Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Sideways

The weather over this past week led to a few challenging rides. What can I say, the horse doesn't love 40mph winds and driving rain/snow. She was super keyed up from the weather on Wednesday night, but I handled it the best I could and used a bit of reverse psychology to encourage Lucy to do the right thing. I first let her zoom a bit in the indoor and she got most of her crazy out. Then I rode her just at the walk and we worked on turns on the haunches/forehand, backing up with her head down low, and "side passing", or at least our best attempt! Part of our homework from Morgan was to get Lucy moving as much laterally as I could and I did my best to deliver the goods. I feel confident that Lucy is better today than she was a week ago, and that's all I can ask for!

The week had a couple of setbacks, though. On Saturday, Cinnamon came back out and we were both in good spirits, expecting another wonderful ride. Lucy had other plans, though. She started out ok but as Cinnamon asked her for a bit more effort, she lashed out in several uncharacteristically (even for her) nasty tantrums. Lucy was extremely tight through her whole body, and was annoyed that other horses kept coming into the ring and then leaving. Her brain had about zero functionality and though she softened a few times into the contact and moved nicely, she would lose her focus a few strides later and throw a few bucks in a row. Now, she does a lot of bad stuff as you all know, but full-on bucking is not really one of her normal tricks. She was kicking out rather furiously and Cinnamon and I had a ten second conference and decided that this ride was not going to be productive. Though I am normally all for riding through the crap and ending on a positive note, and I also tend to think that Lucy's outbursts are attitude related and not a pain issue, that day was different and both Cinnamon and I felt it was best to call it quits and try another day. It was very clear that something big was bothering Lucy. Either she was coming into heat or sore somewhere and she was clearly telling us, THIS HURTS.



We untacked her and cooled her out and I felt very upset about the whole thing because the week had been going well and I didn't like this big change in my horse, but as I have done many many times, I decided to let that day go and try again on Sunday.

Sunday rolled around and I was not excited to ride. I expected Lucy to be very bad. To give her the best chance of a positive ride, I lunged first and let her trot for a good long time until she was nice and swingy and fluid. I also wanted to make sure she was sound because when Cinnamon was riding, she looked a bit foot sore to me. Well, she looked great on the lunge line and seemed to appreciate being able to move out like that. When she was nice and warmed up, I hopped on and had a nice ride. Lucy was very responsive but light, and picked up where we left off with the lateral stuff easily. She is a very smart horse, I will give her that! 80% of the ride was at the walk, just getting her light in the bridle and responsive to my legs, and then we finished with a bit of trot work that was also fairly decent. Nothing groundbreaking or beautiful, but not bad!

Yesterday I rode in the outdoor for the first time in a long time. I lunged first because the neighbour's son was out in their yard through some trees throwing a lacrosse ball at a wall, which was making a very loud BANG. I was concerned that Lu would be scared of that because that neighbour is in the "scary" corner of the ring. She didn't have any problems with it, but was scared of another neighbour using a chain saw. If it's not one thing, it's another! She got over the whole thing quickly and warmed up very well on the lunge and neither the chain saw or the BANG noise were an issue after that. I do love that about her - she can spook at things and be silly but once she realises they aren't a threat, she isn't bothered by them.

I got on and we did the usual basic walk exercises to start, circling often and doing serpentines through the ring. Each time I changed direction, I almost asked her to do a haunches in to move her hind quarters over first, then move forward. She took it all quite well and didn't put up a fight. We trotted around and she was a pleasure to ride! Then Maddy took some video for me after Lucy got a short break in the middle of the ring. Well, Princess Horse thought she was finished so when I asked her to go back to work, she wasn't pleased and pinned her ears straight back at me. She didn't do anything else, though, which is an improvement from the usual kicking out and other sass. She settled down and was very good. We haven't cantered all week, which Morgan recommended until we could get the trot together, but she offered up the most lovely, quiet canter to the left (which is the bad direction!) and I was like, ok, we will see where this goes. Well, it was really, REALLY nice and I am just so glad I trusted her enough to let her continue. She felt round and light under me and was so polite about the whole thing. She felt balanced (or at least more balanced than she has in the past) and didn't throw a single bronco move. She came back down to the trot nicely and then I thought, crap, this means we have to canter to the right!

So off we went, but not until I had her going at the trot nicely, of course. A few strides into it, she tried to pull the reins out of my hands but I sat on my butt and elevated my inside hand to prevent her from taking the reins, and she sat back on her hocks and picked her own front end up, rebalanced and continued on without escalating or getting witchy about it!

THAT WAS HUGE.

At that point, the whole state of Texas could have fit inside my smile because I was thrilled.



Tonight Morgan is coming out for training ride #2 and I really hope Lucy is good so she can see how much progress we've made this week. I took all of our homework very seriously and I hope we will continue to improve.

15 comments:

  1. So glad you had a nice ride before the lesson. I hope the lesson goes great.

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  2. I think Cinnamon does a good job making Lucy move forward. Morgan rides her very differently. I actually think Lucy responds better/more to Cinnamon's style. I noticed in all of the videos with your friend and the one with Morgan that anytime Lucy truly goes into a proper frame, uses her hind end, and stretches through her back, she reacts negatively. From what I have caught on is that she doesn't act out as soon as you get on and work, but when you actually ASK for proper carriage while working. That is the only thing that worries me something somewhere is bothering her. She is fine until she has to use herself...and she does try. You can see her try.
    Glad you finally got to ride in your outdoor. We rode in ours today. It was so nice. Down here in the south we've rarely gotten a day without rain this winter!

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    1. I agree with Amy.

      And while I know you know your mare very well, and obviously we only see videos of her, the pinned ears and wringing tail just seem more than attitude. I hope you can get everything sorted out.

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    2. ditto. She just seemed really unhappy at the trot in this vid, along with turbo trotting. However, at the canter she seems much happier about things. Don't know what this would indicate though and I know you've done lots of stuff for her to make sure she's sound. If it really is just attitude, have you considered horomones to help take the edge off?

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    3. As I said, there was something up the day that Cinnamon rode and we called it quits very early because it was clear that something was wrong.

      She was pissy at the trot when I rode her because she had just had a long break while I got video of my friend riding and then was annoyed that she had to go back to work. When we were warming up, there were no pinned ears or attitude.

      Yes I am going to talk to my vet about Depo when he's out for spring shots.

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  3. I like that you have different people ride her with different styles. It gives you something more to work with and be able to take the things that you like and create your own style. It's like singing! You don't want to sound EXACTLY like your favorite artist, but you can learn from all different styles and see what works best for you and your pony <3

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  4. Please, please don't take this badly. I know you're tired of receiving suggestions, but I did notice something from your 2 videos, and wanted to mention it, in the hopes of helping, in the off chance you haven't noticed. Maybe it has nothing to do with anything and I'm wrong, but just in case...

    You had mentioned that when Lucy's saddle fit was checked most recently, it was noted that it was starting to get too narrow for her. Was this fit checked with or without the fleece half pad underneath? Is your fleece half pad one of the ones where it is full fleece underneath, or just around the edges (in which case please disregard everything I'm about to write)? Cinnamon is riding with the fleece half pad, and you're riding with a more flat half pad.

    *IF* your fleece half pad is fully fleeced underneath (AND the saddle fit was checked against her bare back), it may be altering the fit of your slightly snug saddle by pinching further on a day when she seemed to be more sore? Like wearing thick wool socks under snug shoes. This *could* be a reason why she was better for you on your ride.

    Just a thought, maybe a stupid one. I could be completely wrong and it was just coincidence. Only trying to help. <:)

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    1. We are all riding in the same half pad. It is an EcoGold memory foam pad. Yes it was checked - it doesn't narrow the fit; it distributes the weight better to make up for the narrower panels in my saddle. It's not that the saddle tree or gullet itself is too narrow; the panels that run along her back could stand to be wider to distribute the pressure more.

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  5. VERY GOOD pony in that last video :) In my lesson my trainer was all about lateral movement to help encourage rib flexing ie relaxing/breathing for Laz. Not to compare b/c Lu has MUCH more mare fire ;) or is trying to say something. Hope you figure it all out-if it's not one thing, it's another. Keep up the good work!

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  6. I do not envy the task you have in figuring out your sensitive mare! I hope that it is something as simple a hormones....

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  7. I know you're sick of everyone's advice.....but.....have you had multiple saddle fitters out to check your saddle? I used 3 saddle fitters, the ones EVERYONE in New England will recommend, that all told me my saddle was fine. My horse was a bucking, rearing, cow kicking, short strided, ears pinned, mess. Then I had Karen out of http://therefinedequine.com/ who uses digital thermography to assess how the saddle impacts your horse's back. She watched me ride for a good 20 minutes in my saddle, used her little thermography thing,made some major adjustments, then had me ride again and I literally had a different horse. I was astonished. I was using a back on track pad with thinline at the time and she told me I could only use a regular cotton pad with my saddle, because even a layer of thin thinline impacted the fit. As he gains muscle and more of a topline, Karen comes out every six months or so for minor adjustments and my boy has never exhibited that behavior again. Just a thought. :)

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    1. Hi Marissa,
      I have had two saddle fitters out within the past three months. How much does Karen charge for a fitting? My most recent saddle fitting cost me $125 and I would be not pleased to have to pay for another one. The saddle fitter I used has the initials CKD - did you use that individual?

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  8. Karen cost $125. Yes I used CKD 3 times... I really like Karen especially for the digital thermography. I could SEE where the inflammation was. I am no expert, but my horse moved just like yours.

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    1. ughhh ok well I will send her an email...that would be really frustrating, but that's horses for you! haha.

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    2. I know right? I wasted SO much money until I found the people that worked for us! Good luck :)

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