amandal
15th Oct 2006, 01:21 PM
We had some friends visiting this weekend and the female of the couple (N) is an excellent rider, years of experience, calm, considerate but assertive. She has a very difficult stallion and makes him look easy. Her and I went out for the day while the boys played on OH's motorbikes and spent the day shopping in tack shops - great fun. While we were out I suggested she ride Ziz in the afternoon if she wanted, so we popped back to the yard and she got on and took her for a hack.
I've been riding Ziz in the school for 2 weeks now, mostly without problems once I'm on but have felt too wibbly to ride her outside. N mounted much quicker than I do, Ziz was a bit shocked. N then walked her round the lanes with me and the dog following on foot, we went round a field and then back to the yard. Ziz was amazing, didn't really spook, shy or try to take off on grass - all of which she does with me, she achieved self carriage, which for a horse who hasn't really been ridden since April/May I thought was amazing. I could see her stiffness in her back and hind legs but - and this was great - could see it all loosening up as she warmed up and got into her stride. She did some lovely trot too and halted mostly as soon as asked.
She had one mini spook, N said it felt like she was waiting for her to react and because she didn't Ziz just calmly went on. Ziz was really enjoying herself by now, swear she was smiling :D , she was tired but stretched wonderfully and walked calmly along on a loose rein, she didn't even slip down the hill which she has always done, N stayed relaxed and didn't think she would slip and she was right - the power of positive thinking.
Got back to the yard and she was so affectionate, wolfed down her dinner, loved being groomed and was really calm and relaxed.
It was really interesting seeing her moving, seeing her being so calm etc has begun the process of me rebuilding my trust in her whilst hacking, well in fact whilst riding generally.
Very proud mummy moment ahead - N said that she's a lovely, intelligent and very sensitive mare who trusts me a lot more than I think she does - she said that when I walked off with the dog Ziz really wanted to follow and calmed down when she could see me again. Ziz did her jumping into canter whilst trotting thing, I always thought this was because trot used to hurt her, canter was easier but N said it was if her leg accidentally nudged Ziz's sides when she was trotting, she's so sensitive she thought that it was an aid for canter. N said she was a pleasure to ride, and she could see why I'd bought her and stuck with her through all of our problems. :D :D
So my main thing to do is try and forget all of what happened last year, to start riding her again like last year hadn't happened at all. N was also very impressed with the improvement in her back, we used to be at the same yard and she saw all the mounting problems I'd had, all the pain Ziz had been in.
N said to me that the main problem I have, apart from forgetting the last year, is to learn to trust my horse again, having seen her being ridden outside yesterday I actually think that may be possible now.
So I'm off to the yard again later and I'm either going to ride in the school without my bp or if there's someone there to hold her head on the yard I'm going for a pootle around the lanes. (I can get on in the school eventually as I can move the block so she can't back away or move sideways but she won't stand still at the block in the yard and if there's no-one there I have no chance).
I've been riding Ziz in the school for 2 weeks now, mostly without problems once I'm on but have felt too wibbly to ride her outside. N mounted much quicker than I do, Ziz was a bit shocked. N then walked her round the lanes with me and the dog following on foot, we went round a field and then back to the yard. Ziz was amazing, didn't really spook, shy or try to take off on grass - all of which she does with me, she achieved self carriage, which for a horse who hasn't really been ridden since April/May I thought was amazing. I could see her stiffness in her back and hind legs but - and this was great - could see it all loosening up as she warmed up and got into her stride. She did some lovely trot too and halted mostly as soon as asked.
She had one mini spook, N said it felt like she was waiting for her to react and because she didn't Ziz just calmly went on. Ziz was really enjoying herself by now, swear she was smiling :D , she was tired but stretched wonderfully and walked calmly along on a loose rein, she didn't even slip down the hill which she has always done, N stayed relaxed and didn't think she would slip and she was right - the power of positive thinking.
Got back to the yard and she was so affectionate, wolfed down her dinner, loved being groomed and was really calm and relaxed.
It was really interesting seeing her moving, seeing her being so calm etc has begun the process of me rebuilding my trust in her whilst hacking, well in fact whilst riding generally.
Very proud mummy moment ahead - N said that she's a lovely, intelligent and very sensitive mare who trusts me a lot more than I think she does - she said that when I walked off with the dog Ziz really wanted to follow and calmed down when she could see me again. Ziz did her jumping into canter whilst trotting thing, I always thought this was because trot used to hurt her, canter was easier but N said it was if her leg accidentally nudged Ziz's sides when she was trotting, she's so sensitive she thought that it was an aid for canter. N said she was a pleasure to ride, and she could see why I'd bought her and stuck with her through all of our problems. :D :D
So my main thing to do is try and forget all of what happened last year, to start riding her again like last year hadn't happened at all. N was also very impressed with the improvement in her back, we used to be at the same yard and she saw all the mounting problems I'd had, all the pain Ziz had been in.
N said to me that the main problem I have, apart from forgetting the last year, is to learn to trust my horse again, having seen her being ridden outside yesterday I actually think that may be possible now.
So I'm off to the yard again later and I'm either going to ride in the school without my bp or if there's someone there to hold her head on the yard I'm going for a pootle around the lanes. (I can get on in the school eventually as I can move the block so she can't back away or move sideways but she won't stand still at the block in the yard and if there's no-one there I have no chance).