage work has really strengthened her topline- her jumping form has improved dramatically from the last time she free jumped. She is losing the green form and starting to round and bascule.
And Wizard? He leapt over the little cross rail like a champ.
We took it easy with him and he did not miss a beat. The most interesting part of the session was that he was far less attentive to my voice than he was back when I was doing a lot more ground work and longeing with him. But he responded wonderfully to the clicker (click as he jumps to enforce good behavior).
Wizard does not have to wish he could fly like Superman– he just does it!
Can’t get enough jumping? Check out the jumping feats of some other species on Equine Ink.
Rock and Racehorses: The Blog 