Trying To Keep Training
It's finally stopped raining, but because Rogo lost a shoe I still can't ride him :( . Thinking walk would be okay (we have a good and still very moist sand footing in our ring) yesterday I got on and walked. Doug was our coach and eyes on the ground and I must say, I was very pleased with the session. I really think it would be beneficial to do a couple of days a month of walk only, even when he has all his shoes.
We did a lot of speeding up and slowing down the walk, on a 20 m circle. Boy does that exercise ever make them tune into you. Rogo tends to be a little strong minded at times, but when we do this he concentrates intensely. After a few minutes he is slooowing down, and then springing forward from his hind quarters when asked for a faster walk. With Doug's watchful eye I kept him engaged even when he was slow (he tended to invert his back and put his head up when we slowed down at the start of the exercise). Within a few minutes he was chewing the bit and reaching for it. Yeah!
Then we spiralled in and out on the circle both ways and I noticed he was more attentive to my lateral aids - he'd really focused on the lesson and I could keep my aids light.
We did a little shoulder in each way and a little leg yield both ways and he did fine. Maybe there should be a walk only dressage class, instead of starting with walk trot? It could include all of the above plus walk pirouettes. I'm kidding, but...
Today I rode a couple of my tests on Savanah, just for my own practice. My neighbor had lit a fire next door and it was snapping and crackling and Savanah was VERY excited about this. I don't blame her. If you're a horse fire isn't a good thing. I had started out bareback but went back and put her saddle on just to be on the safe side. After that things were fine and we rode Training Level 1 and 3. She can do it in her sleep, so I'm able to focus more on my equitation with her, which is a very good thing.
The farrier will be here tomorrow. Keep your fingers crossed that it doesn't rain so I can have a ride.
We did a lot of speeding up and slowing down the walk, on a 20 m circle. Boy does that exercise ever make them tune into you. Rogo tends to be a little strong minded at times, but when we do this he concentrates intensely. After a few minutes he is slooowing down, and then springing forward from his hind quarters when asked for a faster walk. With Doug's watchful eye I kept him engaged even when he was slow (he tended to invert his back and put his head up when we slowed down at the start of the exercise). Within a few minutes he was chewing the bit and reaching for it. Yeah!
Then we spiralled in and out on the circle both ways and I noticed he was more attentive to my lateral aids - he'd really focused on the lesson and I could keep my aids light.
We did a little shoulder in each way and a little leg yield both ways and he did fine. Maybe there should be a walk only dressage class, instead of starting with walk trot? It could include all of the above plus walk pirouettes. I'm kidding, but...
Today I rode a couple of my tests on Savanah, just for my own practice. My neighbor had lit a fire next door and it was snapping and crackling and Savanah was VERY excited about this. I don't blame her. If you're a horse fire isn't a good thing. I had started out bareback but went back and put her saddle on just to be on the safe side. After that things were fine and we rode Training Level 1 and 3. She can do it in her sleep, so I'm able to focus more on my equitation with her, which is a very good thing.
The farrier will be here tomorrow. Keep your fingers crossed that it doesn't rain so I can have a ride.
Comments
Walking is one of my favorite things to work on with Brie, because all her life she's been GO GO GO!! Finally she's slowing down, probably because she's 10 now.