Goals and progress:. June and July.

[Brydie]

I have also decided to add one thing I want to improve about my position each thread. I read an interesting visual for shoulders back which is "armpits down". Wow what a difference! My posture isn't the greatest so going to have to build up those muscles. This week I'm focusing on this on my walks to and from work and when I ride on the weekend. Will then build from there!

[Rosie B]

Lots of great updates!!

Mountaineer - Woohoo!!!!! That must feel great. YAY for you and Laddie!!! Did you get any video/pics?

Ponichiwa - nice to hear from you again! I always love hearing about Kiwi.

khall - best of luck figuring your way forward during this time. I am so sorry for your loss...

Dresseur - Can't wait to see more of your lovely fellow!! That is a gorgeous picture of you guys. It's hard to believe he's only three. Bliss doesn't look that balanced and he's 6!! lol

Kyra's mom - so nice that you're back in the saddle regularly and are having good rides!

Chisamba - how are your girls doing?

Flight - any more shows planned?

Byrdie - your trail ride sounds lovely. I can't imagine seeing kangaroos on a hack!!! Around here there are very few things that are large or well protected enough to be unconcerned by humans... bears for one... porcupines for another I think I'd rather a kangaroo!

StraightForward - sounds like you are doing an excellent job teaching Pickle everything a horse should know. I am so excited for you as she is lovely!!

Rye - I hear you on the aerobic fitness. It's so easy to be content with less work because the quality was good.

Bliss continues to progress well with the double longeing and long lining. Saturday was his third time doing any long lining at all and I was able to walk him large around the arena, do walk/halts, reinback, and steer him around a bit. He's catching on so quickly it's amazing! Next up, we might try some trot and some LY at walk. I'm really enjoying this time with him.

[Tuddy]

I finally got a chance to work on one of my goals - get back on Lucas!

My nieces from Alberta were down for the weekend, and one of them is looking at getting a Canadian. I went and caught the #bigblackfreighttrain and let her go for a rip around the yard on him. For not being rode since February, he was a trooper. But, I will admit, he was not to impressed when my niece hopped on his back. I won't get into specific detail, but general, throw yourself on and hammer your butt into the saddle type thing, and Lucas gave me the look as if to say "You owe me big time lady!"

I hopped on him first to see what he would do, and he was a superstar for me. I love this not so little guy.

(Yes, his feet are long, he gets trimmed this week, yes, he is fat, we are working on a weight loss program, and yes, the saddle is too tight in the shoulder and I am on the hunt for a good used adjustable tree saddle for him. He fits an extra wide Wintec/Collegiate if any of my Cdn friends here have one they would like to rehome.)

Here is a pic of him and I before the niece got on.

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[AmityBee]

Mountaineer, congrats! Sounds like you two had a productive and successful weekend!

Khall, interesting article, though, personally, I feel that threre still isn't enough emphasis on straightness. I still think straightness needs to go together with rhythm and suppleness...

As always, I'm pretty crappy about setting goals. And I *still* have no new saddle.

Besides, I just figured out that I can have my Sommer changed. Sommer can actually change the longitudinal shape of their trees as well (I need it straighter). I just need to find a decent fitter and the time to send the saddle in. Unfortunately, I agreed to ride in a clinic *again* and therefore can't send the saddle away just yet... (I'm not even too crazy about that clinic, but I promised to do it, and I will).

I do ride in the saddle about once a week (or less) with a folded towel as a wedge. I even have proof (that I ride, not of the towel ):
(I have to admit that I prefer to use our "saddle days" for trail rides, so much more fun! )

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My problem, always and at the moment in particular, is foreward. Always foreward. BUT, that's not so easily done bareback, I can do a nice foreward walk but trot and canter are a different story.

I have no Idea why it took me months to figure that out, but I just realized I can just alternate between working him more foreward on the lunge and then more collected bareback.

We have some homework to do from our trainer. Lateral work. He knows all the basic movements and does them nicely at the walk (SI, HI, travers, renvers). We now need to translate them into trot (SI/HI are getting there, the others need more work). And I'm supposed to work on rein length, lateral work on a short and on longer reins... All stuff I can work on bareback.

[Flight]

Tuddy, he is a tank! A lovely tank!

AmityBee - nice pics I had to get my guy going forward and I did this for the first few weeks on the lunge. Really getting him moving actively, especially in all the transitions (including downwards - he wasn't to just drop his shoulders and stop). It did help.

Rosie B - I was wondering how you were going with no more riding, how are you doing?

Brydie - glad you're riding again. I thought there was more roos up that way, at least in the bush. We are a bit plagued by them down here. I always get one rouge that likes to be stuck in my driveway, hops around like an idiot when I want it out, but then just casually bounds over the fence when it chooses to leave.

I'm really annoyed with myself and my riding at the moment. I need to fix it, my position etc but the harder I try, the more I seem to bounce around.

[Chisamba]

Today was the start of a new week,. I did in hand work with kimba, basics on Deneb, and longed Acacia. I decided she could use more canter on the line.

I also rode Teddy and Faramir, for clients. It was hot,. So I sweated up a storm and rubbed a raw spot on my behind.

Now I am off to work my ten hour overnight shift.

[leheath8]

We attended our third show this year (fourth show ever) this past weekend as well as 2 clinic rides and all went very well. I have been working on setting limits on Luna's teenager rebellion behavior and things suddenly came together and we started progressing again! 2 solid tests (second one was a significant improvement in consistency) for a 3rd and 2nd, in decent sized classes and we beat some much fancier horses being ridden by professionals. 2 solid clinic rides - I only see my coach once every few months and she was impressed with our progress, so that was very encouraging!

[khall]

Nice leheath! Glad shows and clinic went well.

[leheath8]

Thanks khall. I'm sorry for your loss of your instructor and hope you can find a new instructor to who can help you continue your journey. I know how happy I was when I found my current instructor a few years ago and how difficult I would find it to replace her while staying true to the training philosophy I ascribe to.

[Rosie B]

Good job leheath!!

Flight - we're doing well. I have some proof, too!

Last night we just did a quick 10 minute in hand session with some baby lateral work and some prep for piaffe. Bliss figured out very quickly to pick up each hind leg with some light tapping of the whip. Clever boy!!!

[Ryeissa]

Rye - I hear you on the aerobic fitness. It's so easy to be content with less work because the quality was good.

I wouldn't say "less work"... in a way....

I ride with hard core eventers so it's like holy crap, my horse isn't that fit.

He doesn't need to be.

But I can stretch him more that I see what is "normal" to be is "very light" to them. I kept it that way since relaxation and contact is number one, if I would push the boundaries my horse would get over-whelmed. But in baby steps I can work for this. My trainer has never said my horse isn't fit enough.

I did three circles of canter and was thrilled, that is a drop in their bucket. However, when I struggles with canter trans it was in my best interest to keep it simple and very positive. Had I done that much canter it would be counter-productive.

Its a hard balance to achieve, but cross training and not riding with dressage people is very enlightening and helpful.

[Sue B]

Wonderful pictures and comments all of you. Thank you so much for sharing your journeys.

Real life and ds keep interfering with my riding time so once again I went almost a week with no riding. Nonetheless, both horses rose to the occasion and gave good work in the 95 degree weather.

Tio (the "baby") is progressing remarkably fast right now, although I have yet to work up the nerve to canter him. Last evening he even did baby leg yields--in the trot no less--both directions from 1/4 line to "wall." To the left, he also managed a baby shoulder-fore down the long side; to the right, he still struggles to seek the outside rein so I didn't even ask. His trot, in general now, flows freely forward as does his walk. To think that just a couple months ago it was a struggle to get something other than a foot dragging jog a lot of the time, his newly found energy and enthusiasm is wonderful. Now I just have to pull on my big-girl pants and canter him out in the field. The few strides I've done in the arena were quite nice so I do look forward to moving on, I just don't want to wind up on the ground if he goes to bucking. Wimp.

Rudy was a bit of a snot out in the hay field, bolting and bucking without warning. Difference between he and Tio though, is that Rudy is just goofing around, short (15.3hh) and so totally NOT scarey that I just ignore his occasional antics and put the extra energy to work instead. Wound up doing some half-steps to medium trot and then half-steps to almost passage. Beau coup fun.

[Tuddy]

I grabbed a saddle for trial when I went to the tack store to get probiotics for Tuddy. We have a winner...Kinda... once he loses some poundage, it will fit even better, but at least it isn't pinching! It fit Maddie's QH even better, so she was pretty tickled as she can saddle up either horse now without worrying about trying to heave that big western saddle up and onto their backs. She wasn't so tickled when I asked her if she was going help pay for the saddle.... She somehow suckered her dad to cover her share of the cost... Yeah, daddy's girl .

I don't know if I am more excited that I have a saddle for both rideable horses that are at home, or the fact that Maddie and I can officially hit the trails together!!!!

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[Flight]

We are still having bad weather, it's like last years rain and this years is all happening at once. Consequently, it's stopping my working student time (instructor doesn't ride in the bad weather - arenas too wet) although I am enjoying a good break from normal work still. I'm trying to keep riding at home in it, my arena drains pretty well.

Leheath8 - congrats!! Nice piccies too
Rosie B - make sure you get us some vid when he's piaffing! I'm impressed that you are continuing training. I've never been pregnant but I reckon I would be on the couch a lot if I was.

Sue B - I remember those first canters, always a bit scary.

[Chisamba]

I am not fit enough. I was doing trot sets today and decided I am not fit enough. My gosh is to incorporate a trot set each ride, for my fitness and that is the horses

[mari]

You all are amazing, loving the updates.

Odin's 3rd suspensory scan was this morning, it was clean and lovely!!! So rehab can begin. I was so relieved I nearly threw up

[Ponichiwa]

I am not fit enough. I was doing trot sets today and decided I am not fit enough. My gosh is to incorporate a trot set each ride, for my fitness and that is the horses

This. 1000 times this. Yesterday I tried to do variations on posting trot-- up-up-down-up-up, etc.-- to solidify my leg again after my hiatus from the saddle. Miserable failure. Evidently I lost that skill, I dunno, 10 years ago.

Kiwi's got a ways to go before she's as fit as she was 6 weeks ago, so I'm going to try to incorporate some legging up for the both of us. She gets to travel in a longer outline and keep the connection, and I get to figure out how to do 2-pt and more all over again.

[kande50]

I am not fit enough. I was doing trot sets today and decided I am not fit enough. My gosh is to incorporate a trot set each ride, for my fitness and that is the horses

I should do canter sets, because cantering tires me out. But we hate the bugs, and I feel that the indoor is too small to do much cantering so we do a lot more trotting. I can do more than I could before I started taking a lesson and riding in drill team on the same day (different horses), so I now have hope that my fitness will continue to improve.

[khall]

Amity, I agree re your emphasis on straightness and sounds like I would like your instructor with the lateral work homework she has for you!

leheath, thanks for the condolences I am still trying to find my feet here, did not realize how much Mark grounded me for the work with the horses. Struggling to find my balance again and I think my big guy is feeling it because he has tried me in hand more than he has in a long time. In the back of my mind as I worked with the horses, I always knew that I would have Mark to help me move forward and solidify the work we were doing. Not having that has really sent me for a loop. Was texting with one of my long time riders yesterday and she was saying she just felt gutted, that pretty much sums it up.

ANyway, did have a nice ride on my mare Monday. Am asking a bit more of her with the lateral work in the trot. SI is pretty good both sides so moved to a bit of shallow serpentines with SI and counter SI, she says that is HARD! But we got it and all of this work will help her to get stronger, straighter and more supple in her joints. Funny because the big guy does this pretty smoothly now and feeling the difference between the two is interesting. I do like her workman like attitude, much more focus that the big guy who is ADD.

[Moutaineer]

You all are amazing, loving the updates.

Odin's 3rd suspensory scan was this morning, it was clean and lovely!!! So rehab can begin. I was so relieved I nearly threw up

Really good news!!! Now, take twice as long with the rehab as the vet is telling you...

[Moutaineer]

I am not fit enough. I was doing trot sets today and decided I am not fit enough. My gosh is to incorporate a trot set each ride, for my fitness and that is the horses

This. 1000 times this. Yesterday I tried to do variations on posting trot-- up-up-down-up-up, etc.-- to solidify my leg again after my hiatus from the saddle. Miserable failure. Evidently I lost that skill, I dunno, 10 years ago.

Kiwi's got a ways to go before she's as fit as she was 6 weeks ago, so I'm going to try to incorporate some legging up for the both of us. She gets to travel in a longer outline and keep the connection, and I get to figure out how to do 2-pt and more all over again.

I do our cool down walking on my own two feet. It gets a bit of extra exercise in, and seems to help stop my SI/piriformis issues from flaring up. I guess it stops me from setting like concrete at the end of a ride.

[Chisamba]

I am wiped. Some how I did not get any sleep on Tuesday between my night shifts,. And I had a nine thirty meeting this morning, a director meeting at work at one, three riding lessons in-between, and then I was just DETERMINED to ride my girls and do my trot sets.

I honest could not do it,. kimba first,. T in a good trot set and a good ride.

Deneb second. I could not finish ten minutes of trot. I had to do four sets of five. Let's be honest, the last two sets were shortened.

Then I assigned Acacia to a friend of mine who rides for me when she can.

I am disheartened. But I did just go 48 hours on two hours of sleep. Tomorrow will be better.

[piedmontfields]

Chisamba, I think you can be off the hook this time! Sleep and enjoy your sets on another day (btw, how long are your trot sets?)

Mari, so glad for your good report.

Nice long-lining Rosie! I recently ordered the Manolo Mendez DVD on in-hand work + a nice serrata and am looking forward to improving my technique to give me a nice option in the winter months.

Re:FItness -- I can always be fitter, but I will say that Miss Mare is doing well and thriving in the heat. I am getting better at sitting her cruising around in her not-quite-but-getting there medium trot. I think the dedicated canter work last month (and continuing) is paying off!

Khall, glad you had a good ride and are gently exploring other training support.

[Moutaineer]

My determination is to not get "impulsion" circled on my collective scores ever again.

Having stated this out loud to my trainer, she kicked my rear end this evening...

OMG. That's all I have to say

[mari]

You all are amazing, loving the updates.

Odin's 3rd suspensory scan was this morning, it was clean and lovely!!! So rehab can begin. I was so relieved I nearly threw up

Really good news!!! Now, take twice as long with the rehab as the vet is telling you...

Will do! I have a 4 month plan, all on harder surfaces, sloooooow progression, with a tiny bit of canter only at the end. Happy happy me!

[leheath8]

Rosie B - beautiful long lining photos!

Ryeissa - I am eventer returning to eventing after many years in just dressage and I have really forgotten how much more cantering is needed for the jumping compared to my dressage work. I also find it easy to stop when the work was good, but try to find ways to reward without completely ending the ride so we both increase our fitness. I am doing a lot more canter and it does actually get better with practice and better fitness on both our parts! Trot and walk work can only do so much - to really improve the canter, we need to...canter!

Chisamba - just reading your post made me tired. I think you can forgive yourself the trot sets given the lack of sleep.

Mari - great news! I hope the recovery continues to go well!

Tuddy - happiness is, indeed, saddle(s) that fit!

[Flight]

I had a good lesson this morning. My horse is always so much more behind my leg when he's there, at home I've got it sorted, but not out.
He put some fancy spurs on my boots and I had an interesting lesson about the use of the spur, and the type of reaction you're after. A lot more to it than what I'd previously thought. Anyway, we got some good reaction.
Also did more half steps/piaffe under saddle. I've stopped trying to do it myself, now just in lessons and while sitting on top it's hard to know what's going on down there, but from what I can feel (and am being told!) it's coming along well.

[Sue B]

I have to confess to being a wimp. I rode tio out in the hay field last night but did not canter, grrrr. He took off in such a big, unbalanced trot that I did not feel it safe to ask for canter and focused instead on re-establishing the nice balanced trot he has in the arena. Tio, on the other hand, was focused on heading out across the field for a "grand adventure" and had no interest in listening to his rider or circling back towards home. Seriously...what is wrong with my horses?? Even if the one left at home is whinnying, the one I'm riding just wants to go on down the road or across the fields, anything but go home. I swear, I must have the only "trail sour" horses around. Anyone else have that "problem"?

I got a few pics of me riding Rudy last night but they are on my mom's phone so I still need to send them to my phone or facebook. Even the "bad" shots didn't look too bad horse-wise, so I think we are making progress.

[Ponichiwa]

Kiwi must have heard my pledge to fitness, because for the first time since I've owned her (6+ years) she decided not to be caught when I tried to pull her in from turnout. Thanks for some light cardio, Kiwi.

Aside from that, though, things are going according to plan.

[Chisamba]

Normal week,. I did get trot sets in on Friday, and no leaps in progress to report.

[StraightForward]

We went to an open show this morning and won the halter, all other breeds class. More importantly, Pickle was very well behaved, if a little tense. She did shy into me during the trot due to sun spots coming through the vents of the indoor arena, but she handled the travel like a champ, and didn't even get too freaked by the mini horses.

[demi]

So much going on here lately! I really enjoyed seeing all the new pictures.
Rosie, nice long lining. Bliss is gorgeous, especially in that last picture.
Leheath, another grey mare! I have a weakness for mares, and the greys are my favorites. If you told us about her somewhere I missed it. What breed is she?
Amity B your pony is so cute. Four white socks with feathers makes me think of the Clydesdales.
Tuddy, great pics of your Canadiens. Is the horse in the pic with your daughter a Canadien also? I love his big feet! I had a 15 hand gelding with size 3 feet. We lost him at 28 yrs old but I still have a pair of his shoes nailed on a post on our porch
I didn’t just look at the pictures! I read everyone’s reports and appreciate the sharing.

[demi]

Having my own pictures taken two weeks ago resulted in making several changes in my riding. Mostly, it was nothing new for me, but rather fixing problems that crept up without my noticing.

So the changes: lengthened stirrups one hole. Stopped using spurs. STOPPED hand riding.

The hand riding was the biggest issue. It’s something that I’ve had to deal with from time to time over the years but this time I didn’t know I was doing it till I saw it in the pictures (Thanks, Flight!). After thinking a lot about it, I know exactly why I was doing it and knowing why has helped me to fix it. 2 ½ years ago I got seriously injured on a neighbor’s horse. I won’t go into gory details but I was in the ICU for two days and a week total in the hospital. I never should have gotten on that horse but I learned a hard lesson. When I started riding again, six months later, I rode DH’s bombproof gelding for a few days and then started riding my own mare, Rocky. I had been long lining her during my recovery and it was a fairly easy transition to riding her again. BUT, when I got Emma, I started riding defensively without even realizing it. My hand issue, where I drop one hand and pull it in at the wrist, is because I was trying to keep her attention 100%. I was warned that she spooks and I learned on my own that she does mild bucking when things aren’t going her way.

For the last two weeks,since I've made the changes, I have had some of my best rides yet on Emma. I am concentrating on my position, and keeping my hands very quiet. I know that I can ride spooks and mild bucks when my position is good and although she hasn’t done anything to test me, I am feeling more secure than I have since I got her.

My new program is: Use my core to keep my seatbones evenly on the horse, sitting deep, deep, deep : thighs rolled in with long, quiet, relaxed legs that breathe with the horse; upper body lifted at the ribcage so my deep seat isn’t heavy and to allow my own breathing to be deep and steady; And very quiet hands.

My body knows how to ride like this and it gives me my most secure seat. I am not even going to worry about Emma for a long time until this way of riding becomes second nature again. I don’t know how long that will take so I will check myself when the soloshot 3 comes out! I will try to get a few more still pics before then to see if I am on track.

[leheath8]

Leheath, another grey mare! I have a weakness for mares, and the greys are my favorites. If you told us about her somewhere I missed it. What breed is she?

I don't think I introduced my grey mare! She is a 5yo Hungarian Felver (also part Shagya Arabian) so a rare breed and I bought her last year after she had just been started. She is very sensible, smart, and mostly willing to please which is what convinced me to buy a youngster when I was really looking for something a bit more experienced. We had our first combined training show this weekend (dressage test plus stadium jumping) and she was great! Settled in to outdoor stabling well after a long haul, was a bit "variable" in the dressage test (first time doing a test with canter...which got 3s and 4s, but we stayed in the ring and our trot work got 6s and 7s!) but rocked her first ever jumping round (she's only had 10 jumping lessons ever)! The venue was pretty intimidating so I think we did well and we also got to walk the cross country course in hand and she hopped over a few jumps (and decided to walk up the training level double bank!! ) without batting an eye so I think/hope we have a good eventing future ahead of us!

PS. I am definitely a mare person but got a grey against my better judgement - how does anyone ever keep them clean!???

[capstone]

but got a grey against my better judgement - how does anyone ever keep them clean!???

Cartier gets a bath almost every day.

[kande50]

The hand riding was the biggest issue. It’s something that I’ve had to deal with from time to time over the years but this time I didn’t know I was doing it till I saw it in the pictures

My own theory about the hand riding is that it can make spooky horses even more spooky, because they feel that have to be even more vigilant because they feel trapped so become worried about being able to save themselves when they need to.

So if Emma is the type of horse who gets worried when she feels more restricted, you may find that she's actually less spooky when she feels less restricted?

I manage my horse's "hyper-vigilance" by giving him more time to see the things I know he's going to want to look at, rather than by trying to use the aids to prevent him from reacting. So when I enter an area in which I want to ride I start at the safe end and then gradually increase the area I want to use, rather than trying to use the entire area the first time around.

And in fact, I've done that for so long now that it always surprises me when I see someone come into a riding area on a spooky horse and they head right down into "the spooky end" the first time around!

[demi]

My own theory about the hand riding is that it can make spooky horses even more spooky, because they feel that have to be even more vigilant because they feel trapped so become worried about being able to save themselves when they need to.

yes, Kande, I picked that up with her quickly, so my hand riding wasn't exactly the kind that made her feel restricted. The way that I was keeping her focused was every time she looked away, I pulled her nose right back to where I was comfortable with and then released. This kept her from feeling terribly restricted but had the unwanted effect of blocking her. My corrections were too big and too frequent, and the release was probably too slow.

So if Emma is the type of horse who gets worried when she feels more restricted, you may find that she's actually less spooky when she feels less restricted?

Too soon to tell if she will be less spooky. She's only had 6-8 big spooks in the almost 7 months that I've been riding her, and it's only been two weeks since I've adjusted my position and quit hand riding.

I manage my horse's "hyper-vigilance" by giving him more time to see the things I know he's going to want to look at, rather than by trying to use the aids to prevent him from reacting. So when I enter an area in which I want to ride I start at the safe end and then gradually increase the area I want to use, rather than trying to use the entire area the first time around.

I don't think Emma is "hyper-vigilant". She doesn't seem to be looking for things to spook at. She's just hyper-sensitive and startles easily. As an example, her skin is thin and the flies are bothering her right now so I had the vet out to see if she needed antibiotics because the fly bites looked infected. When the vet just lightly touched her at first, Emma spooked rather dramatically.
She also keys in on me quickly and I don't want to be "too careful" with her. I want her to know that we might go into scarey situations sometimes but that it will be ok if I say it will be ok.

And in fact, I've done that for so long now that it always surprises me when I see someone come into a riding area on a spooky horse and they head right down into "the spooky end" the first time around!

I understand what you're saying but I also have to consider that Emma is a keen horse, so again, I don't want to be "too careful" with her. I suspect she would figure out quickly that I was spotting potential spooky stuff and that would have it's own bad consequences.

Thanks for your input. I will be ultra careful not to make her feel restricted. I will re-assess the situation after I've given my changes some time...2-4 weeks, maybe. The HARD part will be sticking to my new program!!

[Moutaineer]

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This Saturday's show went really well. We did 2.1 again and scored a 64.7.

(As there were only two of us in the class and the other gal had a difficult ride, I'm not getting excited about the placings here )

We got our first ever "9" Left lead counter canter. Oh the irony.

It was a beautiful venue, but a bit of a spooky arena, and we had no time to check it out properly in advance, so there were some wobbles, including a fairly determined effort at not going anywhere near H, where the scary people were on top of the bank, which mucked up a couple of things. And then a bit of an over-achiever moment in our last medium trot, which garnered us a "4".

But all in all, I was a pretty happy camper.

A month or so now to regroup and work on the mediums before we head out again. I think we may venture into 2.3 land as well. I see no reason why we can't add both the travers and the walk TOH into the mix without too much pain.

[Moutaineer]

Here's the video


https://youtu.be/yEhowPgJs-U

[leheath8]

I understand what you're saying but I also have to consider that Emma is a keen horse, so again, I don't want to be "too careful" with her. I suspect she would figure out quickly that I was spotting potential spooky stuff and that would have it's own bad consequences.

My very smart young horse is not really spooky, but very sensitive and can be somewhat more vigilant than I want. I definitely fell into the "too careful" trap and we started regressing rather than progressing (more and more spooking, distracted behavior, drama queen-ness, etc!). I then read some awesome advice that reminded me to not look at whatever is distracting/spooking her (super difficult!) but rather to just keep on asking her to continue working on whatever we were working on. If it is something truly noteworthy (like another rider falling off behind us and their horse galloping off down a trail!), then I let her turn and face it for a few seconds, before returning to work.

Since I started implementing this approach to distractions, it has made a huge difference in her focus and attention staying on me (with correspondingly less spooks/giraffe imitations).

When I am approaching new things that might be genuinely scary (new large harvesting machine in the field) I make sure my reins are long enough that she is free to look and not feel restricted or tense, but short enough that I can easily ask for a little bend away from the object or to come onto the contact for a few steps to bring her focus back to me if needed. I also make sure my seat is relaxed and I think to myself "its no big deal, she can handle this" and, consequently, she usually does!

[leheath8]

Congrats Mountaineer on the successful show and an awesome 9!

[Brydie]

Woo hoo mountaineer! Looking good!

[kande50]

When I am approaching new things that might be genuinely scary (new large harvesting machine in the field) I make sure my reins are long enough that she is free to look and not feel restricted or tense, but short enough that I can easily ask for a little bend away from the object or to come onto the contact for a few steps to bring her focus back to me if needed. I also make sure my seat is relaxed and I think to myself "its no big deal, she can handle this" and, consequently, she usually does!

That's basically what I do too, except I don't try to make mine look away until their anxiety is at the point where they don't care about looking anymore. That way, when I canter, I'm much less likely to get the big spook at the places where they were anxious, because I've found that if I don't let them become fully habituated to things before I canter then it comes back and bites me when I do.

I also have to remember to let them see the scary stuff from both sides, because apparently, things look very different to them from different angles.

I recently had an odd experience in which my horse spotted a hay rake out in the field and got all worked up about it, so I got off and let him look for awhile, and then when it became apparent that it was going to take longer than I wanted to take I took him off to the indoor so that I could ride before it got hot. The odd part is that then when I took him back out he never even looked at the hay rake again, so it must have had something to do with the light and shadows rather than fear of the hay rake itself?

If I thought it was possible one of my goals would be to just ride my horse through his fears, but to do that without punishing his mouth I'd have to be able to give with my hands, which I can no longer do when he's spooking so I do the next best thing and get off.

https://youtu.be/_WJK26dRjJ4

[musical comedy]

About the spooking. My good friend has a now 8 year old she's owned since he was 3. She cannot show this horse and he is way behind in his training because of the spooking. She's had him in full training a lot, but it takes so long to just get him over the spooking, that there's no time to get training done. Her horse is not 'hot'. He will be going along ok, and then just decide to do a wheelie. Point being that imo some horse never get over the spooking. Wow on Sting. I would not have wanted to ride through that either. However, even my non spooky horse would look at something new in his familiar surroundings.

Mountaineer, you two are just an awesome looking pair. So elegant!

[Tuddy]

Demi - that Canadien in the picture is one and the same - the #bigblackfreighttrain.

Spooking issues - I fell into the too careful trap, except it was me who regressed and lost a lot of confidence. Tuddy was/is spooking at the one end of the arena, so I had his eyes checked. Cataracts, both eyes. I am in discussion with the vet college to see when they can fit us in for a full eye exam.

I was going to get on the #bigblackfreighttrain after I heard back about Tuddy's eyes, just to go clear my mind, but he has so many big welts from the horseflies, that I just left him be.

Mountaineer - love the pictures!!!

[Sue B]

Once again, I did not ride this weekend, but I did get quite a bit of work done around the home place despite a searing migraine.

Anyways, wanted to say in regards to spooky, hyper-vigilant horses, that I owned/rode one for many years and even got him up to 3rd lvl before he died. Things that helped him are as follows. 1) he always liked to "hold hands", i.e. kept a soft contact at all times, even in "free walk on a long rein". That contact gave him confidence to face his fears. 2) Scary places in my arena (one spot he never got used to, have no idea why) I eventually figured out that he did better if I did a renver instead of si. In other words, he needed to be able to "keep an eye" on the spooky spot and got more upset if you tried to bend him away from it. Kinda the opposite of most horses. 3) Always, always, always, had to make sure he was in front of my leg at all times, and that my leg was always softly draped down his sides. It is a normal human reaction to pull legs away from the sides of a hot, spooky, tense horse, but in most cases, these horses do better if they feel your legs gently wrapped around him. This can, at times, make keeping them in front of the leg a bit tricky, but so be it. just my 2 cents worth anyways.

Moutaineer, Lad and you did a very nice job. Lovely test. If you don't mind a piece of advice though, remember to keep your upper body up through your w-c and c-w transitions so he doesn't fall on the forehand.

Demi, good plan for you and emma. You may be pleasantly surprised to find a better connection with Emma when your hands become consistently quiet and forward. I know that my own horse goes better when I focus on my own position.

[Moutaineer]

Always glad for advice, SueB! I do see what you mean.

[Chisamba]

Mountaineer, you both looked lovely and congrats on the nine.

I have found that most hyper vigilant horses are made confident by contact and aids. It gives them a sense of security. Some take longer to learn this than others.

[Chisamba]

Chisamba, I think you can be off the hook this time! Sleep and enjoy your sets on another day (btw, how long are your trot sets?)
t.

Sorry, i did not notice this,. Ten minutes. I set my timer for ten with a beep at five,. I do a warm up style trot , in a long frame, adding a circle or S everyv time around, changing direction at the beep.

I do it at the beginning of the ride as a new warm up. After a minute or two of walk, then go to normal schooling, transitions, lateral work, canter etc.

[demi]

Mountaineer, good job! I can't believe someone just basically discarded Laddie. I am so glad you found him and are taking the time to bring out the best in him. I think Emma and I have a bit in common with you and Laddie and I get inspired by following your progress. Thanks for sharing.

It's just too hot here to ride today. Usually the heat doesn't start bothering me until the end of July or middle of August. I think it feels worse this year because of the unusually high, constant humidity. I've been riding early and managing 4 times a week for the last three weeks, but this week I'll be lucky to get in 3 rides.