Training Suze

Another new experience for Suze. We decided to go back to loading. She walked in swivelled round so the partition could be closed, left her there eating. Closed the rails and ramp but left the top flap open so she had light. Drove forward reversed back.
Opened up again, let her out. I have been letting her exit herself so that if she had a panic i am not in the way. She came down the ramp a bit too fast for my liking. So put her back in, swivel into place, then turned her and made her stand at the top of the ramp, I backed down onto the yard and made her come out and down the ramp one step stop one step stop till she was on the yard.
This is a very clever mare.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Trewsers and Jessey
View attachment 102798View attachment 102799View attachment 102800View attachment 102801View attachment 102802View attachment 102803View attachment 102799View attachment 102800View attachment 102801View attachment 102802View attachment 102803

Saddle fitted today, Buddy's old one fits well. She did better ridden, beginning to get the hang of it. Managed to walk confidently all around the yard and halt and walk on. All on voice. Will get her going out around the track in a few days but she was much more confident today.
Oh I love her! What a sweet kind look she has ? . Also love her colouring.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Trewsers
Oh I love her! What a sweet kind look she has ? . Also love her colouring.
thank you, was a bit irritated when the saddler said you shouldn't be working with her on your own. Er why? I have done every bit of work she has ever done. I am not about to rush out into the lane on her, we will ride around the track the field etc and by september she will possibly be hacking out. But then the saddler wouldn't get on a horse with a rope halter only.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Huggy
After her brilliant efforts yesterday, she had a rest from riding. Decided to load her and take her for a little spin. She went in perfectly, got partition closed, put Buddy's leather halter on her and gave her treats. Drove her 3 miles and back. She did a bit of snorting on the hill down to the main and contemplated cutting it short but she then settled. No stamping or moving, but her ears were on overdrive flicking back and forward. Got back to the yard. Took her collar off and put rope on halter, fed treats, opened partition, she wanted to go out fast but made her stay and i went down the ramp to yard then brought her out step by step, more treats. She had sweated up but not unexpected. I had intended to put Buddy's bridle on her minus bit to get an idea of her sizing but she had done enough so turned her out to relax.
 
  • Love
  • Like
Reactions: Huggy and Jessey
Rode Buddy then more teaching Suze. She finds it very hard to line up at the mounting block, she gets her head there but getting the rest of her next to it she just can't manage.

So i put the mounting block parellel to the gate and created a tunnel or shute. Walked her in to the gap, asked her to halt at the right place and gave her some treats. Did it three times. Obviously not a safe place to get on as if the panics she will hit the gate and/or the mounting block as it was touching her side and kneecap me in the process.

So will gradually widen the gap so there is a safe margin and she gets more confident.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Huggy
Another little exercise at the block tonight. She went into the gap and stood, i sat on the mounting block scratching her back. She didn't move even when two horses came down the road and stopped at the perimeter gate for a chat. Only wanted to move when Buddy came over to investigate. Good girl.
 
Another little adventure. This morning she lined up in the chute at the mounting block, was ridden from there into the field which involves going over a tiny ditch, onto mud control mats then grass. She managed to get most of the way across the first field where she met Buddy, so i got off, brought her back and unsaddled her. Good girl.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jessey and Huggy
Rhapsody in Blue, she has the blues as she doesn't like her new bridle. All MY fault, i didn't take into account she has never worn a leather browband or leather noseband and she probably felt like the mare in the iron mask....she was afraid to go forward with it but when I switched back to her halter, she was walking out fine. We did two circuits of the track in the field without stopping, whereas I couldn't even get her to lead in the bridle.
She is used to the reins coming from under her chin i.e. not in side of face, so the pressure would feel different and she was worried by it. I have bought a twin coupling which i can attach to the side pull rings and the ring on them will hang where her halter would do and i can attach reins to it. So it will feel more like what she is used to. Can also take the browband off as well just till she feels more comfortable. It also means I could add a second set of reins direct onto the side pull so when she is a bit better with it, we can work between the two sets.
So we forget riding for a little while and concentrate on long and shoulder reining and going forward till she gets the hang of it. Feel a twit but good lesson learnt by me, if not Suze.
20200627_100426.jpg20200627_100418.jpgs-l1600.jpg
 
Rhapsody in Blue, she has the blues as she doesn't like her new bridle. All MY fault, i didn't take into account she has never worn a leather browband or leather noseband and she probably felt like the mare in the iron mask....she was afraid to go forward with it but when I switched back to her halter, she was walking out fine. We did two circuits of the track in the field without stopping, whereas I couldn't even get her to lead in the bridle.
She is used to the reins coming from under her chin i.e. not in side of face, so the pressure would feel different and she was worried by it. I have bought a twin coupling which i can attach to the side pull rings and the ring on them will hang where her halter would do and i can attach reins to it. So it will feel more like what she is used to. Can also take the browband off as well just till she feels more comfortable. It also means I could add a second set of reins direct onto the side pull so when she is a bit better with it, we can work between the two sets.
So we forget riding for a little while and concentrate on long and shoulder reining and going forward till she gets the hang of it. Feel a twit but good lesson learnt by me, if not Suze.
View attachment 102898View attachment 102899View attachment 102900
Bless her - but she does look lovely in the blue.
 
Oh so smart. And she does look happier without her bridle. Poor baby ;)
Saddle picture taken much earlier. She will get used to the bridle I just made a mess of introducing her to it. We'll have another go this week. Only bought it for hacking outside the property. We will work on her long reining and general confidence.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Huggy
the new strap for the bridle has arrived and after a week off waiting for it, we had another try of the bridle. She is going forward better with it and when i swapped back to the side pull she immediately stopped going forward so she clearly doesn't like them. Need to do a bit more adjustment to it and have another try but seems to work.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Huggy and Trewsers
Have modified it further today, punched some holes in the attachment to make it shorter and taken off the strap from the bridle which goes from the ring on the cheek pieces and attached the new thing to the sidepull and this ring combined. This make the reins hang more where the rope would be on the halter though it means that there isn't a noseband which goes right round, it splits. The only other thing i can try to do is put a split pin in the ring to separate the two reins from each other so that they are not touching i.e. the pressure/pull is more accurate. If all else fails with buy the other bridle.
 
newrider.com