We did the entire 1.25 hour loop and I must say, I'm getting better at climbing these hills on foot, finally! It wasn't so hot but it was freaking humid, so much that the horse was completely covered in sweat! That's rare to see.
I think it was partly due to Mag's mental state. Although he was fine at the start of the ride, the horseflies soon found him leaving bright red stripes on his legs.
Even worse, he was having an allergic reaction to Spot-On (a drop-on tick repellant) that I'd put on his belly a few days ago. He got the same swelling as when I tried coconut oil - basically Mag is allergic to everything except dirt and water. *sigh* As our ride continued, he started sweating and I think that was burning the swollen spots on his belly, because he started tossing his head for no other reason we could determine. Ani was happy to hear it wasn't her riding upsetting him.
As last week, she talked to him almost the entire time she was on his back, which is way more than she talks to me *lol.* She also asked if she should dismount as we approached the Icelandic horse field and I said he'll be fine. He was. Two things did spook him today though - a bicyclist surprised him and someone was out in a horse field moving electric fence, which blew Mag's mind. As I stopped, hoping Mag would take a look, Ani said, "Can we just keep going?" So completely at ease she is not: ) But again she was overjoyed to have been able to ride him again, thanking me and thanking him profusely. "I'm so thrilled that he lets me ride him!" I said, "I know, you love him." She said, "Not as much as you do, and not as much as he loves you, though!"
As soon as we got home I stripped him and asked J to hold him as I sprayed all the sweat off, especially on his sad puffy belly. Then I told him to go roll, which he did, and he's completely black right now. Poor thing, I won't be putting chemicals on him again. I wish I had some for myself - I woke up with another tick on me and if I do a count, I have 7 tick bites at the moment. My husband has to tweeze them off of me in the morning and he said I'm a pin-cushion lately.
Here are some pics and videos I took today. (Oh, check out my relatively-new custom made saddle pad!)
Wow, I just realized that she rides all horses the same - in the video below she is keeping her leg on him. I trail ride him with less rein and less leg, but she is encouraging him to step up, which is a good thing.... I think. Some internet trainer I read recently said that even if you're just meandering down the trail, you should use your leg to keep the horse's back engaged. No idea if he's correct, but I'm starting to notice other riders around here going up our street, looking at their cell phones, but pushing their heels into the horse with each stride. Thoughts?
Below is some trainer that I'm fond of lately. He advocates below the pedulum effect of riding a forward walk. Interestingly, that is exactly how I learned to ride a correct, forward walk in dressage, in my dressage days in Seattle. You don't need spurs, you just lift each foreleg with your own from the saddle. It becomes a habit when you want your horse to walk with impulsion.
At the end here he says, "I hear that your horse goes fine forward without pressure but I say, because of your weight, the horse's back is weakened, and you need to push the horse forward." I don't know much about this guy but I have really liked a few of his videos, especially where he sits on the horse and through his aids can cause the horse to lean forward or lean backwards, repeatedly. Also, no idea what his accent is. Not German, that I can tell.
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12 comments:
She needs to loosen the reins and quit nudging him so much. She's giving mixed signals although he doesn't seem to mind it. Her stirrups are way too short and forcing her heel to be out of line with her hips, forcing them to be behind her hips. Mag sure is doing great though. Nice and relaxed. You have a great boy Lytha!
Tina, thank you for the kind words. Interestingly, at the end of this ride she said she felt her stirrups are too short. : ) I agree with you that she is applying slow and go together, and I wonder why. Why would someone ride a typical, forward Arabian with that degree of leg aid at a walk on trail. Is it habit from riding so many senior horses, or is it following the rule that horses must use their backs and you accomplish that with your heels to their sides? When I ride Mag, he feels the air move between my calf and his side, I don't even need to touch him. Unless we're in an arena, where he turns to mush: ( As you see, I don't like to tell people how to ride, unless there is danger involved. If her riding had escalatd his behaviour I was just about ready to say, "Give him 2 centimeters more rein, and let's see what happens." But we figured out it was the discomfort and she jumped off. I keep flashing back to his sale ad, "Doesn't accept people before he knows them."
I hear ya on telling people how to ride lol! I'm glad you were ready to step in. Mag is an angel to put up with that kind of signal she was giving. I've never heard of using constant leg to keep a horses's back engaged either. In my experience, constant leg, in her case heel, is going to become white noise to the horse...especially if trail riding.
Hey, Tina, I'm gonna add a video where I learned this method from some European (!???!)
Can't wait to see it!
Thank you for posting that video. I can see what you are saying that to get him to engage his back but I don't think she is doing it for that reason because she's not letting him drop his head enough. His back stayed hollow through all three videos. I think you hit the nail on the head with it's more of a habit she's picked up riding older horses that needs encouragement to keep moving.
I agree: stirrups too short. And I would be *exhausted* if I had to "pedal" a horse for 50 miles to keep the back engaged. It's your back, horse, carry it yourself! Lol.
Seriously, absolutely work on engagement and self-carriage to install the buttons and build the muscles so the horse *can* lift and carry, and to let the rider feel what it's like. And absolutely, the rider should cue and support the horse. But there is no way I could cue with every step.
Mag has a new skill: taking care. GOOOOOOOOD BOY. He isn't being ridden, he's giving a ride. And that is fine. In fact, it's lovely.
Ha! If I rode my horse with that much leg and rein, he would be cantering on the spot. And then he might toss me because I am so annoying. Eventually of course, any horse would become numb to all this chatter. Its nice that Mag is so lenient.
There is a BiG difference between strengthening the back through engagement in the controlled setting of an arena, and letting the horse carry itself over the variation of terrain in the outdoors on trail. And there are many different schools of thought on how to achieve the engagement, strength and eventual mecca of self carriage. I belong to the school of thought that develops strength and carriage through gymnastics and time, not through confinement (reins) and propulsion (legs). But to each their own.
I like how her hands followed nicely, even if I would like to see a longer rein.
I do have a question- which you do not have to answer: why aren't you riding? He looks good and calm there. Maybe Ani could walk beside you and you could ride part way through.
Thanks for all the help guys - I appreciate the comments. I know you all want to help, and that feels good.
Camryn wasn’t very excepting of other riders either. Her go too, was simply standing there. Though when my nephew rode similarly to Ani, reins pulled back with lots of leg, though more so than Ani. Her go to was “up!” Luckily being lazy and merely confused it wasn’t overly dramatic. She just couldn’t figure out what he was asking. “Rein for stop, leg for go, he must want up!”
Agree stirrups way too short but you can have short stirrups and not nag with the leg.. I would have been barking 'HEELS DOWN LEGS OFF'so you have more restraint than me. Mag was a saint considering.
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