September - October goals and progress
Re: September - October goals and progress
Decided to give Junior a break today and we headed out on the trails with a neighbor who recently got back into town with her new horse. My daughter rode Junior and I rode Brandon. In the center is my neighbors on her 5 year old Paso Fino. It was a beautiful day. Junior was loving it until we got back to a bath and his body clip......oh well
Re: September - October goals and progress
Love your photo exvet! We also finished the month on a trail ride, just 30 mins around our place, sloshing and sliding through the mud in places, but had a nice short canter on a bit of better track.
It's been cold changeable spring weather here, so with rain/wind and a couple of short trips away, I didn't really get in as much riding as I would have liked.
Goals were : more canter (not achieved, we were both getting a bit anxious in the transition, so stepped back to focus on walk and trot work....); SI in trot (not achieved, not enough regular focussed work....); HI in walk (much improved! and somehow most clearly explained by asking a few steps of SI, then go into half-pass (ok, not technically HI, but similar enough that I'm happy with that progress). Also managed to ride out about once a week, and also did one trail ride off the property, our first venture out in about 3 years, to a local riding area about 30 mins drive away. Just did a short trail ride, then back in the float to go home, but very pleased that both horses loaded and travelled well, and although wide-eyed in the new surroundings were very good.
My other major mission for the month was getting back on board my other horse, who I came off 2.5 yrs ago, and he hasn't been ridden since then. We did a whole lot of ground work with him over the last year or so, and though he is still inclined to be spooky and cold-backed (can buck when first girthed up) he has improved heaps, and I've done 17 rides on him this month (only in the round pen, but still, it feels like a big achievement). I will include him in the next goals thread....
It's been cold changeable spring weather here, so with rain/wind and a couple of short trips away, I didn't really get in as much riding as I would have liked.
Goals were : more canter (not achieved, we were both getting a bit anxious in the transition, so stepped back to focus on walk and trot work....); SI in trot (not achieved, not enough regular focussed work....); HI in walk (much improved! and somehow most clearly explained by asking a few steps of SI, then go into half-pass (ok, not technically HI, but similar enough that I'm happy with that progress). Also managed to ride out about once a week, and also did one trail ride off the property, our first venture out in about 3 years, to a local riding area about 30 mins drive away. Just did a short trail ride, then back in the float to go home, but very pleased that both horses loaded and travelled well, and although wide-eyed in the new surroundings were very good.
My other major mission for the month was getting back on board my other horse, who I came off 2.5 yrs ago, and he hasn't been ridden since then. We did a whole lot of ground work with him over the last year or so, and though he is still inclined to be spooky and cold-backed (can buck when first girthed up) he has improved heaps, and I've done 17 rides on him this month (only in the round pen, but still, it feels like a big achievement). I will include him in the next goals thread....
Re: September - October goals and progress
Anne, having had to get on and be the test dummy for not just fresh babies (3 & 4 year olds) I have had my share of 'retraining' projects that have dumped me and required revisiting their manners. You have my admiration and commiseration with the inner strength it takes to get back on and behave like nothing ever happened. Sounds like you're making good progress.
Re: September - October goals and progress
that's super Anne! Way to go. That is a huge huge accomplishment
Re: September - October goals and progress
Whohoo, I got to ride yesterday. I think that was my second ride in two weeks 
. The arenas finally got work. It was a pleasant ride but she was a bit resistant in the hand. I didn’t make a big deal out it. Just kept my requests hand forward with lots of leg and of course, attention to straightness.
She was very obedient. I even got some pretty nice canter to walk transitions considering that it was kind of a cold call. I haven’t cantered her for quite awhile because of my back and oh hey, throw in a canter to walk transition please. That tells me her balance is pretty good. I plan on moving her this coming Thursday. I am looking forward to change of scenery and better footing.
I have been hauling home, a bit at a time, all the crap I have accumulated at the current barn over 15 years. That is fun
. Then once she gets moved, start hauling it all back to the new barn…not really. I am going to have to set up a tack room at home and keep the stuff I might need accessible and easy to get to if I need it.
Happy riding all.
Susan
. The arenas finally got work. It was a pleasant ride but she was a bit resistant in the hand. I didn’t make a big deal out it. Just kept my requests hand forward with lots of leg and of course, attention to straightness. She was very obedient. I even got some pretty nice canter to walk transitions considering that it was kind of a cold call. I haven’t cantered her for quite awhile because of my back and oh hey, throw in a canter to walk transition please. That tells me her balance is pretty good. I plan on moving her this coming Thursday. I am looking forward to change of scenery and better footing.
I have been hauling home, a bit at a time, all the crap I have accumulated at the current barn over 15 years. That is fun
. Then once she gets moved, start hauling it all back to the new barn…not really. I am going to have to set up a tack room at home and keep the stuff I might need accessible and easy to get to if I need it. Happy riding all.
Susan
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Lipsmackerpony88
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Re: September - October goals and progress
"Goals: just take it slow and keep building up his fitness and rehab.
Settle in and get riding even if it's walk trot and a little pole work for a while.
I'm riding in a clinic (on a different horse) on October 2nd so I have a month to get back in shape and riding! I'm pretty excited about this month."
Well I finally hit my goals! Lynx settled in so well at the new barn and training program. I've been averaging two lessons a week. Lynx continues to rehab well, gain strength and understanding in his training. When we finally had the saddle fitter out and bought a new dressage saddle . Next purchase will be a jump saddle but that's less important.
Settle in and get riding even if it's walk trot and a little pole work for a while.
I'm riding in a clinic (on a different horse) on October 2nd so I have a month to get back in shape and riding! I'm pretty excited about this month."
Well I finally hit my goals! Lynx settled in so well at the new barn and training program. I've been averaging two lessons a week. Lynx continues to rehab well, gain strength and understanding in his training. When we finally had the saddle fitter out and bought a new dressage saddle . Next purchase will be a jump saddle but that's less important.
Re: September - October goals and progress
Ready for full Janet Foy Clinic report, selfishly partly for me to remember all the exercises. For me it was a fantastic experience, Janet was positive but exacting which I really appreciate. She was complimentary of our basics and the agreement that it's time to nail the straightness and next steps. I would jump to ride with her again, but was happy to do the 2 days versus the 3. Between trucking back/forth 1.5 hrs drive and good, tough lessons it was a bit too much to ask another day out of Kora. So proud of Kora for the wonderful educational weekend.
Friday-
Trot: shoulder four with a good amount of inside bend going large, really get the inside hind reaching underneath the body for straightness. Making that extra useful we did 1/4 line leg yield then into the exaggerated shoulder four which is what the video is of from my last post. We then took it on the diagonal focusing on the change from shoulder four one way then straight 2 strides to shoulder four in the new direction. Once that was good then same on a 3 loop serpentine keeping the geometry of 20 meter circles with ~1 stride straight in between. It was probably the toughest serpentines I've ever ridden but super for really getting both sides of the neck.
Canter: Goals to elevate the front end and allow the inside front to come up and out by riding slightly counterflexed square. At each corner bumping her around with the outside leg and pulsing/allowing with the inside rein to encourage up+out, up+ out. We'd get 2-3 strides good and give a pat and break. This will be short works to string together the strength to do more strides in a row as is the norm.
Saturday-
Trot: Did a couple leg yields into extra bend shoulder four each way, which we aced (woo for us). We then did 3.5 track shoulder-in to halt and then back to trot. This exercise was great for feeling both the hind legs step under equally or not. I thanked my past self for doing my sitting trot homework as we worked through the gears down the long side medium trot to serious half halt into super collected trot then forward to 'normal trot'. Really working the adjust ability and reaction to the half halt and leg, felt like we got some killer trot being able to dig in and just do the work.
Canter: This was all HARD WORK! From an extra collected trot pop up and out the transition to canter not allowing Kora to shift sideways left in the right lead transition, keeping a slight counter flexion. Only keeping the canter until we lost the up and out quality. The second torture, I mean exercise, was to pick up canter come down centerline and pseudo half pass to the wall with almost the haunches leading and allowing them to hit the rail and be renver/very haunches out in counter canter down the long side. Wow, was that hard!! Again the aids were to bump, bump the outside leg to get the hind end over and pulse + allow the inside rein to give the inside front somewhere to go. When we got the sit and life, just wow!! When we got some lovely clean flying changes, also wow. Janet was very ho-hum about mistakes, even the changes she said no bother, just pat and walk then go back to it again. On the tougher side we did this counter canter haunches in on the 20 meter circle to make it less dramatic and get a few steps then back out.
- Janet Foy Discussion 29Oct2021.jpg (139.68 KiB) Viewed 3554 times
Friday-
Trot: shoulder four with a good amount of inside bend going large, really get the inside hind reaching underneath the body for straightness. Making that extra useful we did 1/4 line leg yield then into the exaggerated shoulder four which is what the video is of from my last post. We then took it on the diagonal focusing on the change from shoulder four one way then straight 2 strides to shoulder four in the new direction. Once that was good then same on a 3 loop serpentine keeping the geometry of 20 meter circles with ~1 stride straight in between. It was probably the toughest serpentines I've ever ridden but super for really getting both sides of the neck.
Canter: Goals to elevate the front end and allow the inside front to come up and out by riding slightly counterflexed square. At each corner bumping her around with the outside leg and pulsing/allowing with the inside rein to encourage up+out, up+ out. We'd get 2-3 strides good and give a pat and break. This will be short works to string together the strength to do more strides in a row as is the norm.
Saturday-
Trot: Did a couple leg yields into extra bend shoulder four each way, which we aced (woo for us). We then did 3.5 track shoulder-in to halt and then back to trot. This exercise was great for feeling both the hind legs step under equally or not. I thanked my past self for doing my sitting trot homework as we worked through the gears down the long side medium trot to serious half halt into super collected trot then forward to 'normal trot'. Really working the adjust ability and reaction to the half halt and leg, felt like we got some killer trot being able to dig in and just do the work.
Canter: This was all HARD WORK! From an extra collected trot pop up and out the transition to canter not allowing Kora to shift sideways left in the right lead transition, keeping a slight counter flexion. Only keeping the canter until we lost the up and out quality. The second torture, I mean exercise, was to pick up canter come down centerline and pseudo half pass to the wall with almost the haunches leading and allowing them to hit the rail and be renver/very haunches out in counter canter down the long side. Wow, was that hard!! Again the aids were to bump, bump the outside leg to get the hind end over and pulse + allow the inside rein to give the inside front somewhere to go. When we got the sit and life, just wow!! When we got some lovely clean flying changes, also wow. Janet was very ho-hum about mistakes, even the changes she said no bother, just pat and walk then go back to it again. On the tougher side we did this counter canter haunches in on the 20 meter circle to make it less dramatic and get a few steps then back out.
- Canter 29Oct2021.jpg (164.19 KiB) Viewed 3554 times
Re: September - October goals and progress
Aleuronx thanks for the clinic report! Many of those trot exercises sound familiar:). Cedar asks very similar ones. The canter exercises sound tough! Good for Kora stepping up and changes!!! Yeah.
Great way to end this training session
Great way to end this training session
Re: September - October goals and progress
Susan, it sounds like a bit of a mission changing barns, but it sounds exciting too.
LSP - meeting all goals, wow!! Well done you & Lynx, he sounds like a Very Good Boy.
Aleuronx, great going in your clinic; it seems like only 'yesterday' that you and Kora were only just starting, and now you are lining up flying changes, awesome.
Exvet & Rye, thanks for your encouraging comments on my 'difficult' boy (Fergal). The first rides were the hardest (mentally), and far from enjoyable, but the sense of accomplishment after each one was huge, and now, I am almost looking forward to clambering on and getting on with things. Just simple stuff for now, walk, trot, with correct bend, and a bit of baby 'side-stepping' (leg-yield / SI ).
LSP - meeting all goals, wow!! Well done you & Lynx, he sounds like a Very Good Boy.
Aleuronx, great going in your clinic; it seems like only 'yesterday' that you and Kora were only just starting, and now you are lining up flying changes, awesome.
Exvet & Rye, thanks for your encouraging comments on my 'difficult' boy (Fergal). The first rides were the hardest (mentally), and far from enjoyable, but the sense of accomplishment after each one was huge, and now, I am almost looking forward to clambering on and getting on with things. Just simple stuff for now, walk, trot, with correct bend, and a bit of baby 'side-stepping' (leg-yield / SI ).
Re: September - October goals and progress
Great clinic report , Aleuronx! Thanks for sharing it. It will be very interesting to watch your progress with Kora. She’s a lovely mover, you’re a good rider, and you work with some good trainers. Nice combination!
Re: September - October goals and progress
I got a good bit done this session. A clinic and schooling show for Joplin
Very happy with all progress happening. Joplin’s right lead is much better now. Left is really nice. Transitions in and out much better.
Gaila is being a bit of a dragon. Full of herself and her new found power but I realized she does not take advantage and does not get squirrelly so I’m learning to ride that dragon a bit:)
Very happy with all progress happening. Joplin’s right lead is much better now. Left is really nice. Transitions in and out much better.
Gaila is being a bit of a dragon. Full of herself and her new found power but I realized she does not take advantage and does not get squirrelly so I’m learning to ride that dragon a bit:)
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Lipsmackerpony88
- Bringing Life to the DDBB
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Re: September - October goals and progress
Aleuronx, thank you for the clinic report!! It sounds like a very useful few lessons with things you really can utilize. I love the canter photo as well.
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