Merlin's progress
I've been lurking for ages. Have been working on my horse though. As some of you know, I bought Merlin after Everest died. Merlin is a 15.2 pinto. He's a grade horse from a PMU farm so unpapered and probably has draft in him somewhere.
He's a lovely boy but he's too heavy on the forehand because of his big chest and shoulders and he's eight and been allowed to carry his head pretty much as he pleased. So I was fighting him lots and not getting him balanced. By pure co-incidence a trainer from CA became stuck in canada for a few months so I 'grabbed' him. He trains mostly western reining, but this is what Merlin needed. Someone to get behind him, get him better collected and work lots of circles.
So far he's doing pretty well. Hard to break old habits and all that and Merlin also has a completely stubborn streak. He didn't want to lower his poll thanks muchly or pick up his shoulders on his 'off' side. But it's only been a short while and he had new muscles to build.
Anyway, not that we are going to be doing much beyond competitive trail or endurance, but I really wanted him balanced better for obvious reasons.
Now we have to work on my riding more so that I can do the same as the trainer.
Ivan van der Meer giving Merlin a work out.
Merlin cooling off.
Still a long way to go, but we're getting there and Merlin on the whole is being a willing. Just need more on that off side and he will lope, he did it yesterday properly for the first time.
He's a lovely boy but he's too heavy on the forehand because of his big chest and shoulders and he's eight and been allowed to carry his head pretty much as he pleased. So I was fighting him lots and not getting him balanced. By pure co-incidence a trainer from CA became stuck in canada for a few months so I 'grabbed' him. He trains mostly western reining, but this is what Merlin needed. Someone to get behind him, get him better collected and work lots of circles.
So far he's doing pretty well. Hard to break old habits and all that and Merlin also has a completely stubborn streak. He didn't want to lower his poll thanks muchly or pick up his shoulders on his 'off' side. But it's only been a short while and he had new muscles to build.
Anyway, not that we are going to be doing much beyond competitive trail or endurance, but I really wanted him balanced better for obvious reasons.
Now we have to work on my riding more so that I can do the same as the trainer.
Ivan van der Meer giving Merlin a work out.
Merlin cooling off.
Still a long way to go, but we're getting there and Merlin on the whole is being a willing. Just need more on that off side and he will lope, he did it yesterday properly for the first time.