|
Ozzie
Jun 6, 2010 12:44:38 GMT
Post by el on Jun 6, 2010 12:44:38 GMT
Since I arrived home from Australia I've been working through the exercises we did at Steve's camp, with the aforementioned Grey Connemara. So far after 9 days of work together (up to 3 sessions a day) we are up to about 3.15pm on day 1 in terms of exercises, including: - bank robbery - walk somewhere with your horse - soften front end and backup - walk in circle, step inside hind out - step inside hind out, move FQs, walk off in new direction - throw rope over horses head - squeeze game, FQ stay near fence - walk horse into fence and HQ yield - mount, stand still - lateral flex 20 times - throw rope lots of times - get up on barrel and manouvre horse beside it Technically we can now rob any number of banks in Tipperary and the surrounding counties. I have a true getaway horse. Oz has surpassed Kola with the liberty work at this stage so far, and has good halt-walks, good walk-trots, good turns towards me (he likes doing squares in particular) and excellent halts, and good backups, with loose rein, and also often (aside from some fast trotting, but some nice trotting in there too) with no lead rope. Softening is getting better and we've just backed 180 degrees up a hill with diagonal pairs and a relatively relaxed front end (not perfect but...). He can step the hind out, online our HQ then FQ move is really flowing well (was AMAZING this morning!), fence stuff is grand, stand still superb, we did 85 lateral flexions on Thurs, and 60 yesterday including lots of rope throwing with the 1 rein. But here is the real change. I adopted a no tolerance approach (it had been down to about 1% tolerance). Whatever all that meant to Ozzie, I have now had 4 or 5 days (aside on from some messing day 1 in the saddle which was easily fixed) of working with a horse who has temporarily lost two characteristics: 1. Fear 2. Attitude and arguments In the 3 years I've been owned by him, I have never seen him like this. It may all stop tomorrow, but it's been a lovely experience so far!
|
|
|
Ozzie
Jun 6, 2010 22:35:05 GMT
Post by kelpie on Jun 6, 2010 22:35:05 GMT
woo hoo - go super- connie!
|
|
|
Ozzie
Jun 7, 2010 9:26:58 GMT
Post by kas on Jun 7, 2010 9:26:58 GMT
He probably thinks that the fairies stole El and she's still in Australia.
|
|
|
Ozzie
Jun 9, 2010 12:30:35 GMT
Post by redhorseracinguk on Jun 9, 2010 12:30:35 GMT
Aww, bless. What fabulous news xxx
|
|
|
Ozzie
Jun 9, 2010 17:33:59 GMT
Post by el on Jun 9, 2010 17:33:59 GMT
|
|
|
Ozzie
Jun 9, 2010 18:22:09 GMT
Post by nicxf on Jun 9, 2010 18:22:09 GMT
oo, preeety saddle (and of course, lovely Oz!). It doesn't look entirely the right shape for his back, does it? What a shame. Staro's stock saddle curves up at the back, and he seems fine in it - though it is the right fit across his shoulder - is yours sitting a little high at the front/too narrow? This is the only pic I can find for comparison though (dunno if it's any use to you?): Looking at it, I don't think it curves off his back quite as much as that one does on Ozzie.
|
|
|
Ozzie
Jun 9, 2010 20:06:15 GMT
Post by el on Jun 9, 2010 20:06:15 GMT
yup its too tight just on either side is his withers for starters anyway
|
|
|
Ozzie
Jun 11, 2010 10:43:36 GMT
Post by el on Jun 11, 2010 10:43:36 GMT
Saddle gone back to previous owner. Did a nice bit of liberty this morning (yay). One rein ridden work still a work in progress! flexion & yields good, just working on a good walk now.
|
|
|
Ozzie
Jun 17, 2010 17:34:41 GMT
Post by el on Jun 17, 2010 17:34:41 GMT
This morning I thought we needed to make our turns/lateral flexion lighter and also do a bit of faster work, so combined both into the following:
1. Walk around the big paddock. 2. Gently with rein ask Oz to turn a little left or right. 3. If he turns, continue walking. 4. If he doesn't turn, let him go where he wants, but go there fast!!!
We we have great fun & bombed around the paddock!!!!!!!! I'd say it was 70/30 slow/fast. He turns got HEAPS better by the end of 30 mins! Really pleased with him.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
This afternoon, as we’re pretty good at going forwards, but not so good at sideways or backups (crap currently) in the saddle, I thought a GW session on these two might help things. Went over this afternoon – gorgeous sunny day, saw my first horse fly – caught the Oz. First up I tied the rope like reins, stood by his shoulder and as I took a light contact on the reins, asked him to soften and backup. He got very light very quickly. Got up to 8 steps at a time, no major stick places. If he did get stuck, I just patted his chest to move back, but kept the light contact on the reins, give and take as his legs moved. About 100 times better than our backups this morning.
We went off for a walk & trot then, and up at the top of the paddock we worked on walking forwards, then I’d touch his side where my leg would be, and ask him to move sideways. Previously he’s more used to either going forward OR going totally sideways, rather than bits of both together. At the beginning when his front end would go sideways I’d reward him. At the end I got a handful of nice sideways with all his body. Did it on both reins, a very good start anyway. Got one tiny nibble on the rope, backpeddled, total non-event.
Back to the end of the paddock, walking and trotting (lovely), tied up the 2 reins again and more backup as a recap. Lovely. Very soft once the reins are picked up.
Then walk and trot again with me. Did lovely slow trot in time with me, then I sent him out on a slightly larger circle, and then got him to turn and trot at me as I jogged backwards, then on past me and change the rein, keeping the very relaxed trot. From here, I got him to move the hind then move the FQ to change the rein again, then we were back at walk together shoulder by shoulder. It was GORGEOUS!!!!!!!! The rein was literally just there as a guide, Oz was totally soft, no messing, really listening, beautiful relaxed easy trot, lovely yields, that 30 seconds felt like a DANCE!!! Really chuffed. Told him he was wonderful.
1. trot with horse beside you 2. ask horse to trot bigger circle than you 3. jog backwards, horse to trot towards you 4. Horse to pass you and change rein, keeping relaxed rhythm of the trot 5. Walk towards horses HQ and move them out of the way 6. Bring FQs around then (changing rein again) 7. Walk with your horse shoulder to shoulder again
Do all of this on a loose rope, just using it as a guide.
|
|
|
Ozzie
Jun 20, 2010 16:35:49 GMT
Post by el on Jun 20, 2010 16:35:49 GMT
5.5 days left till Steve's clinic in Tipperary!!!!!!!! Oz's tail washed, new road signs made, directions sent out, tea and coffee got by the gallon, Oz's sideways & backwards getting heaps better, can't wait!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! In anticipation the poor horse has had at least 2 sessions with me daily for the last 3 weeks, with the odd day off. Should be great fun!
|
|
|
Ozzie
Jun 20, 2010 17:12:10 GMT
Post by el on Jun 20, 2010 17:12:10 GMT
Don't go anywhere without me!!!!!!!!!!! haha, gotcha! I haven't gone away you know...
|
|
|
Ozzie
Jun 21, 2010 15:29:02 GMT
Post by kas on Jun 21, 2010 15:29:02 GMT
You're going to have a lot of fun.
|
|
|
Ozzie
Jun 24, 2010 17:39:19 GMT
Post by el on Jun 24, 2010 17:39:19 GMT
New paddocks all set up and arena looking fabulous! Can't wait for Sat!
|
|
|
Ozzie
Jun 24, 2010 17:40:29 GMT
Post by el on Jun 24, 2010 17:40:29 GMT
Also rode for 2 hours today and Oz went great for the whole time -- YYYYYYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love my little horse aaaawwwwwwwwww
|
|
|
Ozzie
Jul 21, 2010 11:53:13 GMT
Post by el on Jul 21, 2010 11:53:13 GMT
Wed 21st July 2010 – More ridden work – a better 10/9/8! – Over an hour.
As well as the normal stuff today, and when loose Oz wanted all around his left ear scratched a lot, walked around with me for about 10 mins as I pulled ragworth, and walked right up to Dad on the quad and didn’t even twitch when Dad blew the horn loudly five or six times. I’m still riding in the halter, so I think as it’s working fine we’ll keep at this for the next while anyway.
· Anyway, caught him, and put on saddle. · Walked and jogged around in hand (he’d be good at liberty now I reckon). · Did a few turn with me’s into trot, got HUGE licks and chews after these. He stood still and closed his eyes once or twice as well when he was having a rest. · Did nice circling both ways & softness to backup. · Then hopped on and stood still for a few minutes. No messing so far. · Then lateral flexions (takes one or two attempts at the start to wake up his mind). · Then softness and walk forward 10 steps, make sure softness is still there, release. · Softness, backup 10 steps, softness, release. · Then after this, a big improvement on yesterday, we did them al in pairs. So 8 forward and 8 back then rest. 7 forward and 7 back then release. · Got some REALLY really nice soft backups here, better than yesterday, more softness and me doing less. · Then did circles with bend, straight line, new bend, new circle a good few times all around the paddock. Once or twice he fell through shoulder but just asked him to move out again. · Lots of releases and rests through the whole session today again. Got a good few licks and chews and big yawns with head up in the air too. · I had the pole on its own on the ground, so decided to do a little bit of the walk the line, didn’t want to push my luck and overload his head as so far so good today. So we walked along the pole, then did a 90 degree HQ yield to end up facing the pole. Then we had a rest. Then softness and backup. Then FQ yield 90 degrees back the way we came, then walk, then softness and halt when I exhaled. Then rest. Did really well. · Did a few more, and also threw in a few 90 degree FQ yields when I turned to come back towards the pole. Some of these were REALLY light!!!! I think the 10/9/8 backups things really helped here. · Decided to try a little trot. I had initially though I’d do the exercise where when the horse doesn’t want to turn your way you make him trot his way. Tried a few but he’s got so much better he was going every way I asked him to so had no reason then to ask him to trot! Anyway, probably should have made sure I had a fast walk first though. He did it, but I could feel the beginning of an argument coming on. So back to walk, and then we walked around mixing it up between really slow walk and really fast walk a few times. Decided then to trot it again, so pointed him towards a white block a bit away, and did a fast walk then a GORGEOUS trot right over to the block, no messing, no pulling, no going fast, no slight changes of direction. We had a rest then, told him he was fab and got off. We were out for over an hour I’d say. Took the tack off, gave him a handful of grass and scratched under his head which he enjoyed.
|
|