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Ozzie
Sept 6, 2010 17:52:56 GMT
Post by el on Sept 6, 2010 17:52:56 GMT
Sun 5th September: A wild day, but a very mellow horse!
Oz had 2 weeks off. Arrived down late Sunday evening after Steves Kent clinic, very windy and threatening rain. Decided to a quick bit of GW before it really started to rain, to remind him I was back and prepare for tomorrow.
He was up the top of the paddock, so once he twigged I was half way up, he trotted down to me full of energy, had a sniff and a hello, then wandered off again. I moved his hind abit, then put on the halter which he promptly tried to eat. Given that he had a fair bit of energy, it was pretty windy and wild, and he tried to eat the halter I presumed I would have a high energy argumentative horse on my hands and it’d all be a bit of a mess.
Anyway, decided first off to go for a walk around the far end of paddock. Horsey walked along quietly beside me. Then I walked as quick as I could and Oz jogged along beside me on a loose rein, not once trying to zoom off (very good for a trot in normal conditions!!).
He then tried to give me a tiny bite, and then backed away a step like he knew he wasn’t allowed. I just decided to ignore it, but in future had he stand out of reach of me during rests for the session.
Did a few turn with me’s on a loose rope – perfect mirroring, listening to me and even one fast one which he did calm (also impressive for him).
Did a few circles with bends both ways – he had them copybook.
Then it started to rain a bit. So we did backup into the rain. He did the fast backups ever, doing his escape backwards, so then we went REALLY FAST! backwards, until he did them normally then we stopped. Did this twice, once on each side, he evaded on both sides but I made sure he did it properly before he stopped. When he does it really fast next time if its not raining for the craic I must get him to move his FQs to see what his rollback would be like on supercharged.
Then walked home, and got him to walk with his shoulders in front of me but not crossing the line for a good 5 of 6 steps. He was SOO light!!!!!!!!!!!! Really incredible. No weight in my hands. It might have been something to do with the rain but even still.
So for the whole session, I didn’t pull on him, and he didn’t pull on me. I was really quite impressed at that.
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Ozzie
Sept 6, 2010 17:53:52 GMT
Post by el on Sept 6, 2010 17:53:52 GMT
Mon 6th September: Again a mellow horse!
It rained all last night, localised flooding everywhere. Went out this afternoon to do a bit. Big black clouds everywhere and thunder was to be heard. Horse and ground were dry though, so we did a bit of groundwork as I was on my own. First up – roping prep! Got a lungeline and tied it to a white jumping block. Then proceeded to drag the block behind Oz and around the paddock as we all walked and trotted around. Then stopped Oz and dragged it up beside him on both sides and got it to touch his front legs and dragged in right in front of them. Not a bother. Then dragged it a bit while the rope touched his front legs as well. No probs. Then I walked backwards, dragged the block with Oz walking behind it kicking it along for good measure with each of his steps. Then put it behind him, and dragged it along while the rope rubbed along his sides, shoulders and hind legs. He did try to pick up his hind legs once or twice as if to say ‘whats that?’ but just kept him walking on and then gave him a rest. Did it again then another time and no hind leg picking up. The odd time he did try to swing his hind legs into the rope as it rubbed against his hindlegs but he got over that too and in the end just walked towards me while the rope rubbed all along his side. Very much not bothered about stuff being dragged on all sides, behind and beside him, and with ropes and objects touching his feet and sides. He was very mellow again for all of it.
Then I could feel a few drops of rain starting. So we did some backups, a few braces, but was aiming for a faster backup than normal so got a few good ones. Then it did start to rain, so got him to walk back to paddock entrance, fast walk, and to walk in front of me a little with shoulder pushed out. He did it perfectly, a legend, really light in my hands. Left him go then and he hung around for a handful of nice grass.
Overall he was listening, light on his feet, willing and very responsive and thinking about everything. A legend of a horse, yet again! Very odd.
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Ozzie
Sept 6, 2010 22:00:13 GMT
Post by beksnjake on Sept 6, 2010 22:00:13 GMT
I sometimes find that when Jake's had a break he's much softer when I start to work him again - almost as if he's used that time to think over what we've done previously - although he's probably just concentrating on stuffing his face and I'm anthropomorphising (or however its spelt ;D)
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Ozzie
Sept 13, 2010 20:23:25 GMT
Post by el on Sept 13, 2010 20:23:25 GMT
85% of Oz's head there after 3 weeks off and we did SHOULDER IN!!! TWICE!!!!Oz has done about 3 days of groundwork in the last 3 weeks, but hasn't been ridden at all. I did a little more GW last night, which consisted of dragged a block around behind him so he was cool but the other horse was galloping about but we dealt with it. Also picked up his feet as supposedly he hadn't been his best with the farrier the previous day, and he didn't want to pick them up. So I started to tap his leg to annoy him into lifting them up, and got a pissed off 'Connie hind leg kick forward' in protest, but after a quick backpeddle we got over that too. Anyway, this afternoon I just wanted to sneak another ride (sneak = jump up on him after a few weeks of time off and hope all goes well). Well!! Ok he wasn't perfect... but he wasn't bad either. 8-ish head shakes, had to go slowly through stuff, and was a little distracted (dangerous in Oz world!) but as listening very well when not distracted and just gave him lots of time which helps him to stay relaxed and not get bothered. gw - leading fast and slow walk and jog in trot. gw - circle with bend in walk gw - circle in bend with trot - not there but we'll keep practising gw - really soft backups gw - backwards circles and FQ yields (alright) gw - when he got distracted we did some turn with me's but just placing one or two feet exactly then stopping to get himn really thinking about me and what he should be doing not gazing over at the next field. Riding - stood still for a few mins. Loose rein, pony's eyes open, then closing, then closed. Riding - lateral flexions. Did one at a time, then did a few in a row but I think he was getting confused and started to move about like he thought that was what I was asking, trying to offer something I'd give him a rest for. So went back to doing them with rests between them again then and mvt stopped. Some very nice ones. Level ears and a few really soft. Riding - 10/9/8 backwards and forwards. Through all of the ridden session got about 8 head shakes, no yawns and a few looks away at the quad speeding through the fields nearby. So not perfect, but I wasn't going to push it either knowing this. we did very 9/8 slow 10/9/8 exercise, with rests after EVERY ask for him to settle him head again. GOt it done in a few minutes anyway. Asked for softness the whole time, not as good as he's ever done it but a good attempt. Riding - circles with bend in walk. Good in principal, dropped shoulder a few times, but just asked again. has been better but good after 3 weeks I guess. Riding - SHOULDER IN!!!! (yes you read right!!!) Was walking in a straight line in the middle of the paddock, and just positioned him for a shoulder in for the craic, and OMG he did it immediately!!! I nearly fainted, but instead then kept him walking the same line and got a shoulder in the other way!!!!!!!!! He had been really light doing them in hand a few times before this. At this stage I told him he was a legend, hopped off and took off the tack. WOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!! The lucky horse hung around, and got some fresh grass and an apple.
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Ozzie
Sept 13, 2010 20:52:14 GMT
Post by nicxf on Sept 13, 2010 20:52:14 GMT
sounds like you did some fun stuff.
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Ozzie
Sept 19, 2010 20:20:45 GMT
Post by el on Sept 19, 2010 20:20:45 GMT
The Connemara goes feral.
Finally, after the summer of work, Oz is going feral again due to the absence of daily training sessions (well, a little bit anyway).
It turns out with the farrier as well as being finicky with his feet, he was doing a bit of nipping as well. Can't believe that! Little sod.
Anyway, today I brought a friend of mine (a vet) out for a social visit to see him. In the five minutes he was standing beside us in the paddock (supposedly for my friend to admire!) he did about ten big yawns, worked on nibbling me twice and got made to backup, once he flounced off dramatically with a 180 degree spin, he galloped at Doug twice (other horse) to move him out of the way, came back over to us then after of course, did a few mildly annoyed head shakes when I pretended I was going to get up on his back, and a few 'what's that smell' Flehmen faces, then stood there with his eyes closed. My poor vet said she'd never seen so much character in a horse in five minutes.
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Ozzie
Sept 26, 2010 16:16:06 GMT
Post by el on Sept 26, 2010 16:16:06 GMT
Sat near end of Sept.
Just on a flying visit home. Anyway, no one else was supposed to be here, so i was just going to do a few mins GW with Oz (i don't ride when there's no one here, you just never know with his highness).
Anyway, had a lovely session (first in a week or two, nipping from before had gone, god feet pickup up, beginning of corect bend in trot, move shoulders away) and next thing the travellers rang to saw they'd be home in an hour!!
Yay. They came home, I tacked up Oz and off we went for a good 50 mins riding around the paddock, working on bends, then when he got a bit distracted (head not wanting to look in), back to more basic - walk to this point, and if you try to take over, you will go backwards and step the opposite way.
It was such a pleasure to out with Oz again. He focused a bit more as we went along, twigged the whole 'way towards the object' game after a while, and then had fun bashing / kicking / standing on each object when we arrived over at it.
Put in softness when I could too. Also made a point to walking as much around the paddock as possible.
YAY!
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Ozzie
Sept 27, 2010 12:33:02 GMT
Post by kas on Sept 27, 2010 12:33:02 GMT
Enjoying reading your updates El.
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Ozzie
Sept 28, 2010 14:36:16 GMT
Post by el on Sept 28, 2010 14:36:16 GMT
aww thank youse are dotes
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Ozzie
Sept 30, 2010 13:05:28 GMT
Post by louisec on Sept 30, 2010 13:05:28 GMT
The boys doing good El! Had to laugh over the SI - Flynn has a natural ability to do the lateral work - but trying to doing them slowly and softly is a whole lot more difficult:-)
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Ozzie
Oct 11, 2010 17:17:54 GMT
Post by el on Oct 11, 2010 17:17:54 GMT
Was at home briefly so went out to see Oz. He was all cute and fluffy, loved his apple and had a very scratchy nose and proceeded in following me all round the paddock. Then had to go back to Dublin.
I MISS MY HORSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Ozzie
Oct 12, 2010 18:08:17 GMT
Post by el on Oct 12, 2010 18:08:17 GMT
My lasso arrived!!!!!!!!! Off to try it now in downtown Dublin!!!!!!
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Ozzie
Oct 12, 2010 20:20:54 GMT
Post by louisec on Oct 12, 2010 20:20:54 GMT
Wonder what the boy will make of that !!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Ozzie
Oct 13, 2010 17:53:46 GMT
Post by el on Oct 13, 2010 17:53:46 GMT
I've already dragged ropes with stuff around with him on foot, waved and twirled ropes in every direction around him, and he was extremely lucky to have Steve sit on him & throw his first proper lariat in the summer clinic, without blinking (either steve or the horse)!! Now you don't get a better start than that!! He also loves chasing cows so I reckon he might be a natural once he doesn't get too enthusiastic.
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Ozzie
Oct 16, 2010 10:39:16 GMT
Post by el on Oct 16, 2010 10:39:16 GMT
Just back after hour in our car park lassoing the bin. Started well, wobbley in the minute but got up to a fair distance by the end. Neighbours had never seen anything like it. To get the bin I tended to have to aim slightly right. Longer throw = faster twirling and keep the top of the rope higher than the objet to be caught. Lots of fun though. Rope going from white to black bits from the tarmac, perhaps I need to find some grass to do it on, but even more of clontarf would see me then.
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