Week of lessons Day 2
So today was interesting. First, I got an introduction to sheep. Sheep are neat. Sheep are cool. Border Collies are even cooler.
So yeah - today started with hauling water, and then graining sheep. They cluster all around you and shove one another and bleat and follow you from grain pile to grain pile - every last one abandoning the ones already poured for the one to be poured. Dorks. They're cool.
Then we rode - and today I tried Poly in an eggbutt happymouth. He was much more willing to let me play with the bit. We worked on suppling, bending, flexing, legyielding w/t (and briefly on the left lead canter), and he ended at about the same point as yesterday. We also did some trot poles - set on a circle, in such a way that we could go to the inside to shorten the stride or the outside to lengthen it. Poly did both well as he is very adjustable. Then they became raised poles, which he also did well.
After that I got off and stuffed him back in the loose ring sweet iron. Threw that on him and all of a sudden had...no horse. no shoulders, no mouth - nothing. So stuffed the happymouth back on. Had a horse. back to the sweet iron, better than the first shot in the sweet iron but fussy and cranky and not at all like in the happymouth. Go figure. Guess I'll be buying myself one :)
Then we came back here, sorted a couple of sheep (and watching the border collies work the sheep was sooooo cool.), then rode...I rode a 3yo warmblood who is green but quiet, and quite sweet. and L-A-Z-Y to the extreme :) Worked on bending, softening, flexing, etc... he was tough - he takes a contact which is nice, but takes so so so much leg. I'm not used to using that much leg. It was utterly ridiculous! But very fun. Then I lunged a5yo warbmlood while she rode a 4yo WB and that was neat, and fun, and so on.
then we went for supper, and such and such. Now...tomorrow I'll be taking pictures of the 5yo WB, and if he is good when she rides him tomorrow I get to try him thursday :D I'm excited as I think he's just lovely.
So tomorrow comes soon, and I must be off to bed. (of course, I may not be able to send this until tomorrow as there is no connectivity on the wireless....but it is fully written and I am off to bed.)
So yeah - today started with hauling water, and then graining sheep. They cluster all around you and shove one another and bleat and follow you from grain pile to grain pile - every last one abandoning the ones already poured for the one to be poured. Dorks. They're cool.
Then we rode - and today I tried Poly in an eggbutt happymouth. He was much more willing to let me play with the bit. We worked on suppling, bending, flexing, legyielding w/t (and briefly on the left lead canter), and he ended at about the same point as yesterday. We also did some trot poles - set on a circle, in such a way that we could go to the inside to shorten the stride or the outside to lengthen it. Poly did both well as he is very adjustable. Then they became raised poles, which he also did well.
After that I got off and stuffed him back in the loose ring sweet iron. Threw that on him and all of a sudden had...no horse. no shoulders, no mouth - nothing. So stuffed the happymouth back on. Had a horse. back to the sweet iron, better than the first shot in the sweet iron but fussy and cranky and not at all like in the happymouth. Go figure. Guess I'll be buying myself one :)
Then we came back here, sorted a couple of sheep (and watching the border collies work the sheep was sooooo cool.), then rode...I rode a 3yo warmblood who is green but quiet, and quite sweet. and L-A-Z-Y to the extreme :) Worked on bending, softening, flexing, etc... he was tough - he takes a contact which is nice, but takes so so so much leg. I'm not used to using that much leg. It was utterly ridiculous! But very fun. Then I lunged a5yo warbmlood while she rode a 4yo WB and that was neat, and fun, and so on.
then we went for supper, and such and such. Now...tomorrow I'll be taking pictures of the 5yo WB, and if he is good when she rides him tomorrow I get to try him thursday :D I'm excited as I think he's just lovely.
So tomorrow comes soon, and I must be off to bed. (of course, I may not be able to send this until tomorrow as there is no connectivity on the wireless....but it is fully written and I am off to bed.)