more progress

I was very pleased with Moo this morning, rode in the hackamore again but first we played in-hand.
Just because I had to know, LOL, I tried flexions minus the bit. Quite unsurprisingly the bit chewing isn't going to happen but I did try the sideways flexions and he happily enjoyed the stretch and did the down and out afterwards. I figure this is actually going to be a useful tool to get over the point of how the inside rein works, i.e. as I close my fingers he takes his head to the inside and if asked will then take that stretch down and out; we'll have to see.
He gives an even better rein back in-hand without the bit and his giravolta/leg yield was good too. Tried shoulder-in and the counter exercise, both went well but the travers was the best I've ever had in-hand, in fact the best I've ever had from him full stop!! So I hopped on (almost literally as my back is a little restricting right now, bummer) and rode the travers, pretty good but not quite as good as the in-hand.
On the whole a good session, I think my reactions are improving and my hands are behaving a little better. Moo is so much steadier even in the trot and I can't wait for the next session each time. We had a little play with some square work on the grass afterwards because we can't hack at the moment.
His footiness is a little better and his feet look so much better, not great having to cancel my farrier; in spite of the fact that farriers don't understand all the issues of barefoot, he is a really professional guy who was never late or missed a rendez-vous. Oh well I had to do the best for my horses.

lightness

Not got round to updating for a few days, nothing of earth shattering dimensions to write up but all continuing to move in the right direction. Weather has turned ice cold again and yesterday I spent a good part of the day outdoors helping train other folks horses. Worked with my favourite cremello stallion again and a new anglo arab mare. Interesting mare, no muscle and NO mouth. Very hard into the hand and it made me realise just how light Moo is, sometimes I don't give us credit where it's due and I'm just too much of a perfectionist. Anyway, I think we made some real progress with the mare but *petit à petit* as the French say and it's going to take lots of going back to the basics to get her right but well worth persevering.

Reasons to be cheerful today:

I've ordered some new long reins, delighted to find the sort with cord for the first few meters and then into tape. Will be starting to play more seriously with Midget soon.

There is definitely grass growing, despite the cold.

Moo and the Midget are shedding their coats BIG time; the pony won't start until almost summer bless.

Music for muckers

I can't do housework without it and yard work's the same. This week Lydia and I are listening to Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers....really gets you motivated, lol.

Ah well the weather broke, not in two but in to rain. Still mild but wet which has me wondering, not for the first time this winter, why I don't rug them. I suppose they went in the bin with the shoes, polo bandages and matching saddle pads.

Good work in-hand for Moo and I found that after the bit raising and flexions that if I progressed to the moving flexions that it helped him mouth and swallow better if I massaged into his neck with my fist, literally *finding* the tightness and helping release it. This massaging was much lower in his neck than the vids I showed before (just behind the poll). I think that somewhere on the pooter I have a copy of Thomas Ritter's article on flexions (thanks Claire) and I may need to read this again. Also did lots of front leg raises, which he now loves, to help loosen the shoulders.

Finished the day with Lydia doing her Flicker inspired bareback stuff :-)

The rain cometh

Allegedly it cometh for the whole week. That throws a spanner in the gubbins then, I don't do getting wet so maybe no lunging, no hills and no teaching this week :-( So I have to learn to dance in the rain.
Soooo, today it was back to flexions indoors, having changed to a fulmered snaffle (haven't used one for I can't remember how long) in an attempt to see if I could encourage him to be more wet in his mouth. He is far less *worried* by the in-hand bit lifting and today was the first time he had actually relaxed and swallowed ,which is the intention.
I spent longer raising the bit and relaxing out his neck and jaw. Then I got on and did the same thing mounted. then we went on to ridden lateral work and he's now really clicked with the renvers and travers. Interspersed half pass with leg yield so that he didn't get too tight. It's excellent that he is today calmer in my hand and not throwing his head about, so much so that to end he took a great stretch down into the rein.
On a completely different front, I'm having so much fun cooking Indian food from my Christmas pressie book. It's the best book I've had on the subject and it's already got me experimenting on my own. Puts me in mind of training horses, there is a recipe but it's so very personal to each horse that there could never be a big enough book to cover every eventuality.