DefinitelyDressage.com

Anne

SueB - thank you for the encouraging words it is really helpful! And happy birthday big Tio. My wee man is having a break at the moment while I'm away for work, but I'm looking forward to getting back riding when I'm home (though winter time doesn't always make for the best of conditions). We had a ...

Anne

Oh no, how very frustrating for you, and probably for Annabelle too.... healing jingles headed your way.

Anne

DJR, what a tough few weeks, cyber hugs for you and kia kaha (stay strong).

Anne

I also have a young(-ish) sensitive horse (see the young horse forum 2013 thread for pics). I completely agree with SF - sit a few strides and see what is the response, build from there, keeping the quality of the trot. For me, the worry has been that sitting would upset him enough to trigger buckin...

Anne

Heddy - go the canter!! Since then, Fergal's been a wee star (though I have not yet asked for canter in the arena again....) - lots of riding out, and he's just generally more biddable and accepting of everything (saddling up, mounting, getting on the truck). SF - yeah, rising 6, I hope he's going t...

Anne

MC - I read that Demi was in right-shoulder-in, and was weighting her right (inside) seat-bone, and getting the bend around her right leg, is that what you thought?. Demi, I appreciate your detailed explanations, particularly as I'm trying to teach the young-one SI at present, it is a good reminder ...

Anne

An update : Fergal had 2 months off due to me travelling for work. I did a week of ground work / lunging before I got on about 2 weeks ago, and had a good first quiet ride, walk/trot in our arena. Then a few more days off due to weather (it's winter here), and next ride I made the mistake (in hindsi...

Anne

Wow Chancellor, what a stressful start to your trip, but yay! you are there, and I for one will look forward to photos.

Anne

Wow Linden, look at that snow! Your big guy looks gorgeous. My little fella is officially an over-reactive diva.... I put a different saddle on him today (just placed on his back, no girth, to see how it fit) and he stood for a few seconds, then humped up and bucked it off. I guess it felt different...

Anne

Wow Khall, you must be very pleased. You two 'fit' very well, and it must be great to have a good young horse trainer to help and give you both confidence.

Anne

Heddy you crack me up! Glad you stayed aboard!!

Anne

MC, I echo everyone else here to say I am so very sorry for the loss of your partner. I send you very warm cyber hugs and supportive thoughts. Kia kaha ('stay strong').

Anne

Great idea Linden, I love looking at people's photos....
Mine's a horsey one : our boys, left to right, Bram, Fergal, Finn, Carlo.

: boys-handsome.jpg (81.22 KiB) Viewed 17100 times

Anne

Wow, that is a bit out of the ordinary. I'm sure it looks even more spiffing on top of Queso. Glad to hear his poles outing was a non-event, he sounds like such a solid citizen. And thanks P, P and H for positive comments on young Fergal - it has been a somewhat challenging journey so far, and I am ...

Anne

Hey Linden, so good you are making progress and looking forwards. Please keep checking in here, we miss you!

Anne

Congratulations on your successful show exvet, you guys look super!

Anne

Oh crap Xan, that is tough, here is hoping another job materialises quickly. Good luck!

Anne

I'm also at a similar stage with my youngster : I agree with Dresseur and Ponichiwa above, and because I didn't see it mentioned, will add : shallow loops in trot along the long side (as shallow/deep as you can manage), and leg yield head-to-the-wall at walk if you are having any trouble getting acr...

Anne

Heddy - that sounds like super progress with your canter work, and I hope trailering is also improving. We had a hiccup in early December when Fergal came back into work after a 2 month break : he had got all tight and reactive again, and had a few bucking sessions, one with me on board, from which ...

Anne

Guess you don't want to import from NZ?! I saw this ad today, and the jumping pics caught my eye:

: 939525656.jpg (99.26 KiB) Viewed 26230 times

(full ad at : https://www.trademe.co.nz/sports/equest ... 8e8d4efda5 )

Anne

Thanks Tuddy, it's a good time to reflect, near the end of the year. I'll add to the 'challenging horses' stories! Fergal and I made good progress when I had some time off work August through October, and he was ridden 4 to 5 days a week - reliably riding out (with a buddy), including cantering and ...

Anne

Adding my positive thoughts for you Linden, I think you have such an astute eye and I find your training comments very educational. I loved the photo of your youngster in the cross-ties in the young-horse-2013 thread.... OMG he is huge.

Anne

way to go Heddy, I'm sure you'll get the middle ground (between too calm and too umm, 'energetic') eventually, she sounds like she is pretty opinionated! I'm offshore again, so no more Fergal updates until I'm home next month. In the mean time I'm re-visiting your gym suggestions, and have discovere...

Anne

Good going exvet, what a nice pair you make. And there was even a grey horse close to the arena that Junior did not seem to pay much attention to, well done on keeping his focus! You guys are making great progress

Anne

Welcome back to everyone, the DDBB is a lovely, helpful and inspiring community!

Anne

Red's Mom - yowee, what an awful accident, I really hope you heal up quickly. But super nice to hear of your huge progress with Red! Heddy - we are in parallel with the trailer loading, yesterday Fergal got all 4 feet into the truck for a moment before turning and coming down the ramp. He is very le...

Anne

Ah, good info Flight, thank you. Demi, glad your enjoying the ss3, guess that will be a better way for me to go eventually.

Anne

For those who have used soloshot2, how have you found the zoom capability? There is one going cheap here, and I'm a bit tempted...

Anne

Heddy - I'm hoping Maia is healing up well, thank goodness at least that it's easy to get her to eat her meds! Ponichiwa - sounds like super progress with the lovely Queso, ha ha, I get you on trotting and steering at the same time. Fergal is making steady progress, though from the outside it probab...

Anne

Welcome Ponichiwa and Queso! I'm looking forward to your updates, he looks like a very cool dude.

Anne

SF - I hear you on the leading from the right, Fergal was just the same. He's good now, just quiet perseverance has done the trick. Don't apologise for derailing Demi! They are a good set of exercises, and I really appreciate Heddy having posted them. Heddy - yeah, it is great to have a reliable bud...

Anne

Patchy progress this month, due to me wrenching my back mucking out the paddock. Fergal had 3 weeks of just lunge / leading work, but I climbed back on last week and he's been great. Had our first canter yesterday (uphill, following his buddy, no worries!), and out again today along our tracks and p...

Anne

thanks exvet, that is very helpful

Looking forward to more of your updates.

Anne

Great to read your positive report exvet. Could you please elaborate on "She made it clear that he is not to pin his ears at any request I make"? My young lad is also inclined to be somewhat 'opinionated', so any pointers to how to deal with it would be appreciated.

Anne

Yes, he's certainly got the winter woollies at the moment, though I noticed he is just starting to moult (a few hairs anyway) now we are past the shortest day. Winters are not too bad, usually around 10 degrees (Celcius! so ~50 F), a bit less at night. But we do get snow sometimes, and frosts. Had a...

Anne

Geez heddylamar, well done for staying up top, you sound like one tough lady!! Hope Maia is more biddable tomorrow.

Anne

A brief update.... back from work last week, to find that canter is well installed on the lunge, a big step forward considering he could only manage a 1/2 circle when I left, and only on the right rein. He still finds right rein much easier than left at canter, but does not easily bend right (and th...

Anne

Wow, Mountineer, good for you guys!! Enjoy

Anne

heddy - thanks *so* much for the gym stuff, it is really helpful to have 'real world' feedback on useful exercises. I managed 12 flights of stairs yesterday, and 8 so far today, so one more 'rep' to get in before bed time... My bruises are healing but I have one on my right elbow which is making my ...

Anne

Adding my voice of support, like others here, I've often thought of you and hoped you were getting on OK.

Anne

Oh, I hope Maia comes right quickly.... if it is an abscess, running around on it is probably the best thing she can do! I probably jinxed myself by posting above.... the very next day Fergal was in a spooky and somewhat uncooperative sort of mood. We'd done a spell of okay walk/trot work (marred by...

Anne

Khall she is a lovely solid girl, and what a nice canter! Looking forward to updates too.

Anne

Have had 9 rides now, including one 'out on the trail' (aka, down and up our long driveway). He had his buddy there, and happily walked and trotted both behind and in front. Already he is much more prompt in his transitions, and starting to bend correctly. I'm sure we'll have some testing times (as ...

Anne

Exvet, glad to hear you worked through both the tantrum in the lesson and in loading - sounds like he was putting you to a bit of a test, and of course you came out on top! The 5 miles on the trail sounds like a good antidote. Khall - how old is your filly now? I also will look forward to photos (vi...

Anne

And, today, we trotted under saddle!!!! We rode yesterday, just at walk, and mostly following his buddy. Today, didn't have the other horse, but my partner stood in the centre of the ring and we worked around him, and because Fergal felt so comfortable, we both asked for trot and off he went, very m...

Anne

Exvet it sounds like Junior and you had a challenging time, but that can be really good for learning and ultimately confidence. And cantering under those conditions!! Well done you, and keep us posted!

Anne

I got back from work 2 weeks ago. While I was away my partner kept up a bit of lunging work with Fergal and he's generally much more settled and confident. He got canter right happening reliably, canter left much more difficult though. He also introduced cavaletti. He did have one set back while I w...

Anne

I find browsing this forum a good momentary escape from the stresses of life too, and I check in daily. I think there's a great community here, and I really appreciate reading everyone's training goals and progress over on the Training board, plus all the snippets of life and stuff here in the 'Loun...

Anne

Further progress with the young man: having sat on him a few times, we progressed to walking around the yard, then arena bareback, and doing some stop, go and turn. Also got the saddle on and girth tightened with no drama - I feel that is our biggest achievement so far, given his initial violent buc...

Anne

Also loving the photos, and what a neat gate! Will look forward to a lesson report if you get a chance : my youngster is not at Junior's stage (he's had 2 rides with a saddle on, walk-only and still with a lunge line, and a few bareback walk-arounds before that), but I'm always interested to hear wh...

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