Ride - 5/09/10
Happy Mother's Day! That was Erich's gift to me - sending me out to ride Captain. I hadn't seen him for about a week, so it was especially nice. Poor Erich is sick, so he stayed home with the kids while I went alone (armed with cell phone and helmet, natch).
Captain looks great - shiny and fat - and seemed very happy to see me. We've got mounting down cold - he gets one cookie once he's flush against the table and then one more once I'm in the saddle and have my stirrups. He plants his feet and won't move until I'm settled and give him the cookie, THEN he moves out, which is exactly as I want it.
We rode all the way around the park, did some fore and hindquarter yields, figure eights, and some bending on the circle. We also sidepassed up and down the length of one of the berms out in the pasture - forefeet on the top, hind in the ditch, moving sideways up and down.
Then we moved on to trot work, and I found to my delight that A) I was able to trot for longer and B) I found the right diagonal almost every time from the start and was able to keep it as long as I wanted to. Captain moved easily, his shoulders moving freely and dropping his head to stretch occasionally. He's much happier in this saddle (which already is showing rubbed spots on the leather, good grief).
Finally we did some cantering, and I learned a few things. One - we're still working on canter departs, but I can usually get one within three strides. Two - he picks up a right lead easily and it's becoming smoother the more we do it. I was able to sit it much more comfortably and rate his speed and direction easily. Three - he can't for the life of him seem to pick up a left lead. Considering this is the most exquisitely trained horse I've ever had the pleasure of riding, I think it's something physical that's stopping him. We kept counter-cantering (which is going around to the left on the right lead or vice versa) no matter how I set him up to pick up the left lead.
So making sure what we were doing together isn't making things worse for him, I longed him after I cooled him out. He tracked up significantly better on his left hind (his problem leg) in both directions, and there was no sign of lameness or tenderness. So I was much relieved - I always worry that what we do together may make him worse. But he is seeming actually much better since I started riding him, and he asks constantly to move faster than I usually let him, which he certainly wouldn't do if he was uncomfortable.
All in all, we had a good ride and we both ended happy. I tucked a flower into his headstall and it made me smile every time he turned around and tried to mug me for a treat. :o)
Captain looks great - shiny and fat - and seemed very happy to see me. We've got mounting down cold - he gets one cookie once he's flush against the table and then one more once I'm in the saddle and have my stirrups. He plants his feet and won't move until I'm settled and give him the cookie, THEN he moves out, which is exactly as I want it.
We rode all the way around the park, did some fore and hindquarter yields, figure eights, and some bending on the circle. We also sidepassed up and down the length of one of the berms out in the pasture - forefeet on the top, hind in the ditch, moving sideways up and down.
Then we moved on to trot work, and I found to my delight that A) I was able to trot for longer and B) I found the right diagonal almost every time from the start and was able to keep it as long as I wanted to. Captain moved easily, his shoulders moving freely and dropping his head to stretch occasionally. He's much happier in this saddle (which already is showing rubbed spots on the leather, good grief).
Finally we did some cantering, and I learned a few things. One - we're still working on canter departs, but I can usually get one within three strides. Two - he picks up a right lead easily and it's becoming smoother the more we do it. I was able to sit it much more comfortably and rate his speed and direction easily. Three - he can't for the life of him seem to pick up a left lead. Considering this is the most exquisitely trained horse I've ever had the pleasure of riding, I think it's something physical that's stopping him. We kept counter-cantering (which is going around to the left on the right lead or vice versa) no matter how I set him up to pick up the left lead.
So making sure what we were doing together isn't making things worse for him, I longed him after I cooled him out. He tracked up significantly better on his left hind (his problem leg) in both directions, and there was no sign of lameness or tenderness. So I was much relieved - I always worry that what we do together may make him worse. But he is seeming actually much better since I started riding him, and he asks constantly to move faster than I usually let him, which he certainly wouldn't do if he was uncomfortable.
All in all, we had a good ride and we both ended happy. I tucked a flower into his headstall and it made me smile every time he turned around and tried to mug me for a treat. :o)
posted by Halcyon @ 2:43 PM
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