Friday 21 December 2007

Twice in one week.

Think ive re-discovered my schooling 'mojo' went back in the arena yesterday with Polo and AliG,plus I thought all the kids have broke up for Christmas now so it might be too busy to get in over the next 2weeks.
Went in with Polo first im starting to use my brain a bit more when schooling him as I have a tendancy to repeat what ive been taught and not experiment enough.I do convince myself i'll make a mess of things and it took such a long time to get him to accept working in a school without major kicking off I dont want to spoil that but I decided to risk it!:)))
We did lots of transitions,walk-trot,halt-trot,trot-halt and tried a little reinback to walk and trot,he was very responsive after the usual 5min powering around and was halting and slowing from my seat alone..I was very pleased.
I let him have a couple of minutes cantering around at the end purely for fun for us both!

I then took AliG in and did more ground work..well the boy seems to 'have' the idea.He was circling and stopping with very little pressure,still less keen on the right rein but not putting a much effort into protesting.I honestly think the fact he's having to maintain the speed I ask without constant encouragement to keep going will help his mmmmm lets just say 'laidback' attitude to ridden work,I worry he's got the potential to be a horse you have to work at to keep going.

Anyway it was a very pleasing day,I just fed them today and im now off work for two weeks:))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

6 comments:

cptrayes said...

///I worry he's got the potential to be a horse you have to work at to keep going. ///

I know what you mean, but there's no such thing :-) !! There are only horses who have been allowed by their owners to become dead to the aids. They may have started off naturally lazy and laid back, but that's no excuse on the part of the rider to sit there banging away with their feet while their horses ignore them! Be tough with him early and you won't have to do it for long, he's a bright boy :-)

C.

Claire said...

two weeks off? i guess that was well planned request very early in the year then? enjoy...

Jean said...

You will encourage AliG if you insist now that he GO when you tell him to. Caroline is right. He will only be lazy if you accept lazy.

Keep being inventive with Polo. I think you will find following your instincts in his training will work much better than sticking to exercises you've been taught.

Jean said...

You will encourage AliG if you insist now that he GO when you tell him to. Caroline is right. He will only be lazy if you accept lazy.

Keep being inventive with Polo. I think you will find following your instincts in his training will work much better than sticking to exercises you've been taught.

Nicola said...

Yes I know you are both right I suppose ive always ridden forward going horse's so am a bit thrown by it!:)))

I work in a school/college for special needs kids Claire so get most of the school holidays:)

Claire said...

Ah! the children go home for their holidays! didn't think of that ...where's that "i'm with stupid" icon when you want it?