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Post by el on May 20, 2015 16:36:32 GMT
Session 28:
Played around with not throwing head up from walk to halt in straight line on ground. It's probably not going up as much, but he still tenses over 50% of time. It's like he's heard 'stop' from me, so he did - quickly to get rid of pressure, instead of stopping with me. Even though my cuee are tiny maybe I need to completely stop trying to ask him to stop, and instead just stop myself and he can figure himself out.
Can be tricky with him in straight line as he gets more distracted and then I have to fix that as well.
Hhhmmm... If he's asleep maybe he'll walk too fast and then stop quietly? Maybe if he's listening he will stop with me without the brace?
Writing down this stuff is useful...
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Post by el on May 20, 2015 17:09:52 GMT
SESSION 29: break through Without rubs or train breathing too...! Halter in and Oz asleep. So first I need his attention. Got in time with him (blended) and then I walked a little faster. Oz didn't speed up. So he got a quiet rope flick to wake up and catch up. After that... So i just walked, fast and slow and he stayed with me. I did some walks to see walks to stops, without a thought of what he was doing abs he just stopped. WITHOUT raising his head beside me, Then I starred walking, gave him a warning with an in breathe and off we went again. I did long walks steps and he trotted happily along beside me. Back to walk slow walk then a halt beside me WITHOUT Head going up. THE RESULTS: Happy horse on lead rope Listening to me Relaxed walk to halts when I stopped tried to make him do it even if it was only a tiny bit - no brace! Relaxed trots NO Headshakes NO ROPE BITES... The weather is nice today, but even still this is all very good.
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Post by el on May 20, 2015 17:12:59 GMT
LESSONS LEARNED;
1) get Oz listening with normal slow and fast walks 2) then if I want to trot I just blend and off I go, it's his business to come along with me.
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Post by el on May 24, 2015 17:45:33 GMT
SADDLE FIT and PHYSIO:
What I learned - Oz is a little too pushy for my liking in close confines over a period of time. Need to fix this asap.
SESSION 30:
A lovely pootle about in my new saddle pad.
- Pad is LOVELY!! - Like in GW, Ozs circles are more like eggs. Goof stuff to fix before Steve gets here while working on relaxation in walk also.
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Post by el on May 24, 2015 17:49:19 GMT
SESSION 31: (same day as I was excited)
GROUNDWORK:
- Much more strict now on Ozs space & my space. - Oz was relaxed got lovely circles on ground, on right rein Oz tends to drop the inside shoulder in walk. - Did trots both ways as well. If I just cue him to go he gets tense. If I walk faster myself, he doesn't get tense and just trots along. MUCH better option. Again on right rein shoulder pushes in but I'm watching out for it.
Much more relaxed, falling leaf turns much better.
A lovely session.
Makes a BIG difference when I know CLEAR in my head what I want and what I don't. Black & white is much more easy for Oz to understand, as for me too.
Having an early summer clinic in May, to kick start my horsey season was PRICELESS!! So noce I've all summer to work on stuff rather than just doing more aimless type stuff until a later clinic.
Happy! With new pad & new saddle on trial (steve will have to check it before I buy it).
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Post by el on May 26, 2015 12:50:35 GMT
SESSION 32: New saddle - not 100% convinced.. saddle fitter said to put leather up a hole, but it wasn't quite working out. Oz on the other hand was lovely - warm sunshine... except for leaning to one corner of the paddock, we did lovely walks with turns by my body weight, me looking up, rubs while walking, one lovely walk to trot from me thinking trot and breathing faster Did a few lateral manouvres, and if we walk right after them this is a great place for Oz to lick & chew while he walks! Lovely horse, lovely day, saddle still 50/50...
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Post by el on May 26, 2015 18:12:37 GMT
SESSION 33: Same day
Thought bugger it and grabbed the Grandeu rsaddle pad.
HOLY YOU KNOW WHAT this thing is soooooooooooooooooo comfy. I actually don't want a new saddle any more.
On the Oz front, warm weather, he was a dote, different speeds of walk from my breathing, very wobbley circles, licks and chews after manouvres while we walked. very chilled a lovely ride!
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Post by el on May 28, 2015 9:35:11 GMT
SESSION 34: Just had one of those lovely mornings with Oz. Was at the Leslie Desmond clinic yesterday which was very interesting. One of her big things is not to stand beside horses head and crowd him and then complain when he pushes into you. So when I put on halter I made a point of standing at his shoulder and giving his head LOTS of room ... it made it easier, he brought his head right around on his own Much better so thanks Leslie! Saddle break-through - in both my pad and trial wide saddle Oz is now offering to trot..... he never did this in the 2 older saddles I had so these 2 must be definitely more comfortable for him. Not going to keep it as while its nearly right my seat I think is still not 100% plus its a tiny bit too long. Worked as well on circles in walk rather than eggs - got improvements! A Isabell Brenner breakthrough.... One of the things Isi said to me during our groundwork at the clinic a few weeks ago is that I need to release faster. Riding today to try out the trial saddle, so this was in my mind, along with working on our circles (not eggs!). Something must have clicked as I started to only use a rein at a time when I needed it, for a split second, and then I released it. It worked MUCH BETTER! smile emoticon I was definitely using the reins too much before and not releasing fast enough. This was magic - thanks Isabell, your lessons continue! Also - Oz wanted to go near the other horse and offered to trot to him. Bingo! So we did lots of trots around Dougal and then when we went away we had a walk and a rest. great for 2 reasons - got lovely walk to trot transitions and calm trot practise, and got Oz realising being beside Dougal is a bit of work! Lovely lovely morning and very chuffed with my reins breakthrough! Happy lovely horse.
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Post by el on May 30, 2015 9:37:18 GMT
Session 35: Lovely morning in halter and bare back pad. Things we worked on : Lateral flexion without feet mvt Stand still ground tied while being tacked up Halt from me sitting deeper in saddle Softer backup Lovely horse! Lovely morning. Off now to catch flight to gatwick for Janet's lessons tomorrow!!
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Post by el on Jun 3, 2015 10:51:53 GMT
SESSION 36: Had a great lesson with Janet on Sunday in Mayfield. I was a tense as a board, as with Oz as he can be a bit unpredictable riding its made me a tense rider looking for problems! Agh. Anyway... With the new bareback pad Ozzie being unpredictable, tense and annoyed seems to have vanished!! Went out today and rode in the bareback pad. Oz cool as custard. I figured the best way to help me relax again on him is to trot in the bareback pad. If I'm all tense I'll bounce off, about if I relax when trotting I'll stay on MAGIC! Horse was very happy. Got walk to trot ONLY with me breathing faster. NO tension or bracing or resisting from Oz. He was happy & comfortable!! Then had fun trotting around in the bareback pad, focusing just on relaxing all my muscles. MAGIC!!! I reckon just doing this alone for a week or two will help me a ton to get back to normal again. Then decided to try out Janets move... walk in line, counterbend, outside rein on neck and do a tear drop - well we did it!! Also working on making sure my whole body turns going right. Thanks Janet!! E
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Post by el on Jun 4, 2015 16:51:14 GMT
Session 37:
Lots of trotting around in bareback pad. Me working on relaxing and bouncing less. Oz wondering what I'm up to!
Did some move in walk, Oz lovely and soft despite it being a bit windy.
Went on a saddle hunt a few day ago impossible to Find a nice wide short dressage saddle for a 14.3 pony in Ireland!
Currently now on trail of a sensation as Oz seems to love the barrack pad or maybe ibero.
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Post by el on Jun 5, 2015 11:18:46 GMT
Session 37: GREAT day, farrier, sunshine lots of offers to trot.... Lovely day... I worked on being more relaxed... ass, hands, mouth, shoulders... Oz doing his great striding out walk and lots of offers to trot He'll now slow down / stop when I take a deep breath in. Woeking on him moving up a gait when I take a deep breathe out Off to try some masterson stuff on him now YAY!!!!!!!!
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Post by el on Jun 6, 2015 9:58:48 GMT
SESSION 38:
lovely sunshine, windy and a PERFECT horse! The focus was again on me today...
Lovely day... I worked on being more relaxed... ass, hands, mouth, shoulders... and having my hands near the pommel. Did a good few lovely little trots - Oz just offers them now and off we go!!! I think I'm getting better. Oz was really relaxed and happy. VERY HAPPY!
Elaine
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Post by el on Jun 7, 2015 12:19:35 GMT
Session 39: sunshine and happy horse Worked on me relaxing again, Pootled around for ages big daft grin on my face. Then worked on keeping Oz between hands and legs and did big long straight lines. Then did some trots. Did one big long one which cracked me up as Oz was being perfect and I was trying to relax and stay on board while still laughing. Lovely horse lovely day, everything was available more importantly Oz was happy
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Post by el on Jun 8, 2015 15:17:35 GMT
Session 40: drama A little worried and distracted before I got on and after I got on. Decided to keep him moving and see if I can work through it in walk. Trot wasn't an option today as I imagined it'd be messy fast In ridden work I was being very specific about where Oz out his front feet. Didn't work though got a little squeaky jump. Thoughts: Oz was distracted and worried. Letting him walk through it and ask for his feet wasn't doing much. It reminded me of years ago when Oz was like an unexplored bomb to ride in walk, and we got him to calm down by going back to one step and a rest. So that's what I did. Forwards rest. Backup rest. Rinse and repeat. He calmed down and listened more. Did I feel like I could go back to walks and trots? No. I wonder how I can reduce his worry and make a big change when he's like this. I got a small change not a big change. Hhhmm.
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