Normal Life Returneth
So I'm finally off these 12 hour shifts and can get back into a normal life routine. Yay!
Jose rode Bodie for the first time yesterday afternoon and since I summarized how it went in an email to Becky, I'll just copy that here to save me some oh so valuable time...
So I tack Bodie up and bring him in for Jose. She gets on and walks him halfway around the arena and then just picks up a trot so of course he instantly spooks at the corner. She rides him around quite forward and keeps her hands way up in the air as he kept trying to lean on her. He spooks several more times (even for Bodie it was a fair amount in the corners) and she gets off and puts him in her jointed snaffle with the bean (much like what we ride the youngsters in) as she found him quite heavy (I actually noticed that the day before as well though I think in part because he was vaccinated on Monday so was a bit stiff). He got over himself pretty quick in that but still did some spooking so she just galloped him around the arena for like 10 minutes. It was quite hilarious actually as his legs were going everywhere as he tried to suck back and wiggle out of going forward and she just sat there very quietly and just made him GO. It was definitely not pretty in the sense that he was all over the place but she did not get in his way at all. He bucked a couple good times on her (nothing like our little rodeo...just his normal bucks) and then leaped into the wall when another horse passed and then gave her his lippizzaner demo (which I think has every single person's number because I could even see her get a bit off balance by it). She just kept him going and his eyes were wide and had a HOLY SHIT look to them. I was happy though because I think that's what he needed and Jose was super matter of fact about it and softened when she needed to and never fought with him at all.
So he was SOAKED but then she just brought him back to a trot and he looked very happy and relaxed through his back with a nice big steady trot so I was happy to see that. Then I set up a fence on a short approach from A on the quarter line. Just started with a cross pole which she trotted and cantered both directions. We ended up putting it up to a vertical and then really put it up so it was a couple holes from the top (Jose just wanted to see what he did with it). The first time he came in a bit short and just crashed through it...second time he cleared the standards by a good foot lol. She jumped it a couple more times and he was very matter of fact about it.
So...Jose wants to work with him for 2 weeks straight and see what he's like in those 2 weeks (does he get better, does he develop new tricks etc). She says there is also a girl she knows who has been looking for a while and has ridden tons of horses so could handle his quirkiness so she was going to call her trainer and maybe get her out to come try him.
What Jose is going to work on:
Getting him to go forward (she had problems with him sucking back on the way to fences) which is something we were working on in the summer so I'm sure that will be easy
HIs obvious leaping/naughtiness
She wants him to carry himself and keep a steady rhythm on a loose rein and be able to jump himself (Which is what I want as well).
She has welcomed me to watch her work him whenever and so next week after she's been on him a couple times, I will take a morning off and go and watch him go. She liked him in that his mind was good, he didn't ever get worked up, took the pressure really well etc and said he had a lovely bascule. I liked that she never got after him at all but just stayed firm in her expectations and he seemed to figure it out so I will be pleased to see what progress she can make with him.
Overall I'm pleased because while Jose may not be my most favorite person, I like how she rode him and think she's exactly what he needs. There's also a woman from Calgary that would like to come and see him in 2 weeks as well. *cross fingers*
Cory is selling his place in Lacome and is moving back to Leduc and building with Cobblestone again. That's awesome for him and I think he'll be much happier closer to his friends and family. He's going through a morose day and is bascially texting me telling me how much he loves me and that if I decided I wanted to be back with him, he would do it in a second without any thought to what other people said. Poor guy. I wish I could help him as I truly do care for him but unfortunately I'm not the person to be able to help him with this problem. :(
It's my grandpa's 80th birthday TODAY (just remembered so I should call him) so I'll take tomorrow off work and head to the lake for the weekend with the dogs. Tonight is project bath. I want a bath and Chico and Cassie are gonng get bathed too...let the mayham begin! Maybe I should drink first....hmmmm....
Happy almost friday everyone!!!
Jose rode Bodie for the first time yesterday afternoon and since I summarized how it went in an email to Becky, I'll just copy that here to save me some oh so valuable time...
So I tack Bodie up and bring him in for Jose. She gets on and walks him halfway around the arena and then just picks up a trot so of course he instantly spooks at the corner. She rides him around quite forward and keeps her hands way up in the air as he kept trying to lean on her. He spooks several more times (even for Bodie it was a fair amount in the corners) and she gets off and puts him in her jointed snaffle with the bean (much like what we ride the youngsters in) as she found him quite heavy (I actually noticed that the day before as well though I think in part because he was vaccinated on Monday so was a bit stiff). He got over himself pretty quick in that but still did some spooking so she just galloped him around the arena for like 10 minutes. It was quite hilarious actually as his legs were going everywhere as he tried to suck back and wiggle out of going forward and she just sat there very quietly and just made him GO. It was definitely not pretty in the sense that he was all over the place but she did not get in his way at all. He bucked a couple good times on her (nothing like our little rodeo...just his normal bucks) and then leaped into the wall when another horse passed and then gave her his lippizzaner demo (which I think has every single person's number because I could even see her get a bit off balance by it). She just kept him going and his eyes were wide and had a HOLY SHIT look to them. I was happy though because I think that's what he needed and Jose was super matter of fact about it and softened when she needed to and never fought with him at all.
So he was SOAKED but then she just brought him back to a trot and he looked very happy and relaxed through his back with a nice big steady trot so I was happy to see that. Then I set up a fence on a short approach from A on the quarter line. Just started with a cross pole which she trotted and cantered both directions. We ended up putting it up to a vertical and then really put it up so it was a couple holes from the top (Jose just wanted to see what he did with it). The first time he came in a bit short and just crashed through it...second time he cleared the standards by a good foot lol. She jumped it a couple more times and he was very matter of fact about it.
So...Jose wants to work with him for 2 weeks straight and see what he's like in those 2 weeks (does he get better, does he develop new tricks etc). She says there is also a girl she knows who has been looking for a while and has ridden tons of horses so could handle his quirkiness so she was going to call her trainer and maybe get her out to come try him.
What Jose is going to work on:
Getting him to go forward (she had problems with him sucking back on the way to fences) which is something we were working on in the summer so I'm sure that will be easy
HIs obvious leaping/naughtiness
She wants him to carry himself and keep a steady rhythm on a loose rein and be able to jump himself (Which is what I want as well).
She has welcomed me to watch her work him whenever and so next week after she's been on him a couple times, I will take a morning off and go and watch him go. She liked him in that his mind was good, he didn't ever get worked up, took the pressure really well etc and said he had a lovely bascule. I liked that she never got after him at all but just stayed firm in her expectations and he seemed to figure it out so I will be pleased to see what progress she can make with him.
Overall I'm pleased because while Jose may not be my most favorite person, I like how she rode him and think she's exactly what he needs. There's also a woman from Calgary that would like to come and see him in 2 weeks as well. *cross fingers*
Cory is selling his place in Lacome and is moving back to Leduc and building with Cobblestone again. That's awesome for him and I think he'll be much happier closer to his friends and family. He's going through a morose day and is bascially texting me telling me how much he loves me and that if I decided I wanted to be back with him, he would do it in a second without any thought to what other people said. Poor guy. I wish I could help him as I truly do care for him but unfortunately I'm not the person to be able to help him with this problem. :(
It's my grandpa's 80th birthday TODAY (just remembered so I should call him) so I'll take tomorrow off work and head to the lake for the weekend with the dogs. Tonight is project bath. I want a bath and Chico and Cassie are gonng get bathed too...let the mayham begin! Maybe I should drink first....hmmmm....
Happy almost friday everyone!!!