Whatanejit
25th Jun 2006, 09:43 AM
Cooper’s 15th Week
Monday
My share day for May today. We decided to give Cooper the day off as he had a 3 hr ride yesterday and we wanted to rest his back and bones, bless him. As he is on the ‘night shift’ I headed out to the field to check him over.
Our geldings field has been very overgrazed – funnily enough none of the geldings are particularly fat. The mares field, however, is lush hence grazing muzzles a plenty!
I was a little shocked to notice that none of the geldings were in their usual field. As I walked further down I noticed that someone had opened the gates at the far end. When I turned the corner I saw them all chest deep in heavenly long grass – Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory for horses.
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f270/Whatanejit/Longgrasscooper.png
It was a very pretty sight.
Cooper was fine so I left him au natural to enjoy himself.
I met May’s mum who was going to show me how to use the Pessoa on her.
May’s mum trained as a Shiatsu therapist and then did a further two year course for Shiatsu on horses. On one of her study days they had a lecture from an equine physiotherapist and she highly promoted the use of a Pessoa for correct muscle development.
May goes quite well in it and knows to put her head down. It is has been suggested to me on several occasions to give Cooper a go in it.
Tuesday
Sorry no pics of this. We hooked the big man up with the Pessoa strings and pulleys.
Played with the sheepskin bit that goes at the back of his legs – he wasn’t in the least bit bothered about it, bless him.
It was set very loosely – almost not there at all apart from this thing hanging around his hocks.
He went very well on the left rein – walked and trotted fine.
However, I wasn’t at all happy about the right rein. This is his weakest side in lunge and when being ridden - he was jabbed in the mouth quite severely as he wanted to carry his head higher to get going in trot.
We had it set at its loosest. He wasn’t a happy bunny and neither were we so we stopped, took off the pessoa and just let him walk on the right rein with no contact.
Mmmmm. I’ve read loads of pros and cons about the use of gadgets and the Pessoa gets a lot of pros despite the cons. I don’t think it is for us though.
He is weak on one side and I think we will work on that long reining and / or standard lunging in a cavesson – I don’t think we need to worry even about contact yet.
Grooming, stretches and cuddles and he was turned out into the luscious field again.
Wednesday
Another share day for May. Her mum phoned me to say that she brought her in from the night shift this morning and she was like a balloon again – the weight loss programme just isn’t working.
So she is going to be stabled with horsewalker and hacks for a few days to let her deflate a little. We really need to get a grazing muzzle that works.
We had hoped to go out for a short hack but it was very windy this evening and we both got that feeling that it wasn’t the right thing to do.
Instead, we built an obstacle, desensitising course outside the school in the grassy bit.
More of the same re last week but outside of the security of the school.
We also had a plastic bag on a pole but it kept blowing over as the wind caught it.
Before riding we walked them in hand first – especially over the tarpaulin.
http://s49.photobucket.com/albums/f270/Whatanejit/?action=view¤t=cooperobstacleswedMOV-1.flv
May was in such a bad mood – she was bargy in the stable, pushy when walking her in hand – walked off on my when I was mounting and when I took her in the school to warm her up before doing the obstacles she was like a steam train.
She charged around the school the little madam desperately wanting to canter – it is her favourite pace, strangely enough.
Well, I thought, two can play at that game missus! So I made her walk large, serpentines, 20m circles in both reins – then trot the same - she was flying around that school with her head down pulling on the reins still desperate to canter.
Then she had a little gruff noise, exhaled with a snort and I knew she had got the energy out of her system. Now we had a canter.
When she is like this she is known for having a little buck or 3 when in canter but I wasn’t going to let her.
Back to the obstacles with her looking like butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth.
Notice the bright yellow bag on the right with beach ball inside - they both didn't flinch at it.
http://s49.photobucket.com/albums/f270/Whatanejit/?action=view¤t=MayobstacleswedMOV.flv
They both did really well.
Thursday
I decided to lunge Cooper just using the cavesson.
Started on the left rein and we had a nice walk and trot – no water skiing – definately more balanced than when we first got him.
Changed the rein to the right and rein – nice walk but when it came to trot he pretty much refused and kept stopping. I gave him some encouragement with the lunge whip but he pulled back and did everything to try and evade trotting on the right rein.
Hoping that there is nothing physically wrong with him my thoughts are that he remembered getting jabbed on Tuesday night and didn’t want it to happen again.
Guilty, guilty mummy!
I just let him walk around for a few circles on the right rein and we finished on a positive note. He is such a kind and willing boy and I feel pretty bad about his experience. Taught me a big lesson, though.
Friday
Still concerned about his right rein experience I tacked him up and rode him into the school about lunch time.
We warmed up in walk going large, 20m circles and walked over some trotting poles that I had put out. When in trot I concentrated on the right rein. He was absolutely fine.
I did 3 x 20 m circles in succession and he did them beautifully. Hopefully, that confirms there is nothing physically wrong with him but has had a bad experience in inexperienced hands with the Pessoa.
Bad mummy.
We then did some leg yielding and headed up the track on a solo ride. The last time I did this I only took him as far as the place where I fell of on his 2nd day.
This time I took him even further – in fact we were out for about 25mins by the time I turned and walked back.
He wasn’t altogether relaxed the whole time but I encouraged him on and occupied his mind by leg yielding him occasionally and singing. I descended to jingle bells and Rudolf the red nose reindeer as they are about the only songs I know all the words to – sad.
This was quite an achievement for both of us. Not a chance I would be taking photos as both hands remained well and truly on the reins!
Had a 2pm rendevous booked with Gina’s mum and me on May. We headed off to Epsom common for a 3 hr ride. Gina did extremely well leading almost all of the way with only a little napping and fewer spooks than normal. We even made it to the green beside the pub but neither of us had 10p between us! Ninnys!
Stage 1 classes have finished – exam is at the end of the month!
So OH and I headed out for a meal as it was our 10th wedding anniversary this week. Had a lovely Thai meal and just a few bottles of wine!
Saturday
The picnic ride. One of my students has taken a year out of her studies and is working with me until september.
She is one of twins and it was their birthday this week. She said it would be the best present ever if she and her sister could come down and spend the day with Cooper.
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f270/Whatanejit/MariaandKatiecoopersstable.png
Bless her she is tortured with pics of him every Monday when I go into work. So we planned a picnic ride via the pub, of course, with the girls on the bikes.
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f270/Whatanejit/Maycoopernoses.png
It was perfect weather for the ride – the ground very hard so it was a lot of walking which consequently took ages.
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f270/Whatanejit/Drinkstopepsom.png
The girls fell in love with Cooper – he was so gentle with them and let them groom and cuddle him.
They then groomed May.
By the pond outside the pub.
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f270/Whatanejit/mariaandKatiecricketers.png
We made it!
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f270/Whatanejit/DeeCoopercricketers.png
After the ride we took the girls to the station, went back to the yard and tried a soft webbing type grazing muzzle on her given to us by the YM to try – I think it is the same as the pink one HC bought for Dolly.
Very difficult for them to get any grass up that little hole but after 20mins in hand grazing May soon learned – she wasn’t in the least bit distressed with it. Mind you she was shattered with the long ride.
Phoned her mum that evening to let her know how the day went and explained about the muzzle – she is going to give it a try tomorrow.
An early post today as we are off to a Graduation Ball tonight at the Natural History Museum – free bar!!!
Planning to lunge cooper with trotting poles today to give his back a rest and I think he will get a convenient hangover day off tomorrow!
xx
Dee
Monday
My share day for May today. We decided to give Cooper the day off as he had a 3 hr ride yesterday and we wanted to rest his back and bones, bless him. As he is on the ‘night shift’ I headed out to the field to check him over.
Our geldings field has been very overgrazed – funnily enough none of the geldings are particularly fat. The mares field, however, is lush hence grazing muzzles a plenty!
I was a little shocked to notice that none of the geldings were in their usual field. As I walked further down I noticed that someone had opened the gates at the far end. When I turned the corner I saw them all chest deep in heavenly long grass – Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory for horses.
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f270/Whatanejit/Longgrasscooper.png
It was a very pretty sight.
Cooper was fine so I left him au natural to enjoy himself.
I met May’s mum who was going to show me how to use the Pessoa on her.
May’s mum trained as a Shiatsu therapist and then did a further two year course for Shiatsu on horses. On one of her study days they had a lecture from an equine physiotherapist and she highly promoted the use of a Pessoa for correct muscle development.
May goes quite well in it and knows to put her head down. It is has been suggested to me on several occasions to give Cooper a go in it.
Tuesday
Sorry no pics of this. We hooked the big man up with the Pessoa strings and pulleys.
Played with the sheepskin bit that goes at the back of his legs – he wasn’t in the least bit bothered about it, bless him.
It was set very loosely – almost not there at all apart from this thing hanging around his hocks.
He went very well on the left rein – walked and trotted fine.
However, I wasn’t at all happy about the right rein. This is his weakest side in lunge and when being ridden - he was jabbed in the mouth quite severely as he wanted to carry his head higher to get going in trot.
We had it set at its loosest. He wasn’t a happy bunny and neither were we so we stopped, took off the pessoa and just let him walk on the right rein with no contact.
Mmmmm. I’ve read loads of pros and cons about the use of gadgets and the Pessoa gets a lot of pros despite the cons. I don’t think it is for us though.
He is weak on one side and I think we will work on that long reining and / or standard lunging in a cavesson – I don’t think we need to worry even about contact yet.
Grooming, stretches and cuddles and he was turned out into the luscious field again.
Wednesday
Another share day for May. Her mum phoned me to say that she brought her in from the night shift this morning and she was like a balloon again – the weight loss programme just isn’t working.
So she is going to be stabled with horsewalker and hacks for a few days to let her deflate a little. We really need to get a grazing muzzle that works.
We had hoped to go out for a short hack but it was very windy this evening and we both got that feeling that it wasn’t the right thing to do.
Instead, we built an obstacle, desensitising course outside the school in the grassy bit.
More of the same re last week but outside of the security of the school.
We also had a plastic bag on a pole but it kept blowing over as the wind caught it.
Before riding we walked them in hand first – especially over the tarpaulin.
http://s49.photobucket.com/albums/f270/Whatanejit/?action=view¤t=cooperobstacleswedMOV-1.flv
May was in such a bad mood – she was bargy in the stable, pushy when walking her in hand – walked off on my when I was mounting and when I took her in the school to warm her up before doing the obstacles she was like a steam train.
She charged around the school the little madam desperately wanting to canter – it is her favourite pace, strangely enough.
Well, I thought, two can play at that game missus! So I made her walk large, serpentines, 20m circles in both reins – then trot the same - she was flying around that school with her head down pulling on the reins still desperate to canter.
Then she had a little gruff noise, exhaled with a snort and I knew she had got the energy out of her system. Now we had a canter.
When she is like this she is known for having a little buck or 3 when in canter but I wasn’t going to let her.
Back to the obstacles with her looking like butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth.
Notice the bright yellow bag on the right with beach ball inside - they both didn't flinch at it.
http://s49.photobucket.com/albums/f270/Whatanejit/?action=view¤t=MayobstacleswedMOV.flv
They both did really well.
Thursday
I decided to lunge Cooper just using the cavesson.
Started on the left rein and we had a nice walk and trot – no water skiing – definately more balanced than when we first got him.
Changed the rein to the right and rein – nice walk but when it came to trot he pretty much refused and kept stopping. I gave him some encouragement with the lunge whip but he pulled back and did everything to try and evade trotting on the right rein.
Hoping that there is nothing physically wrong with him my thoughts are that he remembered getting jabbed on Tuesday night and didn’t want it to happen again.
Guilty, guilty mummy!
I just let him walk around for a few circles on the right rein and we finished on a positive note. He is such a kind and willing boy and I feel pretty bad about his experience. Taught me a big lesson, though.
Friday
Still concerned about his right rein experience I tacked him up and rode him into the school about lunch time.
We warmed up in walk going large, 20m circles and walked over some trotting poles that I had put out. When in trot I concentrated on the right rein. He was absolutely fine.
I did 3 x 20 m circles in succession and he did them beautifully. Hopefully, that confirms there is nothing physically wrong with him but has had a bad experience in inexperienced hands with the Pessoa.
Bad mummy.
We then did some leg yielding and headed up the track on a solo ride. The last time I did this I only took him as far as the place where I fell of on his 2nd day.
This time I took him even further – in fact we were out for about 25mins by the time I turned and walked back.
He wasn’t altogether relaxed the whole time but I encouraged him on and occupied his mind by leg yielding him occasionally and singing. I descended to jingle bells and Rudolf the red nose reindeer as they are about the only songs I know all the words to – sad.
This was quite an achievement for both of us. Not a chance I would be taking photos as both hands remained well and truly on the reins!
Had a 2pm rendevous booked with Gina’s mum and me on May. We headed off to Epsom common for a 3 hr ride. Gina did extremely well leading almost all of the way with only a little napping and fewer spooks than normal. We even made it to the green beside the pub but neither of us had 10p between us! Ninnys!
Stage 1 classes have finished – exam is at the end of the month!
So OH and I headed out for a meal as it was our 10th wedding anniversary this week. Had a lovely Thai meal and just a few bottles of wine!
Saturday
The picnic ride. One of my students has taken a year out of her studies and is working with me until september.
She is one of twins and it was their birthday this week. She said it would be the best present ever if she and her sister could come down and spend the day with Cooper.
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f270/Whatanejit/MariaandKatiecoopersstable.png
Bless her she is tortured with pics of him every Monday when I go into work. So we planned a picnic ride via the pub, of course, with the girls on the bikes.
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f270/Whatanejit/Maycoopernoses.png
It was perfect weather for the ride – the ground very hard so it was a lot of walking which consequently took ages.
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f270/Whatanejit/Drinkstopepsom.png
The girls fell in love with Cooper – he was so gentle with them and let them groom and cuddle him.
They then groomed May.
By the pond outside the pub.
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f270/Whatanejit/mariaandKatiecricketers.png
We made it!
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f270/Whatanejit/DeeCoopercricketers.png
After the ride we took the girls to the station, went back to the yard and tried a soft webbing type grazing muzzle on her given to us by the YM to try – I think it is the same as the pink one HC bought for Dolly.
Very difficult for them to get any grass up that little hole but after 20mins in hand grazing May soon learned – she wasn’t in the least bit distressed with it. Mind you she was shattered with the long ride.
Phoned her mum that evening to let her know how the day went and explained about the muzzle – she is going to give it a try tomorrow.
An early post today as we are off to a Graduation Ball tonight at the Natural History Museum – free bar!!!
Planning to lunge cooper with trotting poles today to give his back a rest and I think he will get a convenient hangover day off tomorrow!
xx
Dee