In followup to my recent thread, I went in tonight to stables with a firm resolution to get Skeeter moving and came with hunter crop in hand (I guessed he is more used to this type of crop than a dressage one so went with what he would know best tonite). I also used another saddle, as the other one was not available. It fit him quite well and was nice for me.
Well, I got a decent little trot out of Skeeter! We did quite a few walk-trot transitions etc. and got in a good 40 minute ride! And he was quite willing to move if I added a very light tap with the crop (as per Galadriel's suggestion - thanks for tip!). After 1/2 hour he has loosened up nicely, and was more than willing to keep going with very little encouragement. He was still doing the head leaning for the first 1/2 of the ride and needed taps to keep up a good pace. He always leans his head to the right whichever way we are riding and seems to do it when I ask for trot and at corners (might be some clues in there as to why he does it). But towards the end or the ride I focused on making my hands more quiet and less stiff at transitions and less all over the place at turns (at my last lesson my hands at corners were compared to someone steering a dirt bike round a corner! Yikes! ), and perhaps he was getting used to things and was feeling more supple too, as he was not doing the leaning very much, if at all, towards the last part of the ride. Skeeter tried hard for me tonight - he has an honest heart.
The ride was not pretty - he was poking his head out forwards and such and I had my flaws in my position etc. - but it was a ride!!! Plenty of time to work on all the other stuff now that we are actually moving in the arena!
I gave him a nice hose down, lots of cuddles and some great treats - all of which might make him think this evening and riding withme is not so bad after all! I am feeling very happy myself at this moment.
p.s. I am still really happy with stables, horse care and facility. Top notch. Little things keep happening that make me very pleased.
p.p.s. The potential new saddles arrive from Edmonton tomorrow evening!
Well, I got a decent little trot out of Skeeter! We did quite a few walk-trot transitions etc. and got in a good 40 minute ride! And he was quite willing to move if I added a very light tap with the crop (as per Galadriel's suggestion - thanks for tip!). After 1/2 hour he has loosened up nicely, and was more than willing to keep going with very little encouragement. He was still doing the head leaning for the first 1/2 of the ride and needed taps to keep up a good pace. He always leans his head to the right whichever way we are riding and seems to do it when I ask for trot and at corners (might be some clues in there as to why he does it). But towards the end or the ride I focused on making my hands more quiet and less stiff at transitions and less all over the place at turns (at my last lesson my hands at corners were compared to someone steering a dirt bike round a corner! Yikes! ), and perhaps he was getting used to things and was feeling more supple too, as he was not doing the leaning very much, if at all, towards the last part of the ride. Skeeter tried hard for me tonight - he has an honest heart.
The ride was not pretty - he was poking his head out forwards and such and I had my flaws in my position etc. - but it was a ride!!! Plenty of time to work on all the other stuff now that we are actually moving in the arena!
I gave him a nice hose down, lots of cuddles and some great treats - all of which might make him think this evening and riding withme is not so bad after all! I am feeling very happy myself at this moment.
p.s. I am still really happy with stables, horse care and facility. Top notch. Little things keep happening that make me very pleased.
p.p.s. The potential new saddles arrive from Edmonton tomorrow evening!
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