|
Post by snigsby on Jul 29, 2010 13:51:59 GMT
Thank you for the kind words,guys! Today we went past the Cows of Doom - in a fairly quiet and controlled manner and pointing in the correct direction all the time OK, they were all lying down and about 10 feet away from the fence but one did lumber to its feet and Khan managed not to freak! I really think I've got the hang of this "schooling on hacks" thing and now that I have some actual tools , things are going better. And of course, I become more confident myself with each positive experience. In fact, I am in serious danger of starting to enjoy riding Khan again.......
|
|
|
Post by nicxf on Jul 30, 2010 9:36:00 GMT
ooo, how fab! It's like a switch has flicked with you, isn't it? And you're all of a sudden just getting on out there and doing all sorts of things that you couldn't do without a lot of hassle even six months ago. Really inspiring stuff.
|
|
|
Post by poghag on Jul 30, 2010 10:12:56 GMT
Wow - just done a full catch up! (summer holidays are a marvellous thing!). Great stories of patience and persistence - and it's paying off huh? Don't be going down Gerbils-R-Us in a hurry...
|
|
|
Post by kas on Jul 31, 2010 17:55:14 GMT
This has made me smile from ear to ear.
|
|
|
Post by snigsby on Aug 13, 2010 7:24:29 GMT
Someone has stolen my pony and replaced him with an angel............. All this week, he has been just as good as gold. We had one hack out with company and the rest of the time on our own and he has just been brilliant. Even all the way home - the occasional suggestion that faster might be better but quickly and easily persuaded otherwise. Anyway, this weekend we are going to go on a longer hack that we haven't done since last summer and we are also going to go around the silage field that I have been too scared to go in since I fell off in it and broke my arm 2 years ago. The piece of old machinery that Khan spooked at is still there, in a corner, lurking, so I think we'll walk quietly past it from both directions and do some basic manouvres in front of it first. Does that sound like a plan? Then, next weekend, we are hacking to our local show with our usual companions. There is no class to put Khan into (thank goodness ) so we will do a lot of walking around in the background and general chilling. I really want to take Rafferty as well because there is a M & M in hand class but that will depend if I can find anyone to come with us as otherwise I would need an extra pair of extendable arms hahaha. Nic, I think it was Tom's clinic that "tripped the switch". Starting with Kas having enough faith in me to let me ride Celeb and everyone being so,so supportive and interested in helping me get over my lack of confidence and see that I can acquire some tools that work.
|
|
|
Post by kas on Aug 13, 2010 16:17:34 GMT
Snigs, that is bloody brilliant. Re the piece of machinery, why don't you try to pretend it isn't there to start off with? He might ignore it completely. If you do need to work on it then just don't take him too far out of his comfort zone, work a little way out of it, then back in again. You know what I mean, you can do this.
|
|
|
Post by breakfast on Aug 13, 2010 22:10:31 GMT
Yup, what Kas said. Expect it not to be a problem. If he says it is a problem just let him get brave with it over a few minutes. Really nice to hear how well you're progressing.
|
|
|
Post by leigh on Aug 14, 2010 19:52:17 GMT
Just read through your diary and its brilliant, you have done so well
|
|
|
Post by snigsby on Aug 16, 2010 7:16:13 GMT
Thanks,everyone! We did go round the silage field,without incident (the person who was worried was ME,not Khan, ) and we will go round it again this afternoon. Today, we will try trotting in there........ And we went on the long hack I'd planned yesterday. It was a glorious day and from the top road, you can see for miles over the Firth of Clyde across to Arran. I haven't done it for over a year because of the Previous Cow Problem but we went with our young friend on her HiPo,Struan, and even tho most of the cattle were stunned into immobility by the heat, Khan barely registered their presence. We also had to go on a straight stretch of relatively busy B road and he was fine with the Sunday traffic going at 50mph,although almost everyone,in both directions, slowed right down. I am working on a plan which involves Struan going in the trailer with Khan and all of us going to the beach.......this is only at the planning stage...............wibble..........
|
|
|
Post by redhorseracinguk on Aug 16, 2010 9:35:37 GMT
|
|
|
Post by kas on Aug 16, 2010 14:38:13 GMT
Wooo hooo!!
|
|
|
Post by snigsby on Sept 20, 2010 13:23:32 GMT
Goodness, I haven't written anything for ages,although I think I did mention the lovely controlled loose rein canter we had one day. It is so hard not having anywhere regular to canter,weekends are hopeless as the dog walkers are out in force. And now we've had so much rain that the ground is too soft.....aaargh. More than anyone's life is worth to cut up the two grass paths Khan the Angel Pony has been mostly who I've been riding and he even went fairly calmly past some very unexpected cattle last week,in a field where they have never been before. We are now at the stage with cows,that as long as they don't gallop up to,or along, the fence,he will go past without much difficulty. So I am am definitely delighted about that! It has taken all summer to get here but I don't care. Groundwork is improving too. He will now do his lateral flexions pretty much first time,every time. Sometimes not good to the right but much better than before. I always do them before I get on and then just have a wander in the little paddock, turning one way and the other and then going up and down the fence looking over it, then we do a bit of leg yielding up and down. I am also being very firm about leading up and down from the field and going in and out of the gates. I always thought it was very sweet that he and Rafferty knew our routine but now I see that really they were on automatic pilot and that I wasn't really in charge. So sometimes I change it around a bit and now they have to pay attention to see which one will be asked to go in first. And going up and down to the field has become a brisk walk,not a vague wandering along. The thing I would really like to crack is my total paranoia about trailering him somewhere by myself. I can't help but think that if only I had a sensible person who would come with me two or three days running, it would give me the confidence. You wouldn't think it, but there just isn't anyone with the time However, at least I am happy about hacking out - now we just have to go a bit further afield and maybe somewhere we haven't been before.
|
|
|
Post by snigsby on Sept 22, 2010 6:31:04 GMT
Ask and ye shall receive..............sort of. A young friend I haven't seen for a couple of years appeared on my doorstep the other day and I now have a willing victim to help me travel Khan places for the next few weeks - all would be but yesterday,Khan just refused to load for two hours. So we took him for a long hack instead,rather than turn him back out into the field, which is what he would have preferred. Today, my plan is to ride him in the little paddock,doing all the stuff I usually do before we hack out and then march him firmly into the trailer......................
|
|
|
Post by kas on Sept 22, 2010 19:30:50 GMT
Well, that's handy Snigs! This trailering is a real trial with him isn't it? What a horse. Apart from that though, he's just great isn't he? Real progress when you look back 12 months or so.
|
|
|
Post by snigsby on Sept 22, 2010 19:53:37 GMT
Oh yes, Kas, I am really,really pleased with our progress. The young friend remarked straightaway how much better Khan is now hacking out. Apart from the cows, he hardly ever spooks and is just so much more obedient all round. I could sit down and cry about this loading carry on. I do know that,in theory,the obedience is the issue and that the more I get him paying attention all the time and waiting for instructions,as it were,then he will just follow me into the trailer. But he just isn't doing it and I am so concerned that we are,yet again, back to square one and repeating all the wrong stuff over and over. I think I have taught him not to load..........in my new,specially acquired trailer.................. I am just doing something wrong all the time and I don't know what it is. Aaaargh!
|
|