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Post by el on Jul 7, 2015 16:18:28 GMT
SESSION 70:
GW: in hand trots and backups look good! VIDEO: I wonder can I persuade someone to hold the video while I do these. Oz feels great doing this, did lots of yawns today during these manoeuvres (fantastic to see him yawn while he moves)
GW: in hand circles - nice on both reins in trot nice bend in Oz body. Need to move a level, bigger circles, more bends VIDEO: remember determined walk and hand low (I had forgotten low hand)
RIDING:
VIDEO:
Improvements in relaxation in walk to halt.
When Oz halts I need to do nothing. Currently I talk and rub his shoulder. Then he neck flips. A good experiment!
The more I make sure we've got lateral bend in his body, the more we gets pieces of vertical flexion.
Nice one handed riding with focus on my legs and seat (go me!)
Oz was lovely throughout, really seems to like this focus on being relaxed every time we change gait up or down. Years ago when he was a bit of a handful most of the time I handled / rode him, I always thought he Oz could put as much effort into working with me, rather than working against me, I'd have a cool little horse. We're actually getting there!!
VIDEO: try leg yield, counter bend, keep bend and catchup HQ, circle with same bend.
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Post by el on Jul 8, 2015 16:42:05 GMT
SESSION 71: In hand straight line trots. VIDEO: need a lower head position when Oz is trotting! Circles both reins with bend on ground RIDING: 11 hackamore walk to halts with a relaxed neck. I did not run him or say WELL DONE after he halted, as an experiment to see if it reduced the head shaking. VIDEO: looked good just two neck flips out of 11! Looked like a happy horse when he was moving too Didn't trot as ground v slippy. DISMOUNT: was going to use block but got off off side instead and he as chilled with head low, one hand on mane and one hand on middle part of bare back pad.
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Post by el on Jul 9, 2015 16:12:11 GMT
SESSION 72: riding only, hackamore & bareback pad. About 10 nice walk to halts again. About 1 head shake only when at halt. None when I ride in walk or trot!! put an overreach boot on his back leg where he has a sarcoid so cue a lot of hind leg stamping... nice trotting, bend better on right rein not as good on left rein. WONDERFUL horse.
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Post by el on Jul 9, 2015 18:06:38 GMT
SESSION 73: same day, evening Sunny and lots of horseflies. Technology was going against me, so video mainly on the blink Got good in GW circles when I twigged I could stop Oz from rushing at one point on the circle. VIDEO: Oz looks lovely and relaxed in his trot circles. And when I remember to lower my hand I look great too lol!!! (It's something I have to do in riding as well) VIDEO: when I look where I want to go in advance it helps a lot. Rode in circles, felt good anyway! Now Oz gets 3 days off while I go to Lisa's to look at a saddle DISMOUNT: let Oz smell a block of wood. His neck and head were low. Dismounted on off side, no bother one hand up neck one hand at seat of pad. Rode
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Post by el on Jul 13, 2015 16:57:28 GMT
Away in Manchester at Steve clinic at lisas
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Post by el on Jul 13, 2015 17:02:33 GMT
SESSION 74:
STEVE FEEDBACK
Asked Steve to look at my video progress:
In hand trots: need to be closer and ask Oz to lower his head
Riding soft halts: good!!
Walk in circle: more HQ out. Nice relaxation in body and in tail,
SESSION
In hand small close circles making sure shoulders were out and HQ stepped out a long way to outside. Used long stick to help out. I got this in about 5 mins. Oz then got it when I got it. VIDEO: good
Asked for circle to HQ to backup (excellent)
Asked for backup to forwards. Every time Oz didn't shift his balance and instead tried to eat my hand he got a tap of the stick. Then forward improved very quickly. Great example of how fixing his balance makes every after easy.
Next session: up to trot please
Walk
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Post by el on Jul 13, 2015 17:06:30 GMT
SESSION 75:
Same groundwork as earlier adding in backup in circle, FQ yield and trot.
First few trots Oz found mentally difficult. His tensed up and head went up but no strops at all and he tried so hard to figure it all out.
VIDEO: lovely moment 2/3 way through our 30 min session when Oz realised he could stay relaxed and at same speed as walk, and the only difference in trot is a change in his foot pattern. Big difference.
By end had in hand trots with correct balance forwards and backwards a
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Post by el on Jul 13, 2015 19:56:38 GMT
SESSION 76:
Went out and did lovely relaxed trot in hand, then shoulders in in walk, to circle, to HQ yield, to backup, to backwards circle, to FQ yield. Looks good on video too!!
After this Oz decided he had enough and wanted to bit rope. So he messed about and I kept him moving in trot circles until he stopped bring argumentative.
Also did halt then turn from a feel, Oz needs to change his balance faster if he wants to be as good as Ganfolf on Steves new DVD.
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Post by el on Jul 14, 2015 11:09:12 GMT
SESSION 77:
Rainy morning. Plan was in hand circles. Oz fur some reason was feeling uncomfortable esp in trot on one side on my circle. A bit nervy and high energy. Worked through it fine but no big improvements due to his mental state.
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Post by el on Jul 14, 2015 11:11:11 GMT
SESSION 78: 2 hours later, in different area of paddock.
Got nice circle and shoulder in 4 track in trot on left rein.
Then got THE MOST BEAUTIFUL RELAXED trot on circle on right rein then quit. It was magic total relaxation and his mind felt very comfortable. He just floats fed through it. Yay - end of session!
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Post by el on Jul 14, 2015 15:30:02 GMT
SESSION 79:
In hand trots. Oz is leaning because instead of encouraging his head to lower I'm pulling back on rope. Doh. I think back to long rope trots with no rush in next session.
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Post by el on Jul 14, 2015 17:50:15 GMT
SESSION 80:
Part 1. Goal is Walks and backups that are soft and light in walk. So ask nicely then twirl rope. Spent about 20 mins ok these much improved.
Part 2: in hand trots. Oz kept getting worried at one side of circle. I couldn't seem to help him.
So decided to change and work in 3/4 of circle only, and then turn. Worked really well. Did more light in hand walk stuff. Started to put in some soft straight line trots. Then built it up to soft circle trots and you'll never guess after 30 mins of this prep work he was fine on a full circle again.
Frustration - progress. This stuff is not meant to be easy.
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Post by el on Jul 15, 2015 13:15:06 GMT
SESSION 81:
Got a bit fed up last night with lack of progress so listened to my steve lesson and watched about 1 min of him working with Oz. He's a lot more effectove.
So did about 4 hours this am, mainly GW - trotting, with bend and relaxation, and in hand as much as possible, then a break, then riding in hackamore and walk.
Oz got up a good sweat in trots as did I but we got better at not hanging back, not pushing, head lowered and bend in body.
Riding not so good, Oz distracted and with no stirrups I wasn't massively brave to start an argument. Will go out again later today.
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Post by el on Jul 15, 2015 18:10:02 GMT
SESSION 82: Used a dressage whip thing instead of rope or stick. Much better!! Got lovely in hand trots on both reins. Very happy will look at it now on video. Followed it up with HQ yield, backup, backwards circle. VIDEOS: Looking good!! Riding / bingo!! One handed riding with bend and counter bends and one handed shoulder ins in middle of field woohooo go Oz!! Off to watch video... VIDEO: Felt better than it looks I think but still happy
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Post by el on Jul 15, 2015 18:11:18 GMT
Also for ozzies wart / scarcoid, got our vet out who proclaimed Oz a quiet horse and I've just started putting human wart cream on it on his instructions.
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