Now THAT’S my horse! June 23, 2008
Posted by kimayars Arena Work (Horse)
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I had an AWESOME ride on Tigger today. I think I’m finally getting the hang of working with him…
I started off by grooming him slowly and deliberately. I’m noticing that he really enjoys grooming when you use the curry and brush with long methodical strokes. Normally he’s alert and fidgety when we’re getting ready to go. Today he took a nap.
I lunged him without incident. He went well both ways. Even with the canter transition he was more relaxed. I’ve been giving him time to get into the canter (he still has to kind of run into it on the lunge line because I still don’t have him balanced).
Then came the mounting. This is where we have been having our problems with his tendancy to bolt. We narrowed the problem down to soreness in his back and have switched saddles, seen a chiropractor, and gotten a few massages. And you know what? Today was no big deal. He stood still like a statue while I got on. The best part was no one was holding him. It was bliss.
It continued to go well as my lesson started. We simply focused on bending and having a conversation with him about where he needs to be. I also got a reality check on how crooked I am. Going to the left Tigs and I had a good connection. I even sat the trot for a while, which I don’t do very often (probably because I suck at it). Eventually we had “moments of brilliance” where we had self-carraige. That truly is an amazing feeling.
Then we went to the right. Total train wreck.
Now, there is a very good reason why it was a train wreck. Well, actually two really good reasons: I collapse right and he’s stiff to the right. Couple that with the fact that it’s REALLY hard for me to ride with independent hands and it’s just really hard to put things together. Eventually I was able to at least get some of my body positioning sorted. It’s so cool, because when I get organized in the saddle there’s an immediate relaxation in Tigs. He’s the perfect barometer.
We finished the day with a little massage behind the poll (he’s been a little sore there) and some treats. He was an angel. It was a good day.
I RODE MY HORSE! June 16, 2008
Posted by kimayars Arena Work (Horse)
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Woo-hoo! I rode my horse, I rode my horse, I rode my horse, I RODE MY HORSE!
Can you tell I’m excited?
It felt SO good to get back in the saddle. I really missed it. Tigger was great today. I lunged first to get a few sillies out then REALLY took my time mounting. After a few antsy moments, he stood perfectly still, even when I picked up my right stirrup. When I put my leg on, he calmy walked off. Yahoo!
We had a great lesson, and spent the time making a string of basic successes for him. We started off with some gentle bending at the walk, then worked on some small spirals at the trot. Finally, we capped off the lesson with canter both directions. He’s lost some of his strength in his topline, but did give it some honest effort. I had a really good time.
The rest of the day pretty much sucked, but my ride from the morning kept a smile on my face. *sigh* What’s a world without horses?…
A Very Hot Ride May 18, 2008
Posted by kimayars Arena Work (Horse)
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One thing a 7-mile run will do is completely remove any anxiousness someone might have about some specific event. I have had a lot of trouble with getting on Tigger. I’d say about 75% is my nervousness and fear of what could happen, and 25% is what he actually does. Today I really wasn’t nervous. I was just too damn tired.
I haven’t ridden him in two weeks. I checked his back (totally fine) and his demeanor was, well, sleepy. It was 80 degrees today and everyone was moving a little slow. Given those two things, I opted not to lunge him. I honestly felt that I didn’t have anything to lunge.
I set him up at the mounting block and he started getting antsy. Sherene was at the ready to hold him for me. It took me about 5 minutes, but I just took it one step at a time. The goal was to show him that it was no big deal. Eventually, he was standing still at the block while I applied weight in the left stirrup. Sherene came over and took hold of a rein. I got on. Nothin’. I picked up my right stirrup. Nothin’. Needless to say Tigger got TONS of praise. Sherene walked with us for a bit and it was clear that he was going to be totally fine. I let the rein to the buckle and let him stretch out and relax as we walked around the arena. I was VERY happy.
The rest of the ride wasn’t fabulous, due to the heat and my lack of energy. We focused on just getting settled again after taking so much time off and keeping a somewhat consistent frame. We finished up with some lateral work at the walk: counterbend on a circle and leg yields. I knew we were done when I could smell hot sweaty horse.
Overall, I was very happy with my time with Tigger today. It was just awesome to spend some quality non-rushed time with him. It was a good day.
Everything’s better with a whip… May 11, 2008
Posted by kimayars Arena Work (Horse)
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It’s Mother’s Day, and I have to admit I’m not in a particularly motivated mood. The weather is dreary, I’m a bit tired, and the idea of sitting in Starbucks with a hot cup of something delicious is rather appealing.
So, filled with a level of motivation that would put most ultra-athletes to shame (yeah right) I decided to lunge Tigger. That and the buckles on my girth don’t fit my billets on my new saddle. I am NOT going bareback. 
I kind of knew that Tigger had the same enthusiasm I had so I brought the lunge whip into play. Normally I don’t use a lunge whip with Tigs. My voice and gently waving the coiled end of the line is enough to send him on. Today I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt and start without it, but it soon became obvious that he needed a little extra incentive.
What I like about my whip is it doesn’t crack. I have a Fleck telescoping lunge whip. It stores at a little over 3ft, and extends to 6ft with about a 7ft lash. It has no popper, but the lash is white. So it offers a visual without anything horribly scary-sounding. It’s a perfect whip for my princess-pansy-pony. I honestly just had to hold the whip in order to get Tigger in the right mindset. He was a good boy. I’m noticiting that his gaits are really developing nicely. He’s turning into a handsome boy.
So Mother’s Day was great. I got a home-cooked breakfast AND dinner by my lovely husband, I got to spend some quality time with my pony, and I had an awesome afternoon with my friend Sherene at Starbucks. A good hubby, a good friend, and a good pony. Can’t get much better than that.
ARGH! It was supposed to get BETTER. May 6, 2008
Posted by kimayars Arena Work (Horse)
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I had my lesson on Tigger today. The lesson went GREAT, but the beginning wasn’t what I hoped for.
I took my time grooming him, checked his back for spasms, and led him calmly and cooly around the arena. He was relaxed, easy-going, and basically a cow. I took him over to the mounting block and we did our little routine (I lead him up, then I walk around him asking him to stand still, then I get up on the block and lean into him a bit, then I get on). It’s time consuming, but good for both him and I. It’s a well-established process that also gives me insight if there’s anything wrong.
At the point where I step onto the block, he moved away anxiously. This is his way of saying he’s not ready. I got off the block, backed him up a few steps, praised him, and we walked around and lined up with the block again. This time, he refused to stand at the block. So, we back up again, praise, and line up with the block again. After about three rounds of this, he stands at the block. I walk around him, he stays put, and all seems good. (Forget the fact that by now I have established an adreneline surge that is pretty much killing me.) I stand next to him, put a foot in the stirrup, and hoist myself up.
He stays. (*whew!*)
My trainer holds him so I can get my right stirrup, and then lets us go. At this point I don’t really care what he does. All my uneasiness revolves around getting settled in the saddle. My fear is that he will take off before I can get my ducks in a row and I’ll come off because I’m unbalanced. For a few seconds, I’m vulnerable.
Anywho, my trainer lets go and he rushes off. This time instead of using walls to block him I decided to fall back on what I saw his previous owner do with him when she got on: one rein stops.
It was pretty effective. In 30 seconds and a few tight circles in both directions, it was over.
Blah.
Anyway, the lesson that followed was supurb. He was extremely good, especially since we introduced some serious lateral work and he didn’t get all freaked out about it. I learned more about using my outside seatbone during leg yields and we revisted (again) the principle that “less is more”. My best leg yield came from a touch with the inside leg and a tiny half-halt on the outside. The other attempts had been seriously overridden.
After the lesson I checked the sweat marks on the saddle pad. There is a void just behind the withers, but there is constant pressure along the entire length of his back. So far the new saddle is working out well.
So my next dilemma is how to minimize my “window of vulnerability” as I get on. I can’t always have someone around to hold him, and putting a hitching post in the middle of the arena is a bit ludicrous (and I doubt Sherene would really go for that). I’ve got a few days to think about that.
Tomorrow is a routine vet appointment for all the horses. I’ll check his back again to verify that we’re doing okay in the department and maybe throw in some in-hand work.
I got sunburned today too. Summer is coming!! 
