March-ing into 2021, and April too - Goals and progress

[Moutaineer]

Annabelle looks super, SF!

[Lipsmackerpony88]

Lovely photos of your girls, Straightforward!

[demi]

I agree with Mountaineer and Lipsmackerpony. I really enjoy watching your progress, SF. Annabelle looks great and I’m looking forward to watching Tesla advance, too! She looks to have lots of potential! Thanks for posting.

[StraightForward]

Thanks all, I am having a lot of fun with my girls right now!

I am going to post a video of Tesla in a separate thread to avoid cluttering this one.

[Aleuronx]

Lots of great discussion on relaxation, very interesting points to think about. That picture of Tesla is a hoot Straightforward.

In the hilarity that is life we've been trucking along in the holding pattern of long-lining and bareback rides here and there plus some hand walking down the trails. Yesterday there was some tiniest of tiny cross-rail set up in the indoor and I thought, oh great something different to play with. So before long-lining Kora over it I went to trot her over it in hand. Well, a jumper she is not. She was game, went to pop over it (mind you this is 4 inches off the ground tops) and catches a hind toe, over-stretches that stifle and stumbles.

Immediately sore, well fudge so much for that! Hand-walked and Equioxx, you just have to laugh or cry at this point. She's improved today but still slightly sore/toe drag at the trot. Horses...

[khall]

Aleuronx gosh I’m so sorry about Kora! Jingles she comes right soon

I’m getting ready for Cedar next weekend. Hope everyone had a happy Easter. We spent the day with both of our families. DS came down from Atlanta to spend the day. It was a beautiful spring day here in middle Georgia

[exvet]

I ended up giving the horses a break for close to a week. Junior has been on omeprazole and psillium to address his issues and Brandon has been on a higher calorie feed. We trail rode yesterday (saw our first rattlesnake of the year) and today was arena work. Junior has been working through cavaletties and poles. We even went back to the flying change.....of course one side is 'PERFECT' and one side is well, needs a little more work LOL. Brandon gave me canter leads in both directions without a hitch, the first time hes' cantered under saddle. It was a very rewarding Easter. Best of all we bought a lot in the higher elevation. Hopefully in a year we'll have a place to take the horses and get out of the heat during the summers. It will be a nice escape. Kids came over as well as other relatives. Hope everyone had a nice relaxing Easter!

[Moutaineer]

Oh, damn, Aleuronix! Really!!!!

Mr Potter's feet are feeling mighty fine, now, apparently. Spooktastic ride this afternoon, at silly stuff he has completely ignored up til now.

However... I believe I know what's going on.

For convenience's sake, after his poor bruised feet were done last week, because I had it on hand, I put him on Walker's old-man anti-inflammatory supplement, which has quite a lot of MSM in it. His previous owner had him on MSM. He had not had it (and had not spooked at all) since he came to me.

Now, Laddie sees dead people on MSM--actually pretty damned scary and entirely replicable, and I've had another horse that got really jumpy and worked up on it, and I believe I've got another one here.

Easy enough to check, at any rate.

We rode through it, however, which bearing in mind I'm still feeling a bit off after my Covid shot, was an achievement in itself At least his spook is kind of a "Waah, if I were human I'd throw my hands in the air" rather than a bolt and buck.

We'll get it together.

[Aleuronx]

I honestly am fairly less stressed about it and figure she'll come right in a couple days. Why? I think because I saw it happen. When are you ever going to the lameness vet or clinic and can say I know what happened, horsey did x,y,z and was immediately sore from it? Pretty much never in my experience!!

Moutaineer, interesting about the MSM as I've had and seen similar reactions in horses in the past. Some just get really hot on it like some horses react to alfalfa and some don't. It certainly will be an easy thing to test if you pull him off it and he does better. Glad his tootsies are feeling better either way!

[Chisamba]

wow, interesting about MSM. I need to store that information in my brain box.

Exvet, it is interesting how a week of can really benefit some horses.

Aleuronix, what a worrisome time you have had with Kora. onec really wouldn't think taking a low jump in hand would be risky.

Moutaineer, have you heard of Esco Buff. he keeps a fascinating Facebook page about farrier stuff. he recently had a horse with multiple abscesses that is very interesting.

( anyone interested in feet / x-rays, trims etc)

[Ponichiwa]

Ponichiwa, I actually think a clinic after the show will be very useful! I'd be worried about a clinic just before a show unless it was someone I'd worked with a lot because sometimes a clinic can introduce new ideas or ways of working that take some time to set in. Sometimes right after a clinic things for me get a bit messy before they get much better! Also you can use your scores/comments to help focus what you want to work on!

Also, I am jealous of anyone with TOO many changes, ha!

Great point re: clinic timing. The clinician is someone I have a lot of experience with, but from several years ago (I moved out of state for quite some time and only moved back recently-ish).

My one dressage gift/curse is being able to put changes on basically anything. I am a bit of a mess about almost everything else in this sport, but I have been able to put changes on (or add tempi changes to) everything I've trained. Upside: flying changes. Downside: what happened to my lovely counter canter? Actually, what happened to my straight-line true canter? *poof* gone in a smoke of overly enthusiastic changes.

Worse things have happened, but still.

Ponichiwa, your situation with Queso sounds like why many pros don't show 2nd level but hold off until the changes are solid---because their horse will perform well beyond 2-3 in not too distant future. Have fun with the show and the clinic!

Thanks! Yes, probably would make more sense to wait, but I've been a master at coming up with excuses for a year or so now so may as well get out there and let the chips fall as they may.

Straightforward-- Annabelle looks great! My biggest struggle (and I use that word on the edge of hyperbole here, because Queso has been a dream) is keeping the sternum aka "brisket" up and engaged, and it looks like you've got her entire sling up and working. Well done, you! Also love the Tesla stomp.

[Ryeissa]

Prob going to start FC with my pony later this year. I've been quite happy with the quality of the trot work and lateral work. I have a plan to address the canter strength to setup for FC

[StraightForward]

Straightforward-- Annabelle looks great! My biggest struggle (and I use that word on the edge of hyperbole here, because Queso has been a dream) is keeping the sternum aka "brisket" up and engaged, and it looks like you've got her entire sling up and working. Well done, you! Also love the Tesla stomp.

Thank you, yes I have a feeling you know what I'm working with. I really wish my SoloShot had worked yesterday because my instructor really pushed us to a new level with the lift and power in the canter. She has a lot of experience working with stock horses, which is beneficial with her understanding of the need to get that arse down and really shift the balance. Now to push myself to replicate that level of canter work, about equivalent to rocket launcher on my own before she comes back in three weeks. Oh, and make sure to work on my core strength too!

[Sue B]

Dang SF, Annabelle looks fantastic!!!

So, I had a lovely Easter weekend with Tio and Rudy, starting Friday evening. Ended the weekend with riding each one out and about for several miles, giving each one the chance to explore in between trot sets and the occasional canter. each had about an hour of playtime, with Tio also offering to work in the arena when we got home! It was all just so much fun. I have also been succeeding in my mission to do a few canter sets every time I ride Tio. His transitions are very nice, and I am gradually getting less tense about the whole thing, so yay! i wish I could set the Pivo up to watch Rudy's ride, but every time I have time to do it the wind comes up and I really don't want to ruin my phone by having it blow away. Oh well.

On the down side, my mom passed away this morning while at the ER for respiratory issues. She was diagnosed with pneumonia last week, initially responded to meds, then kinda slid backward again. She sat down on the floor when I was trying to help her walk to the bathroom this morning, so I called an ambulance. While in the ER, one minute she was telling the doc she felt okay, next minute she was gone! Pretty sure she threw a pulmonary embolus. She was DNR anyway, but there would've been nothing they could do anyways. Everyone was very kind, I think I'm pretty numb right now.

[StraightForward]

I am so sorry to hear that Sue. That is a lot to process, especially when so sudden. (((Hugs)))

[demi]

You have my sympathy, Sue. (((Hugs))). You are in my thoughts and prayers.

[heddylamar]

OMG. That's awful, Sue. I am so sorry.

[Chisamba]

I am very sorry Sue.

[Lipsmackerpony88]

I'm so sorry Sue.

[Moutaineer]

Oh, Sue, what a shock. I'm so sorry.

[blob]

I am so sorry to hear this, Sue. What an impossible thing. Sending you love and strength.

[Srhorselady]

I am so so sorry. There is so much trauma with sudden death. At the same time the quick release can be much better than the lingering pain. Pneumonia can be an unpleasant death. I lost both my parents to the lingering form. However, I wish you had at least had time to say goodbye. Be kind to yourself. May you and your family have relief and release in your grief. I’ll be thinking of you and wishing you well.

[khall]

What a shock Sue. I’m so sorry

[Flight]

Sue, so sorry!!

[Aleuronx]

Sue, what a shock to happen so quickly. I'm so sorry and wish you peace.

[exvet]

My condolences Sue.Take your time to work through the shock and grief. Hugs to you and your family.

[Ponichiwa]

Oh no! Sue, so very sorry for your loss.

[Ryeissa]

OH no! Sending my sympathy.

[Sue B]

Thank you for the kind words, sorry for hijacking the thread.

[Kirby's Keeper]

Sue B (((Hugs))) to you and your family.

[Kyra's Mom]

{{{{SueB}}}}...massive cyber hugs. I am so sorry about your Mom. Thinking of you and your family.

Speaking of...my horse time has been quite limited. I had some nasty GI scourge a couple weeks ago. I figured if Mom was going to get it, she would have relatively soon after I did. Nope...10 days later, the same scourge hit her. She is 91 and doesn't hydrate really well to begin with. I finally hauled her to the ER after 48hrs. They tanked her up with fluids and Zofran and Pepcid. Her kidneys were stressed and he almost kept her but gave her the choice and she wanted to come home. Their ministrations stopped the vomiting but the diarrhea continued for another 24hrs . She finally felt somewhat better but was exhausted from running to the BR every hour. Poor thing. I felt horrible but I guess that is the way it goes living in the same house. She seems to be on the mend. Could have been COVID, I suppose. I went to Urgent Care and they tested me and I was negative on the rapid test. ER doc didn't even bother to test her. We were both considered fully vaccinated when we got it so who knows what nasty virus we had.

Kyra hasn't seemed to mind yet another mini-vacation. She is used to it . I did go out last Saturday but it was almost 80 degrees. No way I was going to work the wooly yak in those temps. If I could get out there more often, I know I would have a lot more hair off but it is what it is. I ended up taking her in the indoor and letting her chill out on her Surefoot pads and we did do a couple in-hand things. She was funny. We started with SW which she is getting pretty good at. I rewarded her and gave her a minute to chill and changed to haunches-in. She kept throwing her right front out even though the whip was asking the right hip to draw. I told her no, not what I want. No...still not what I want. Finally she displaced her haunches and she got a good reward. Let her soak for another minute and went back to SW. She would NOT lift her right front. Left front...no problem. However, I had told her NO and she was NOT going to lift that leg again since I told her no (despite the cues being nothing similar). I finally had to tap her elbow and she lifted it nice and high. She takes me literally and I just have to laugh at her:lol: .

Today, I had time for a short ride and she worked well. She was a little low in the poll in trot so I lifted one rein and drove her forward and she did lighten up. I am not up to doing minutes of trotting or cantering yet so we work on lots of transitions (like 5 or 6 on each 20m circle). We also did some SI and HI in walk then went for a little walk about outside the arena. It has been super dry around here plus most days have been windy so everything has a concrete feel to it and I am going to have to start booting her again (hoof boots). I am also still trying to get my stirrups even. I had them pretty good then changed stirrups and low and behold, today, they weren't even close to square so I dropped the shorter one and felt pretty good in the saddle.

Susan

[exvet]

Those dealing with the health issues and loss of parents, my heart goes out to you. Today is 'my day off' and my day to spend with my mother once I'm done with chores and exercising horses. It's hard to go through the aging process but sometimes I think it's harder to watch. My niece came to visit last week and my mother had trouble remembering who she was despite she being her oldest grandchild and having lived with her for a while.

The weather has been beautiful here in the desert. Everything is in bloom. Of course that means snakes and all other critters galore. Horses are shedding out and the birds are ecstatic. We plan to meet the neighbors for another long trail ride before they head back to their summer home in New Mexico. Then I will put Junior through the paces of the poles in order to keep improving his use of back, hind leg and learning to relax and swing. I still have my eyes set on a schooling show in May. I'll be taking both Junior and Brandon. I'm going to enter Brandon in Intro A & B but will scratch if he seems over faced. It's going to be held very close to where his breeder lives so she'll get to come out to see how he's doing which will be fun. He just learned how to open the gates. Junior's been very diligent in teaching him how.......... .........darn industrious young horses.

[Sue B]

For decades my mother planned on dying at age 85. She was very active and did all sorts of very cool things until age 84. Then she started giving everything away, drinking, and participating less and less in the social activities she had previously loved. It was extremely painful to deal with. She refused to get psychological help. Three years ago I became her sole source of emotional and physical support as she was now incapable of driving. My siblings are all far away, it all fell on me. Moral of the story...PLEASE don't place a time limit on your life. Live life to the fullest until the day you die.

So, of course, i have not ridden the last couple days but I noticed something on Sunday. My back was still a little wonky from helping my mom and when I broke it I lost a fair amount of strength in my quads, especially the left leg. Lots of self-directed pt and I have regained close to 100% on the right and probably 90% for the left leg, so pretty good. But Sunday, my left leg simply would. not. stay still on either horse's side. In the rising trot it kept allowing my foot to swing forward an inch or so and my thigh was, for lack of better description, floppy. I had to really concentrate to try to make it work correctly. Do any of you guys have any tips on how to make your body work symmetrically when it just doesn't want to?

[mari]

Sue B I'm so sorry about your mom. I also have family members that just spent the last few years of their lives waiting for death, even though they were financially AND physically capable of living full lives. The psychology of it is incredibly murky to me, and crushingly sad.

[mari]

My torn ankle and I are soldiering on (stirruplessly). I've had some really good rides and a lot of things to work on. Today was not a good ride. Odin has days where his brain is very noticeably absent, and it takes a lot of concentrated effort to get him back to somewhere in the vicinity of the arena After a battle and some sharp in-hand work we sort of got back together.

Got some video I am really working on c/w/c, and we tried two changes as well. The change across the diagonal was very squiggly, but the one from cc on the circle was as good as they get at the moment. We rarely have the violent kick-outs anymore. If anything, he tends to suck back and hop for a stride, while he processes it. Which is sooooooooo much more desirable than flinging himself around. So for now I'm happy with it.

https://youtu.be/3U-6ZN2SMUQ

https://youtu.be/cgQtVeaVw1M

https://youtu.be/ySBWchpti0g

[exvet]

Mari, those flying changes look pretty good imo. It looks like that when you get Odin more engaged and jumping from behind and straight he comes through pretty well. I'm not sure if it will help anyone else but the one thing I find that helps me with the c/w/c is to imagine that I'm landing a plane for the downward transition and taking off for the upward one.................my instructor who is a pilot and knew that I once flew too (had a pilot's license in a past life) gave me this analogy. By doing this I automatically engage my core properly and as long as Junior is 'on my seat' he follows suit.

[demi]

Mari, those flying changes look pretty good imo. It looks like that when you get Odin more engaged and jumping from behind and straight he comes through pretty well. I'm not sure if it will help anyone else but the one thing I find that helps me with the c/w/c is to imagine that I'm landing a plane for the downward transition and taking off for the upward one.................my instructor who is a pilot and knew that I once flew too (had a pilot's license in a past life) gave me this analogy. By doing this I automatically engage my core properly and as long as Junior is 'on my seat' he follows suit.

Thanks for posting the vids, Mari. Ive been trying a little C/W/C lately so it was helpful to see yours.

And exvet, I like that analogy. I don’t fly airplanes but it’s easy to imagine.

In my next “progress” report I’ll try to include a vid of our W/C/W from the other day.

[Ryeissa]

nice job Mari! you've come a long way

[demi]

I'm basically very happy with how Rocky is going lately. She seems to understand that we are "working together" and I can ride in the arena more often now. For years, literally, if I rode too many days in a row in the arena she would get pissy, so I had to do relaxed trail rides often, in between arena days.

Getting the sitting trot seems to have played a part in her understanding that we are "working together". She already knew SI, HI, renvers, LY, and baby trot half-pass, but when I've tried them again in the last few days (after spending a week or two on getting the sitting trot), they were so much better! To the point of being FUN!

Because of the general improvement in the lateral work, I decided to try C/W/C again. Not a whole lot of improvement but I didn't feel that I could school it too much because she got strong in the bridle after just a few.


Here's a vid of the C/W/C and maybe I'll start a thread on that to get some opinions/advice, etc.

The C/W/C is in the middle of the vid. I include a little work right before and right after to show how's she's going. I can see the difference in the trot before and after the C/W/C. I think the after is better in that he hind legs are more engaged, but worse in that she is trying to take control of the bit.

https://youtu.be/bROCU03TamA

[Lipsmackerpony88]

Mari and Demi, really nice videos! Thanks for sharing!

[demi]

I want to add that I realize the vid I posted of C/W/C isn’t actually C/W/C! It’s just what I get at this point when I ask for C/W/C. The trot steps before the walk, and the antsy walk are what I am working on. I hope to have an improved version to post in the near future and by posting the WIP vid first, it will make for a more interesting comparison.

[Flight]

Sue B that does sound like it was tough for your mum. I wonder what I'll be thinking about when I'm that old (if I get there)??
For your body stuff, when I was riding soon after my ACL reconstruction, I tried shorter stirrups to help if my leg wasn't having a good day.

Mari, your changes are looking good! It really just takes time and perseverance for the horses to get used to doing them. Nice work, especially stirrupless.

Demi, practice collected canter that is as slow as a walk. That's what you need for the c-w trans. The canter has to be slow enough to be at walking pace.

I did another working eq comp with Ding and didn't get disqualified this time! Wahoo. Need to practice with the garrocha and spear ring obstacles, so I've bodgied up some at home to work with.
I am also making myself ride one handed every time I ride him, so I can move up to the next level. I'm aiming to ride at Masters as soon as possible.
Also had a clinic with my fav instructor and worked on his piaffe and passage. A lot of it was about getting him to do the work, not me!

[mari]

Mari, those flying changes look pretty good imo. It looks like that when you get Odin more engaged and jumping from behind and straight he comes through pretty well. I'm not sure if it will help anyone else but the one thing I find that helps me with the c/w/c is to imagine that I'm landing a plane for the downward transition and taking off for the upward one.................my instructor who is a pilot and knew that I once flew too (had a pilot's license in a past life) gave me this analogy. By doing this I automatically engage my core properly and as long as Junior is 'on my seat' he follows suit.

My instructor uses the same airplane analogy, and it works really well. I must say, in the video the downwards look so much better than they feel to ride. He was really really hard work in that lesson

I want to say a bit about what I've been working on to get the changes better, in case it helps anyone else with a similar problem. Our problem for quite a few years now was that he would change behind first, and then in front. Most times with a violent twisting kick. In the beginning we accepted the kick, because I saw a lot of video and read a lot about horses doing this, and both instructors felt that it was an okay start, at least he was reacting immediately to the aide and making the effort. But the kicking out just DID NOT go away (diagnostics were also done, so let's not get bogged down in that for now).

I was really really frustrated. Fortunately I have really great instructors to talk things through with. The kicking out had to stop. It hurt my already fragile neck and made it impossible for me to sit down in the saddle and ride effectively. He also had a habit of smaller kicks when we were training canter transitions, so we started there. w/c/w/c/t/c/w/c/t/c to infinity and beyond. A kick out at my leg was punished with a hard stop and a growl, and back to the transitions. It only took a few weeks to eliminate the kicking out nearly completely. And we did lots of variations as a test. We did BIG trot to BIG canter, every half circle, no collection or setting up, just whoa and go. We practiced them in a stretching frame, with changes of direction and in different parts of the arena, til there were no more objections.

The second thing was to position his neck more easily in canter. So true canter, with short bursts of counter flexion. Loads and loads of LY (both ways) and HP, and switching quickly and obediently between the two. A lot of counter canter, also with counter flexions. Until he became soft and movable and he really really listened to my seat and leg, no matter what his neck was being asked to do.

And then we asked for changes again. Mostly from CC on a circle, because for my incredibly wriggly and hypermobile horse it is the easiest way to keep him straight. We still get kicks every now and again, but they are rare and strongly discouraged. For us, the canter before the change needs mobile shoulders and a soft neck, because the hind legs always want to go first, and if the front is at all stiff or not with me, it WILL follow a beat behind.

[mari]

nice job Mari! you've come a long way

Thanks Ryeissa! I'm hoping to get into a habit of videoing, it helps so much.

[mari]

I want to add that I realize the vid I posted of C/W/C isn’t actually C/W/C! It’s just what I get at this point when I ask for C/W/C. The trot steps before the walk, and the antsy walk are what I am working on. I hope to have an improved version to post in the near future and by posting the WIP vid first, it will make for a more interesting comparison.

This is how it starts, good job! A more collected canter will of course help to get a better walk transition, but I'm not averse to set up my shapes so that I use the arena wall to teach them a firmer downward transition

[khall]

Thanks for the explanation Mari. Very helpful. Nice job getting the changes!!

Clinic the weekend with Cedar. Dodging storms tomorrow . All are going well will try to get video. The double has made all the difference in the world with Juliet. She is actually fun to ride now working all lateral work at WT and doing some canter work that her owner never was able to do. Happy with her and my 3. Now to see what Cedar thinks!

[blob]

great and timely videos! I too have been doing a lot of c-w-c with RP.

Last weekend i was working on c-w-c on a large figure 8 pattern and decided to see what would happen if i asked for a change and whoosh there it was a complete change--I can't say for sure if it was clean but it was all within the stride and felt clean. So, I rewarded and ended. The next day I did the same exercise and asked again and there was again. And then I asked for the other side and he got a little excited but gave me a good change. Rewarded and ended. Well, then I must have gotten greedy or psyched myself out because the next ride I wanted to try to get video and ended up getting all changes that were a stride or two late in front or late behind. So, I don't know if it was me or him or both. But needless to say I don't magically have changes after two rides. I don't need them any time soon, so I have not touched them the rest of the week, I might try to play with them again this weekend to see what happens, but if it's more not clean ones, I might put a pin on it for a bit. In general i think the fact that he didn't get overly excited or anxious when we weren't quite getting them right was a win for a horse like him.

[exvet]

Mari, those flying changes look pretty good imo. It looks like that when you get Odin more engaged and jumping from behind and straight he comes through pretty well. I'm not sure if it will help anyone else but the one thing I find that helps me with the c/w/c is to imagine that I'm landing a plane for the downward transition and taking off for the upward one.................my instructor who is a pilot and knew that I once flew too (had a pilot's license in a past life) gave me this analogy. By doing this I automatically engage my core properly and as long as Junior is 'on my seat' he follows suit.

My instructor uses the same airplane analogy, and it works really well. I must say, in the video the downwards look so much better than they feel to ride. He was really really hard work in that lesson

I want to say a bit about what I've been working on to get the changes better, in case it helps anyone else with a similar problem. Our problem for quite a few years now was that he would change behind first, and then in front. Most times with a violent twisting kick. In the beginning we accepted the kick, because I saw a lot of video and read a lot about horses doing this, and both instructors felt that it was an okay start, at least he was reacting immediately to the aide and making the effort. But the kicking out just DID NOT go away (diagnostics were also done, so let's not get bogged down in that for now).

I was really really frustrated. Fortunately I have really great instructors to talk things through with. The kicking out had to stop. It hurt my already fragile neck and made it impossible for me to sit down in the saddle and ride effectively. He also had a habit of smaller kicks when we were training canter transitions, so we started there. w/c/w/c/t/c/w/c/t/c to infinity and beyond. A kick out at my leg was punished with a hard stop and a growl, and back to the transitions. It only took a few weeks to eliminate the kicking out nearly completely. And we did lots of variations as a test. We did BIG trot to BIG canter, every half circle, no collection or setting up, just whoa and go. We practiced them in a stretching frame, with changes of direction and in different parts of the arena, til there were no more objections.

The second thing was to position his neck more easily in canter. So true canter, with short bursts of counter flexion. Loads and loads of LY (both ways) and HP, and switching quickly and obediently between the two. A lot of counter canter, also with counter flexions. Until he became soft and movable and he really really listened to my seat and leg, no matter what his neck was being asked to do.

And then we asked for changes again. Mostly from CC on a circle, because for my incredibly wriggly and hypermobile horse it is the easiest way to keep him straight. We still get kicks every now and again, but they are rare and strongly discouraged. For us, the canter before the change needs mobile shoulders and a soft neck, because the hind legs always want to go first, and if the front is at all stiff or not with me, it WILL follow a beat behind.

Thank you for the explanation. Paula K has always been one to point out that it's from the counter canter (especially on a circle and often doing cc shoulder in on the circle) that straightness is most often achieved and thus helps set up for the flying change. I am most likely going to take this approach along with a cavalletti exercise I found to help establish the flying changes. We'll see how it goes.

[Moutaineer]

So the MSM was a red herring. But, I had a lesson yesterday that was very helpful. I'm pretty sure he's testing me, but I also have to step up to the plate here. He is sucked back behind my leg and I'm too much in his face anticipating the behavior and getting a bit handsy.

So, a big, forward ride, not accepting any compromises on a marching walk, a forward and active trot, and complete focus on what we are doing. If he does spook, stay out of his mouth and push him forward really strongly out of it. He was in front of my leg and really motoring after about 15 minutes. And boy, does he have nice extensions when he's going for it.

I was about dead after a half hour of this--I really need to up my fitness game quite a bit to ride this level of horse. I've got a bit too used to babying Laddie and sitting up there looking pretty.

I'm on the 20-30 minutes a day of riding like this prescription, no cantering until we've got the trot sorted out. Trainer thinks he will settle once he's decided he's not getting away with it. Pretty positive on the whole.

Working on the saddle fit conundrum as well.

[Sue B]

great advice Mari, and exvet. Love the airplane analogy.

All I've done is throw food and water at the horses this week, so I don't know if I can make it to our clinic tomorrow. Maybe I'll just go watch.

Moutaineer, what I have found very helpful in horses who start out behind the leg is to observe them more carefully during the catch, groom, tack up time. I "always" check to see if my horses will walk right up beside my shoulder even on days that I don't care if they lag behind. I do this on the way to my mounting block as well. I have found that horses who don't march right up before I even get on, will be sucked back from the moment my butt hits the saddle. So if someone is having a "lazy" day, I take a few minutes and do some ground schooling to him that it is work time and I mean what I say. It has worked well with multiple personality types, because whether they nervous and hyper or doggy and lazy, or even the over-achiever type, they are still behind the leg if you don't get the appropriate response when mounted.