What are you working on?

My horse has decided that he enjoys pasture ornament status and is fighting hard to keep it. He's un-rideable until pads/shoes are put on him but the farrier can't do that until I get the massive case of thrush he picked up, while dealing with an abscess, cleared up.

Soooo, I was offered one really fat pony to ride. Pony is safe, comfy and has one speed.... STOP. Perfect if you'd like to stand in the shade and take a nap. But since he is very well-trained and safe, my trainer wants to work on my seat at the canter with him. My horse is pretty green and unbalanced at the canter and unbalanced me + unbalanced him = one hot mess.

So Thurs. My trainer is coming to work with me and fat pony. This should make for great entertainment for the neighbors, I got him to canter last week..... I was beating him with a crop while my friend chased him with a whip!

LOL now there is a visual!!!!!
My husband's paint gelding "pony" has been a stand in same place kind of guy until this past weekend. I was leading him and my husband got in the saddle. The "pony" is 3 yrs and has always been pretty DULL. Well all of a sudden he started bucking and off went my husband and then I ended up jumping out of the way to get away from our new bronc. Afterwards he was all cuddles. Have no idea what got into him. Same saddle we have been using.

I could only get my pony to canter by thrashing him with a BRANCH--and it had to have LEAVES- dry leaves were best. The branch only lasted a few times, as the leaves would naturally fly off, and I was left with skeleton sticks.

The sad thing is, it turned out he was suffering from a low-grade founder. (I finally called the vet out, because I'd heard about some horses with low metabalism, and they were being helped with meds of some kind).

As always, we have to be vigilant that there's no pain involved; especially with very fat ponies.

Yup! Vet came out for Spring shots and said he's perfectly healthy just a tad "wide". He was thin when my friend bought him, same exact attitude. He's lazy!!

Working solidly on strengthening up this damn right hind leg, which due to his crookedness, is creating a block right through his right side to my right rein. Lots and lots of travers to the right, and riding some turn on the haunches as well. In canter he is certainly improving, I ride a few spirals, with his quarters leading, which is starting to give me a more active inside hind leg and thus the wither is coming up and the rein lightens. In trot there is still a way to go, I'd say this is going to be his biggest sticking point. Once we get to teaching flying changes, I have a feeling he'll be late behind.

Me and Grace are working on her horrendous halts. Her worst quality... We are also working on leg yields, transitions within gaits, coming from behind (which is going WONDERFULLY!), and streeeeeetching down in all of her gaits.

I am working on keeping my eyes up, back straight, hips loose, and shoulders back!

Connection and throughness.

After six months of us learning together the light came on today.

For the first time I figured out (with my trainer's coaching) how to really ask for connection through the bit while riding really forward.

When Calypso gave in to the bit and went forward with an elevated back it was like I was on a brand new horse. The feeling is intoxicating and there is no way I'm going back to accepting hollowness and evasion.

I'm working on finding a darn barn here that offers what I'm looking for!



Have a few in mind but can't go visit any until work starts. Major bummer.. but didn't want to miss out on this thread!

Glad to hear you have been able to experience that feeling Mildot. There is nothing more invigorating than feeling the horse suddenly come through, your are being carried along rather than having to push and fight, the horse seems to grow an inch at the wither, and the back is like sitting on a sponge. You feel like you can move any part of the horse, anywhere that you like. Once you can get a horse through, you know you're on your way and the work is correct.

This is the aim for my new boy, I don't think he's ever been ridden through, as he doesn't really understand how to swing over his back. So right now, it's just singling out parts of his body, loosening them up, getting him straight, fit, relaxed and even on both reins. Right now, I feel like I'm at the gym doing weight on my right side, he is SO damn blocked through that right hind. So travers, travers and a bit more travers!!!

My trainer took some video and pics of the good and the bad today. I might post them up once I get them.

Probably after Rolex is over.