When I got there the hillside the arena is on was being lashed by sideways rain and wind, umbrellas can't help much in that weather. Instead of a rain coat, I had on my CC Filson wool hunting coat* and even though it was soaked through, I stayed dry. I love wool so much.
* - And I love CC Filson - it's guaranteed for life, and in case you clicked that link, 10 years ago when I bought my jacket it was half that price. Oh, and mine has snaps, not buttons, and every snap says Seattle WA on it: ) I never wear this coat around the farm - it's for church or Christmas markets. The customer reviews are mostly stories about how this coat has saved people's lives, people in Alaska who get lost looking for gold.
Sorry, that was a tangent, but I love my coat, and wish they made something for riding horses.
Ani was very brave to ride in that weather, and Mira was a trooper about it, she tilted her head to the side to try to keep rain out of her ears, and would pivot to put her butt to the wind anytime she was stopped. I couldn't understand much of the lesson because the rain was so loud, but I got that they were talking about the dressage training scale, even though it's a Western trainer.
I was happy to see at the end of the lesson they encouraged Mira to stretch her head down to the ground and trot around like that, wow, she sure does that well! I thought, "Mag will take years to learn that."
Ani asked me to ride with her the next day and I said if the weather was better, I'm not dealing with that 2 days in a row! (I was out in that rain 3 full hours yesterday.)
Today the sun came out and I got all sweaty trying to remove the mud from Mag and realized it was warm enough to wear a Summer vest. It's 10C but feels warmer.
3 big trucks went by us but Mag was fine, sorry I forgot the camera. Sorrier when I saw what Ani taught Mag later.
The moment we entered the sand ring Mag realized I wasn't paying attention to him and he dropped to the ground to roll. I whirled around and smacked him, "GET UP" but he was already on his way up, apparently rolling with a saddle didn't appeal to him. Hrm. Eventually he'll learn we don't roll in our school clothes.
Lunging Mag first, he wasn't explosive ....but then he heard something in a nearby building and spooked hugely and started prancing around. I probably wouldn't have been able to sit that.
But he was fine when I rode, I only rode about 20 minutes and was happy with him. I tend to want to keep things short and sweet for him in arenas, cuz he hates them so. But........
As soon as I jumped off, Ani jumped off Mira, untacked her, left her to roll, and got on Mag.
Mag was his lazy self and she spent a lot of time clucking to him, waving the whip, nudging with her heels, doing everything she could to just get him to move forward.
She also complained about my stirrups. This is the second person who has hated my stirrups, and I actually have issues with them too, they just won't stay turned (you cannot train biothane) so I feel like I can never keep my feet in them. Ani even yelled at some point, "SCHEISS stirrups!" and in fact she gave up trying to keep her feet in them, and rode without! (Gotta love how the Germans will just let you know how they feel, they don't hold back.)
Ulrike's husband came to the arena to collect some things and I helped him and then Mag saw him and as they rode by, Mag slammed on the brakes, "Hi new person! How are you?" and then the three of us started saying, "Go on Mag, keep moving Mag!"
A few minutes later Ulrike came by with her dog to say hello and the same thing happened, Mag stopped in front of her to say hi and take a break. Then Ani got him going again and Ulrike and I talked for a while. I didn't see what Ani was doing, but I could hear her trotting around, doing circles and serpentines.
She complained that Mag was throwing in voluntary leg yields, and I said, "Yah, that's his newest trick, he thinks it gets him out of work because I reward him. I won't be asking for leg yields for a while!"
She also said Mag bulges out his shoulder on the circle so she held the whip there to stop that.
Finally she got him moving forward rhythmically and with actual momentum, and he blew out his nose in relaxation (Germans have a word for this). She praised him and then he did it again, and she praised him again.
Then it got good, because he had found a work ethic and was working hard enough to be relaxed.
Then she dropped her reins to the buckle and encouraged him to drop his head - and he did! At a walk. Not as low as Mira, and not consistently, but he reached down a few times and held it for a few steps and I was amazed.
Ulrike was there, she saw the whole thing. I said I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes. Ani was so excited, she said, "He just needed to relax, and he finally did."
Horses can be completely lazy and not completely relaxed.
Ulrike admired them - and truly they looked amazing, she rides very subtly, her hands never move, and Mag naturally flexes at the poll just above the vertical. She shouted to Ani, "Ani, you finally found your Arabian love!" She turned to me, "She will ride any horse, she rides them all!" I didn't know this. Ani seems like a beginner, but has had some good instruction this past year, and about her trainer, I have to say, she said, "SEHR SCHOEN" about a hundred times in 45 minutes ("very nice") so I'm happy Ani has a positive trainer, and not a nazi.
So I have something to think about. I rarely ride in the arena long enough to get Mag tired enough that he wants to relax. Now I know he can, if I keep going.
Ani said, "It was so much fun riding Mag today, I had a blast!" I said, "I will be thinking about what you did today, and I'm delighted that you got him to drop down like that."
Now to buy some stirrup turners.
Old photos, cuz I have nothing lately.
And Mag, good boy, you've gone 11 months without kicking us! Eventually I'll be less wary of your back legs. Trauma is hard to forget.
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7 comments:
Horses are a work in progress all the time, aren't they? Sounds like things are going well.
This is all so wonderful! He's really starting to be a grown up horse now.
I wonder WTH is up with your stirrups, though. Did you try moving the leathers around (there are settings under the seat, screwed into the tree--you can move the screw forward or back)? Bizarre.
Aarene, I've moved the leathers around but I prefer the middle setting on a green horse, otherwise I'd go back further cuz I like a very straight leg like you do. I wrote Specialized today asking if they could make me stirrup turners that would fit - most are made for Western saddles and are way too big: ( I also wrote Barefoot saddles because they have a somewhat smaller turner but still an inch too big. In my search I traveled to American Trail Gear and guess what - they carry a padded breastcollar now! For only 100$. That is really important to me, if I ever need one (I have two and they're still in great shape). Now I wonder if ATG would pad a bridle......
I have a hard time seeing Mag as anything but a baby and that is a major detriment to our relationship.
ATG will make whatever you want. Just ask. I love them! What part of a bridle would you pad--the crownpiece? His face is so little!
Aarene, *chuckle* his face is absurdly tiny. I measured his face yesterday with a ruler, from poll to eye, vs. from eye to nostril, and indeed he is 1cm longer from poll to eye! He thought I was crazy as I measured.
If you take a look closely at the photos of my white bridle, you'll see the crown and the nose are padded with black neoprene, which gives the bridle a sharp black/white contrast. It also has at least 11 black keepers, which look so sharp against the white. White directly on white is not so pretty, but with the padding, it looks great. Just like white piping on a black dressage bridle on black Totilas: ) I would need to be convinced that ATG's white biothane does not fade to yellow in a couple years, like my zilco did. Do all colors besides black fade to something else? I've only ever had black and white but my Sporttack white biothane breastcollar and bridle stayed pure white all these years. (You remember Sporttack, it's in your Fiddle's tack post). My white zilco crupper is the color of Folgers coffee, after sitting in a box in my attic for years. That is ridiculous. So to be honest, I like the padding because of the color contrast as well as the comfort.
I love this that you are inspired by what you saw. Teaching a horse to follow the bit is easy. Once again, it starts with teaching the half halt from the ground, basically asking the horse to yield to the bit by holding them there, also making little sponge squeezing movements with one hand, until they release, followed immediately by your release. In doing this, you can eventually get them to follow the bit downward while you stand next to them. Then you get in the saddle and follow the same procedure at the stand. Getting the horse to walk and trot this way gets them swinging over their back so that as you gradually take up the reins again, they can step more easily under themselves and lift their back. That's why it's an important movement in the early dressage tests, and of course what usually happens after you release the horse from being on the bit.
I'm always amazed at how the rain never stops you from doing things.
I'm betting the white BETA biothane wouldn't yellow, but ask Diana at ATG, she will know. You know me, I've never liked zilco. My purple zilco faded to grey really fast, but yeah, that old Sporttack biothane is still just perfect. And my ATG purple, nearly 5 years old now, bucket-ton of miles on it, still looks brand new.
ATG used a wide(r) black beta as backing for Fiddle's purple "pirate" browband, because the purple wasn't *quite* wide enough to accomodate...and the pirate bling was too perfect not to use. There are closeup pictures of the bridle here: http://bit.ly/1h01Wjz Her head is ginormous, of course.
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