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Post by el on Jul 23, 2014 19:16:36 GMT
DAY 47: Day was so nice I went riding twice!! This was in the cooler evening time. Doused Oz again in fly spray & he was happy. AMAZING RIDE!! At the start Oz was leaning and there was too much forwards. All bad. So we started a little exercise: halt - backup 4 steps - walk 4 steps - backup 4 steps - halt. That really started to change the leaning after a little while & he got really light & lovely Now he was listening, we expanded it to: halt - backup 4 steps - walk 4 steps - backup 4 steps - halt - HQ yield at the halt from off side, reins in one hand / very little bend in neck. After each one told him he was wonderful, lots of yawns & licks and chews, and we rode off somewhere else in the paddock. Pretty good! Then we did the same ending with HQ the other way - a little more hit & miss with this near HQ (Oz tends to do more than asked!) but lots of tries from Oz. Its not as good as we haven't done it as much. Once we got rid of the leans he was really soft.... just fab to ride. A few backups got a little emotional so I did as Steve suggested. If he wanted to go backwards, back we go at "speed!", and I only asked him to stop when he was relaxed. I LOVED these moments cos I was riding a horse that was nearly trotting backwards & really soft, (YES!) and had to keep like this until he emotionally got over it!! A lovely job for a rider! He made me laugh as well... sometimes with the HQ yield from near side (tricky one), he starts finishing my sentances & throwing in his favourite manouvres as 'special ozzie bonuses'. His current favourite move (along with sidepassing towards me when loose) is the FQ spin with no leaning. This is MAGIC to ride!! So when I was asking for a few near side HQ yields, I was getting backups instead, then he'd trying to do really light FQ spins.... Of course I just kept asking him to HQ yield over 1 step, and I focused on not causing any of what he was doing -- but I was laughing a lot as well and feeling very lucky I was getting all these extra unscheduled moves! Just FAB to ride. Ended up on a lovely HQ yield on the tricky side & hopped off. Happy horse, he got half an apple. Love my horse
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Post by el on Jul 24, 2014 9:38:28 GMT
DAY 48: Really warm, slightly overcast. Great horse.. did backup - walk - backup - halt and then HE DID A HQ YIELD ON HIS OWN!! (based on what we were doing yesterday!) So had to change the plan. As he HQs were now pretty good we worked on walk - leg yield - keep going same direction with counter bend. Its starting to work!! Did a few HQ the other way at halt, good. Did a few long trots about in between and walking up & down hills. Also managed to reverse up a hill Very happy mellow horse throughout. Then walk - leg yield - up to trot while still leg yielding. It was tricky to get the energy up to trot (but we did it), and also from walk to trot Oz tended to straighten out & dump weight on his front. So we worked on that. Got a few really nice trots while leg yielding. VERY happy, great horse. He got an apple & loved it.
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Post by beksnjake on Jul 24, 2014 11:40:26 GMT
Not sure the photo will do it justice, but I saw this card today & thought of you & Ozzie with the flies. It's called Mounted Aerobics. Attachments:
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Post by el on Jul 24, 2014 12:06:51 GMT
ahahha yes thats us
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Post by el on Jul 25, 2014 18:30:00 GMT
DAY 49: Late evening ride, mellow horse. Lovely ride... hightlights were 1 leg yield while walking which turned into a very nice soft leg yield while trotting. Also 1 halt, move HQs then walk off in offensive bend in the same direction. lots of lovely trotting around, yawning from Oz, head scratching from Oz & he very much enjoyed his half apple at the end.
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Post by el on Jul 28, 2014 13:04:09 GMT
DAY 50: lovely ride. Oz trying very hard. did a lit of stuff...
halt - move HQs both ways - 1 rein trot - halt - rollback - trot (fun!!) leg yields in walk leg yield on circle from walk to trot (oz finds these tricky) leg yield - HQ yield, backup, rollback trots leg yield with counter bend backups
Focusing on doing something else instead of pulling when Oz gets stuck Soft feel - change when my fingers change is the goal
FAB HORSE!
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Post by el on Jul 29, 2014 12:20:04 GMT
DAY 51: Today I focused on 2 things... 1) Steve.. never to pull.. so you pick up the reins, gently close your fingers around them and something should happen. If nothing happens, don't use any more rein, put energy in with something else. Don't pull to make something happen 2) Mark & Crissi... Playing with how I can influence Ozs mvt in the moment.. like we were doing with the Aikido person - person work... Result: Softest horse ever!! Got up. Then did a 1 rein with no bend, HQ yield from near side. 0 pulling. Then a rest. Then gently closed my fingers on the reins, again no pulling, really was aware of my weight & how Oz was changing his weight, and we got probably the softest half to backup ever!! Then into a FQ yield, with no forward steps and a halt. Again 0 leaning. I was in heaven. The rest of the riding was lovely too. Sideways trotting getting softer every day. Did the usual HQ yield, walk - leg yield, HQ, backup, FQ yield no leaning, walk & leg yield to trot and leg yield, straight line trots, up & down little bank. HQ yield to offensive/counter bend. BIG THING: Go out expecting your horse to be listening as your fingers close gently on the reins, and without doing anything else. Then when you get a mvt there's no lean as you didn't set pull & set up a brace. This may lead to feelings like 'floating'!
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Post by el on Jul 30, 2014 15:05:11 GMT
DAY 52: LOVELY fab LOVELY fab LOVELY fab!!! Really hot weather. Got up and in all one move did all this.. FQ yield at halt, backup, rollback, walk while leg yielding both directions as we went (MAGIC!!) walk, leg yield, HQ, backup, rollback, walk, backup. ALL IN 1 MOVE!!! woohoooo!!! Fab day, played around with moving HQ only (including starting to do this at walk - is that rombers or travers or somewhat fancy?!), leg yields, backups, my favs were the leg yields both ways on the same straight line he floated across some of them! Wonderful horse. Big thing today, I realised I don't ride defensively any more. In the past I always was ready to do a 1 rein stop as Oz had a habit of bracing up & getting a bit feisty... he hasn't done this hardly at all in nearly a year... so as result now I want walk on a loose rein if I want, totally drop the reins at halt, etc. I dont have to worry about him any more That is pretty nice. He's just a fab little horse to ride now!
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Post by el on Jul 31, 2014 12:34:45 GMT
DAY 53: Great again - 1 handed riding
Highlights:
Halt to HQ yield (both directions) one handed and no leaning! walk - leg yield, HQ yield, backup, FQ yield one handed and no leaning!
Very mellow horse. I really tried to just close my fingers on the reins & expect something to happen. Also got lateral flexion both side from closing fingers on the reins. Lovely sunny day, horse very mellow, lots of yawning and head very low in the sunshine during our little rests.
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Post by el on Aug 1, 2014 11:48:49 GMT
DAY 54: Did some nice moves, but working on walk with leg yield into trot with leg yield. Oz tends to do walk & leg yield but when asked to trot, dumps himself on his shoulders, looses all bend and goes straight forward. As I type this I realise I should do this near a fence to make it easier He dd 1 perfect SOFT one... but this was early on so of course we didn't finish there - maybe we should have! So - I was trying to bump him when he did this, but he was getting emotional about it. Then we made it easier by doing leg yield - any type of trot, just get a nice transition and let him straighten out. Got a few of these. Then as a break, even though he had lots of energy now (!) decided to do straight line trots - halt - rollbacks. Not the best idea. we had speed & a slightly emotional horse, so got a few fairly bouncy trot come canter strides at one point! So back to basics. Walk - don't lean & don't be emotional. Both lacking! So I was being a bit silly working on trot soft when I had leaning & emotional in walk. Got too excited I guess Finished fine, got some shorter more listening trots, and ended there. A good reminder to: 1) Make stuff easier when Oz is struggling by asking less & using the fence 2) Not doing trot stuff unless I've checked directly before that walk is not leaning and not emotional Took off the halter & the tulip went off galloping & bucking up the length of the paddock. Dads horse saw this and immediately did a fast trot right over to me for safety! 2 mins later a certain grey horse was calmer, standing beside me (think like the move JAWS)! and looking very hopefully for his post ride apple!
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Post by el on Aug 1, 2014 17:58:39 GMT
DAY 55: (actually the evening of day 54)! So after this mornings like bumpy trot I decided I've love another ride this eve. I was going to try the trot sideways along the fence! - Caught Oz - Rolled the mounting block in front of me while leading Oz. - Oz gets very excited and squeaks with high energy and tries to 'connemara attack' the mounting block while its rolling. Oz also quite excited due to a lot of welding next door. - I get on in new paddock - Get some SERIOUSLY fab moves... Oz is more emotional than normal.. so I think it - in any direction - and off he goes immediately. its just magic!! - Ozs emotional levels continue to rise so about 2 mins later hes literally on his toes and going backwards on his own a lot and adding in yields, of all sorts, head shakes, very very emotional, also now due to being in scary area of paddock in his eyes. Couldnt see any easy way tp get him back to happy quickly, so I got one nice HQ yield, and then got off. Walked back out to the usual big paddock, walked all around it and Oz cooled down. - Got back on - Still emotional but rideable & listening now again - Got some fab walks - leg yields, HQ - back up & spins. - Just did about 5 mins, and thought it wise to leave it there! So: Not as planned but.. 1. We've both alive 2. We've both happy 3. WOW it was amazing to sit on Oz while he was doing those types of moves... just heaven. 4. Tomorrow is always another day for working on trot stuff
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Post by el on Aug 2, 2014 9:01:30 GMT
DAY 56: lovely ! So the day after the messy day yesterday... much calmer! Oz was sitting down. I put on the halter & asked him to get up. He groaned a lot then rolled over flat out & stayed there for 2 mins. Eventually he got up! Its a tough life. Tack on, me in the saddle, off we went on a nice trot up the paddock. Then halt & rest. Just a 30 min session I'd reckon, mixed up with walks and leg yields, and then shorter more relaxed slower trots. I need in trot what I get in walk - no leaning and oz thinking back to me. In Ozs fast trots he is actually running away with me. That penny dropped this morning! So got a few nice ones, then did a bigger one up the length of the paddock again - SUPER! - very consistant easy trot the whole way up, listening back to me every step, didn't try & take over, very mellow and a perfect trot really, back to halt when asked. WHOOOHOOO did the right thing & ended there. Very happy!
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Post by el on Aug 2, 2014 19:53:57 GMT
Ozs latest: chats to me for a while (loose in paddock) then turns 180 so I'm facing his HQ as he wants it scratched.
Then follows me back to gate where I think he expects an after-work apple.
Who's training who ?
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Post by el on Aug 5, 2014 12:22:44 GMT
DAY 57: A delight. Walk & leg yields around the paddock, halt to HQ yield both directions with 1 hand on 2 reins, very relaxed and lots of lovely 'with me' trotting, which we finish and go back to walk after there's a little leg yield Happy horse and definitely the better for having the last 2 days off!
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Post by el on Aug 11, 2014 17:55:11 GMT
DAY 58: after Bucks clinic! Obviously Oz had been thinking about things when I was away. Got up. Then got a perfect sidepass away from the block, backup and 180 FQ yield, and walk on with various leg yields & a halt. literally beautiful! Then asked for slow walk. But every time I went o walk to slow walk, Oz went from walk to sidepass. He also tried backup and then more sidepass and then move backup. He was very confused. much better by the end, as no matter what he did I just kept asking for forwards. Such a waster you should have seen how nice his leg yields and backups were lol My horse tries so hard its quite humbling. Tomorrow - proper slow walk!
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