The new routine is working well, I admit to having been nervous about having just the two boys but I needn't have been. They are very calm on the yard, in the field and with just a minimal amount of calling when one goes out to work. Today I hacked out on Moo and Chapiro was very relaxed about being left behind, what a good lad and Moo was very relaxed in the lovely sunshine that has been a regular feature recently.
We have gradually upped Chapiro's work rate, he's so different to Moo and taking some time to get really fit but he's getting there now. We've been working on lateral work at walk and lightening up our transitions, very pleased with him. I'll attach some recent videos, Lydia and Moo winning their All Round Horsemanship at Interdressage (how well timed was that) Chapiro with some CT groundwork for the HT Challenge, some CT ridden work and some very laboured canter transitions from Chapsi but if I don't show the bad ones I'll forget once they're amazing!!!
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Sleep tight Cacahuète
I've got to write this post but as I do I can feel the emotions coming anew so forgive it's brevity. Last week we said the final goodbye to Lydia's beloved pony. After three bouts of colic in as many weeks we decided to call it a day and let the little man be pain free and walk over rainbow bridge. We miss him like hell but the big boys have helped us no end and we are healing slowly. I'll be back to blog soon.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
he's not really a horse
It's school holidays and as Cacahuète is back to rude health he has been back to his gymnastic jumping, it makes me happy to see the little man on form again, he really is a superstar!
Friday I scraped the mud off Moo to get a ride and he made me happy too, just sitting up there, playing with some lateral work and then blowing the cobwebs away with a trot up the track was just what I needed, he has become my Mr. Fixit for those blue moments.
Chapiro! Well I'm now pretty sure he's not a horse. Chapiro is more Border Collie than horse. We have returned to playing with some liberty clicker work this last week and as always he seemed to love it. I threw the mat into the school and he literally ran after it to get on it as soon as it landed. I then worked on some new cues to send him to a target (big upturned bucket) and back to the mat and then off to another target, I was pretty impressed with how on cue he was even though I wasn't perfectly clear all the time (note to self about planning these sessions!!). I think fetching a stick will be next, only kidding!
Chaps enjoyed a free jumping play and a couple of in-hand/lunge and ridden sessions too. Thank goodness the snow has gone and lets hope it won't be making a return any day soon.
Friday I scraped the mud off Moo to get a ride and he made me happy too, just sitting up there, playing with some lateral work and then blowing the cobwebs away with a trot up the track was just what I needed, he has become my Mr. Fixit for those blue moments.
Chapiro! Well I'm now pretty sure he's not a horse. Chapiro is more Border Collie than horse. We have returned to playing with some liberty clicker work this last week and as always he seemed to love it. I threw the mat into the school and he literally ran after it to get on it as soon as it landed. I then worked on some new cues to send him to a target (big upturned bucket) and back to the mat and then off to another target, I was pretty impressed with how on cue he was even though I wasn't perfectly clear all the time (note to self about planning these sessions!!). I think fetching a stick will be next, only kidding!
Chaps enjoyed a free jumping play and a couple of in-hand/lunge and ridden sessions too. Thank goodness the snow has gone and lets hope it won't be making a return any day soon.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
The Melt
Finally the melt has started. Lydia off school for more than a week due to snow/ice and a poorly pony have made the last couple of weeks somewhat tiresome. Hopefully it has passed for the moment.
Yesterday I finally got to restart work with Chapiro, just a little in-hand and lunging but it made me feel a much more whole person again, I hate not having play time with the boys.
The right rein shoulder fore is really getting very good, nice and relaxed in the walk and happy to engage the right hand under his COG but the left rein is now the tricky one! The left rein has a 'busier' walk rhythm, more tension and consequently more stopping for a couple of steps of reinback. Will be working on that over the coming weeks.
Reinback in figure of eights to finish, not the most perfect '8' s but hey this is new for him.
I'm all excited about what's to come again, just keep the cold away, please!!
Yesterday I finally got to restart work with Chapiro, just a little in-hand and lunging but it made me feel a much more whole person again, I hate not having play time with the boys.
The right rein shoulder fore is really getting very good, nice and relaxed in the walk and happy to engage the right hand under his COG but the left rein is now the tricky one! The left rein has a 'busier' walk rhythm, more tension and consequently more stopping for a couple of steps of reinback. Will be working on that over the coming weeks.
Reinback in figure of eights to finish, not the most perfect '8' s but hey this is new for him.
I'm all excited about what's to come again, just keep the cold away, please!!
Sunday, February 5, 2012
there's more
Last little reminisce (promise) unless I find the ones that are missing at a later date, moving every few years I seem to have mislaid quite a few years worth!
Eite my friesian the day I brought him home, boy did I wonder what I'd bought when he came off the lorry.
but the boney bum filled out and he turned into a black swan (think I've already blogged these pics but I'll show them again)
and Sam my Gelderlander (seems I 'used' to like big horses)
and Sam and I during a regular lesson with Inger Bryant (list 1 judge and a brilliant trainer) I love how Sam was paying great attention to our feedback!
and some shots of Fidge my first PRE when I first got him, very grainy as they were never on proper photographic paper and haven't scanned well.
So that's it for now from a very snowy Aquitaine.
Eite my friesian the day I brought him home, boy did I wonder what I'd bought when he came off the lorry.
and Sam my Gelderlander (seems I 'used' to like big horses)
and Sam and I during a regular lesson with Inger Bryant (list 1 judge and a brilliant trainer) I love how Sam was paying great attention to our feedback!
and some shots of Fidge my first PRE when I first got him, very grainy as they were never on proper photographic paper and haven't scanned well.
So that's it for now from a very snowy Aquitaine.
Saturday, February 4, 2012
wot plan???
Did I say plan? Ah, what I meant to say was .....
reminisce!
Lydia and I are on a mission to put all our 'photos on disc before we move and today we found some very old ones of me.
Sadly the days of digital arrived too late for my childhood and my early years on horseback are scarcely visible in our family album but what I have I'll share.
Aged 2 and probably the first 'sit on'
Aged 4 (nearly 5) and all turned out for an 'occasion'
Rosettes won, why I had to show them off next to a 'mushroom' is anybodies guess!!
friend and pony....
and 'off out hunting' on a bay NOT a grey (that love must have come later!!)
reminisce!
Lydia and I are on a mission to put all our 'photos on disc before we move and today we found some very old ones of me.
Sadly the days of digital arrived too late for my childhood and my early years on horseback are scarcely visible in our family album but what I have I'll share.
Aged 2 and probably the first 'sit on'
Aged 4 (nearly 5) and all turned out for an 'occasion'
Rosettes won, why I had to show them off next to a 'mushroom' is anybodies guess!!
and 'off out hunting' on a bay NOT a grey (that love must have come later!!)
Friday, February 3, 2012
time to think
I realise many of you bloggers live in cold climes and usually I'm not one to moan but after the mildest winter in the last 8 it's hit me hard to be down into minus figures during the day.
The school is frozen solid and the tracks lumpy and bumpy so real work is out and my fingers just don't seem to work to even get some clicker going in the yard. I really must invest in some wool, knickers and socks would be a good start.
The problem for me is motivation. The last couple of weeks I've been very motivated and riding most days but then a few days of bitter cold weather and I'm sidelined and frustrated. So this week-end I need a plan. Perhaps the plan should be to make a plan. I'll let you know what the plan is just as soon as I've worked that one out for myself.
The school is frozen solid and the tracks lumpy and bumpy so real work is out and my fingers just don't seem to work to even get some clicker going in the yard. I really must invest in some wool, knickers and socks would be a good start.
The problem for me is motivation. The last couple of weeks I've been very motivated and riding most days but then a few days of bitter cold weather and I'm sidelined and frustrated. So this week-end I need a plan. Perhaps the plan should be to make a plan. I'll let you know what the plan is just as soon as I've worked that one out for myself.
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