Friday, May 20, 2011

oh YES

We have go and stop! The last few days I've been taking Chapiro down the track and stopping in the shade to chill and then continuing in shoulder-in/travers for a few steps and then halting, backing etc, generally high reinforcement CT tasks. He has responded really well and today I took him down to the school and used the same exercises, asking him to keep it very slow and relaxed throughout (by having lots of breaks and praise). It was a real breakthrough session and so I hopped on bareback for a few minutes and hey presto he was very forwards but with the ability to stop on voice this time, very happy with that. Went on to lunge a little stretchy trot and then walked up the lane to the neighbours, again with much stopping and chilling.

Moralejo had a little free jumping session this morning and incredibly my heffalump can actually get all four feet off the ground at the same time, he even made a pretty good shape a couple of time **shock** it does help free him behind.

Yesterday we had a lovely ridden session and he was able to maintain the stretch in trot with much less support than usual, we then had a lovely walk down the tracks on the buckle.

6 comments:

Kerry Louise Turner said...

Yes jumping is great and has a place in the training of all dressage horses.

Claire said...

sounds good.

hilaryc said...

Sounds like you are having a great time. Mine made me laugh over a jump last week- Callisto decided that a pole ( with palstic at th side ) was a potential dragon, Then brought Lottie in, who deviated towards a jump draped in plastic-deviated straight towards it and jumped it!

Sounds like you are really enjoying bareback- me too. Thoug my most comfy Lottie is going south this weekend ( doing a horseswap with Charlotte ( Appy2Q) for her retired mare- I just dont have the time, and Callisto needs out and about.

BY the way, if any interest, Alex has a new website up - think you shold get it here http://theclickercenter.com/index.html

By theway, whats a stretchy trot?

trudi said...

hehehe, don't think mine really count as dressage horses Kerry, although Chapsi does show some promise with jumping and Lydia has everything crossed he'll be a superstar!!!

Thanks Claire.

Hope it all goes well with the swop, would love to hear more news on yours (and Charlotte, Lisa, Johanna et al!!! Seems very quiet with no CT news :( to read)

Thanks for the link, I won't make the Paris trip this year due to hols but would love to catch up with AK at some point.

Stretchy trot= that stretching over the back, relaxed, abs working, no rushing sort of trot :)

trudi said...

Sorry Hilary, that last section was obviously to you, doh, saturday morning brain I'm afraid.

allhorsestuff said...

How exciting! Very delightful all...and jumping, dressage and all you do does interact highly- timing & balance skills they are!