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Another Update on Nelson and I - March 3rd 2010

4K views 44 replies 12 participants last post by  MIEventer 
#1 ·
Well, here are some vids of Nelson and I working tonight. We are both out of shape and out of practice since his injury and severe colic in January - but I would have to say I am pretty darn tootin' impressed with his recovery! :D

His leg has come such a long way, and he's now on great suppliments through Smartpak for his Digestion, Ulcers and the damage done due to his colic.

He needs about 100 more lbs, and alot of conditioning - and I need to lose lbs, lol, and condition.

Ah - please excuse his Pay Pay hanging out...lol.....it's always out.



Here is his leg as of now. You can still see where it is "Swollen" but my Vet says that it is scar tissue and that's just how it is going to be. No heat, no puffyness, nadda - so that's where it is going to stay till the day he passes:





Here are piccies of us riding, not that great but here ya go:







And video's of us riding tonight. No laughing. We are both very out of "it" since we've been out during January.









There ya be :D Just wanted to share our "progress" with ya! Tell me what you think!
 
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#4 ·
You guys are SUCH a great team!!!
Thanks Wendy! I love him so much! He's my everything! We're a work in progress, I still have a long way to go to be more functional in the saddle, but thank goodness for my lessons! I have alot of issues, but knowing it is 1/2 the battle right? lol - least that's what I keep telling myself.

BTW, if Nelson goes missing, he's NOT, I repeat NOT in Central Pa, hehehehe.
Ok! Good to know! Let me make a note of that....hold on.......gotta get my pad and pen....

Looking pretty darn good to me. His leg has healed up wonderfully. He is so slick and shiny, I'm jealous ;p.
Thanks!!!

And the PayPay - lol - you know he's happy when it is out..lol.
 
#6 ·
I won't comment on the trot/canter videos since he has just come back from being laid off that is all I would do also.

The shoulder in however requires different thinking on your part. First do it sitting not rising. Second don't pull in his head as there should not be that much bend in his neck, The shoulder in starts from the OUTSIDE rein. You are opening the outside rein but it should be against his neck so by opening the outside rein and pulling the inside you will get him crooked in the body and noticibly in the head/poll.

The outside rein and outside leg initiates the shoulder in with virtually NO movement of the inside rein at all.

Think that you are the hub of a wheel and Neislon's shoulder/neck/head is a spoke in that wheel. You have to position him so that hub/spoke scenerio remain throughout the movement. No spoke I know has a bend in it.:wink:
 
#7 · (Edited)
First do it sitting not rising.
Sit is so difficult for me right now since I have a weak core and he has a lofty trot. But I will work on this for sure! I do breif moments during our regular work out's - I usually do it along the long sides of the wall and then I have to break, and his topline is virtually non existant, so I don't want my fat *** weighing it down - LOL. But this will give me a great opportunity to do Shoulder In while doing my sitting trot along the long side of the wall.

Second don't pull in his head as there should not be that much bend in his neck, The shoulder in starts from the OUTSIDE rein. You are opening the outside rein but it should be against his neck so by opening the outside rein and pulling the inside you will get him crooked in the body and noticibly in the head/poll.

The outside rein and outside leg initiates the shoulder in with virtually NO movement of the inside rein at all.
Ok! That makes sense, thank you for explaining that to me. So I am going to ask for his body to bend around my inside leg?

What I've been doing is asking for the movement you would for a 1/2 pass - opening up both my outside aids, and asking for the cross over with my inside leg.

Ooops! Good to know!

So I just want the shoulder to move, nothing else. Oooh boy...Nelson's going to be irritated with me tonight! ROFL! This is going to take alot of effort on my part to get this right! Poor Nelson......he's probobly wondering what the smeg it is I am doing...hahaha.

Thank Goodness for friends like you to grab my shoulders and turn me in the right direction with a bit of a shake.

he looks fantastic!
Thanks ReiningGirl! We are both a work in progress. We have a long way to go, but he's come such a long way as it is since January.

I have his face stuffed in a round bale during his day turn out, and friends at the barn are sure to throw hay in his stall during the night when I am not there.

He is on 2 pounds of Purina Senior and 2 pounds of Purina Ultium, plus suppliments. He is also now on digestive suppliments through SmartPak Equine to help repair is digestive tract from the severe colic he had.

1 day at a time. He still has NO muscle, and needs to gain alot more weight, but he's looking better everyday in compareson to what he looked like in Jan. Eish.....he looked horrible in Jan.
 
#8 ·
Hey MIE,
I think Nelson looks great. He looks happy to be working!

Everythiing looks good to me other than the Shoulder in.
I guess the things that stood out to me were as Spyder mentioned his neck falling out. I sometimes have this result myself when asking for this movement.

Spyder can maybe clarify but the outside rein I thought is sort of a keeper of the shoulder falling to far out thus causing the neck to bend too much.
I could totally be wrong. So hope Spyder can come back and comment again.

So happy the two of you are getting back into the swing of things.
Yay for you two!
Halfpass
 
#10 ·
Spyder can maybe clarify but the outside rein I thought is sort of a keeper of the shoulder falling to far out thus causing the neck to bend too much.
I could totally be wrong. So hope Spyder can come back and comment again.

The outside rein is the "keeper" once the movement has been achieved but both the outside rein on and outside leg on initiates the movement.

How this is a bit rough but think of the shoulder in as the start of a pirouette that doesn't get past the first step or two and in fact a good shoulder in should be able to be converted into a pirouette.

If the inside rein is kept quiet as it should be the outside rein almost becomes passive. So if done like this there is NO bend in the neck (assuming the outside leg remains to prevent this.

The biggest problem with the shoulder in, is that it is too often over ridden.
 
#12 ·
Thanks for the more info Spyder! I just got off work and am heading to the barn and I'll definately work on your advice.

Dartanion, thanks! The Smartpaks are fabulous, convenient and after dealing with the Consultants on the phone, I have Nelson on what he needs, nothing more, nothing less.
 
#15 ·
Well, my attempt at Should In's was semi successful, semi not. Nelson was getting quite frustrated with me, lol, because he grinds his teeth really loud when he does...so I stopped, went back to long and low and just left things alone until my next lesson - where I can do this under educated supervision.

I tried to get someone to record my ride for me, but everyone was so busy with their own riding and own ajenda, it wasn't plausable.
 
#18 ·
Thanks Wendy! I think you are one of the rare who enjoy seeing Nelson and I :) lol!

Thanks HITS! I think we need to have a sit down with our poneh's and discuss the positive and negative - negative being they hurting themselves....and bugs......lol
 
#27 ·
Thanks HITS! I think we need to have a sit down with our poneh's and discuss the positive and negative - negative being they hurting themselves....and bugs......lol
LOL yes we do! I can see it now..."Now, Sandie, Nelson, you listen here...there will be NO MORE injuring yourselves, and Sandie STOP making your body be such a drama queen, getting all lumpy over a little thing like a bug bite!" :lol:
 
#24 ·
I'm sooo happy for you MIE. I am glad things are working out. You sure as heck look better than I do right now. I don't even want to know how bad I am...freaking snow and cold as crap weather. Where is SPRING?!?!?!

Keep up the great work. :-D
 
#25 ·
Thanks Hon!!! I am with you on the stupid snow...I am so sick of it and am ready for Spring to arrive!

Nelson and I started lessons in December...I think? Gosh..it seems like so long ago, even I can't remember. Then we missed out on all of Jan due to everything - and then started up again in Feb. Started out small, just lots of walk but my coach made me focus alot on my form *still working on that* while incorporating alot of long and low with Nelson.

So now that we are walking, trotting and cantering, I'm stronger than what I was before - but still have a long way to go..for the both of us.

Thanks for your support and kind words Jadedeyes! Very appreciated, honestly :) *HUGS*
 
#26 ·
Hey MIE,
I know for me it is so cool to have someone vid me and also someone on the ground when trying to do something where I might need a pointer or too.

I like what Spyder had to say about the shoulder-in being "over-ridden" a lot.

I guess a question would be just to clarify

over-ridden meaning ridden at to much of an angle or...
over-ridden meaning to much practice on the one movement.

I am thinking Spyder more meant the first. Ridden at to much of an angle.

Kim I have watched a lot of videos and explanations on this movement. Jane Savoie has some. You may have already looked at them.

Oh all this can be frustrating sometimes....lol
No matter....you and Nelson look Fantabulous given all that you and he have been through this year....

Keep us posted.
HP
 
#28 ·
I like what Spyder had to say about the shoulder-in being "over-ridden" a lot.

I guess a question would be just to clarify

over-ridden meaning ridden at to much of an angle or...
over-ridden meaning to much practice on the one movement.

I am thinking Spyder more meant the first. Ridden at to much of an angle.

HP

Over ridden in two ways.

Certainly many make the angle too much but in fact to overangle the shoulder in "during training" can be good practice to ride the correct angle. I will ride Spy at all angles when practicing and that is to test my control in seeking the correct one. Many times what is practiced and shown will be different but practice in achieving ANY angle means you will be able to correct any fault when showing.

I mainly mean over ridden in too much leg/hands or seat that causes so many problems.

One example is in the video. In trying to get the angle MIE used too much inside rein. Not shown but also a common problem is in attempting to get the shoulder in to continue along the side the horse will go too much forward and end up in the middle of the arena so the rider now over compensates and puts too much brake on (or half halts)

The key to the shoulder in is to ALLOW the forward movement even if it comes off the wall. As long as it is in the position you requested just stop trying to "fix" things.

As I have said so many times...it is the riders job to position the horse so it succeeds in what is being asked for or at least makes valid attemps in the right direction. You can never fault the horse or rider if the above is activly being persued.

What makes the above succeed is the understanding of the working of the horse and the consequences of each action upon the horse.
 
#29 ·
In trying to get the angle MIE used too much inside rein.
So I want to keep doing what I am doing - meaning, same aids in asking for the movement - just not over bend his head to the inside so much?
The key to the shoulder in is to ALLOW the forward movement even if it comes off the wall. As long as it is in the position you requested just stop trying to "fix" things.
This makes alot of sense.

As I have said so many times...it is the riders job to position the horse so it succeeds in what is being asked for or at least makes valid attemps in the right direction. You can never fault the horse or rider if the above is activly being persued.
I completely agree with you.

I understand that the Shoulder In isn't supposed to be so "Dramatic" as what I've been doing, we just started to work on the movement - I know Nelson can definately do the movement, I Just have to figure out how to ask him correctly. He went 3rd level with one of his many owners, so he can definately do it....and that's why he grinds his teeth with me, because I know I am frustrating him.

So I'll wait for my Coach to be there infront of me, walking me through it as I am doing the movement, so that I have that educated aid beside me, correcting and aiding me to get it right.

I hope to have someone video tape it for me!
 
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