Tuesday, July 7, 2009

WOW WOW WOW!!!!!!!

Something has happened with Sam and I. Something has clicked I think. Saturday I had a frustrated day. Tried to ride mid morning but I was angry and frustrated and Sam of course didn't want to play the game with me like that so I put him back in his paddock with some extra hay and went home. Later that afternoon I went out and rode. I was a lot happier so so was he.

On Sunday something happened. I don't know what I did differently but I wish I knew what. I started out with a lot of flexing and bending at the walk on both reins. (This is something I have started doing a lot more of during the last week) Up into the trot and he was tense and yuk. I just let him have his head and pushed him out around the riding paddock. Little more leg and the head went down (then straight back up) leg, head went down - see the pattern happening - I start to take up a light contact, leg on, head down but not up as quickly.

Soon I had him up, round, bending through the body on the left rein - WOW! Right rein which is our bad one - slow to come but then it started, softer, a little more bend, round, lighter - this was starting to hold for half a 20m circle - WOW. Into a serpentine and here we are changing our bend with little tension. I even had a few walk trot transitions where I could feel his back come up that much it really pushed me up out of the saddle - WOW!!!!!

I must say I finished that ride on top of the world. I wish I could explain it all, what we did exactly, how it felt, the lightness and the amount of forward I had with out having to push and constantly ask.

I gave him a good walk out and a shampoo and extra hay.

Then today I rode again. I wasn't expecting to have a ride like Sundays but I was hoping for glimpses of it. On the left rein I certainly did and I had the reaching down and roundness a lot quicker. I pushed Sam into a canter on the left rein, I just started to ask for him to bend, give, soften.

Canter I really haven't worked on and the few times that I have I have had a lot of difficulty in a) keeping him going b) stopping the 4 beat coming through c) just no softness

Then he gave, then he softened, then he gave some bend, then it wasn't 4 beat, but it was round, soft!!!!! Once again he couldn't hold it for long about 1/3rd of a 30m circle but you know what he showed me what we were in for. I was so excited! Unfortunately I got a little carried away and tried the right rein, this was terrible but he moved off the leg slightly, good start, and he gave a few times. I couldn't ask for more on his bad rein.

So my wonderful little pony is really coming along in leaps and bounds. I have never bought a horse along like this before. I have never had this sort of improvement. WOW!!!!

1 comment:

Unknown said...

That's great! Such a good feeling when things start coming together! I just love rides like that. And good for you for not pushing him too much. You got steps in the right direction, which is really all we can ask for from each ride. Sam sounds like he is going to be a great horse.