Driving Pony
The week before last Michelle and I hitched Kitt to the forecart for the first time. For not being driven in five years she did quite well. Last week didn't happen for obvious reasons so I doubled up this week doing Tuesday and Thursday (today). Tuesday we tried a littlw trotting and the forecart vibrated terribly. Kitt did OK, but was a little concerned about it. We figured it was the piece that the pole connects to, which Chris removed when I got home.
Today the cart was MUCH quieter. It did jiggle and rattle in the trot, but nothing too terrible and moreso when Kitt wasn't steady ahead in her trot. She would shift between rushing and slacking, and it really settled to my having more contact and being able to half-halt and steady her as needed.
Things I do need to work on with the Kitt are getting her to leg yield in response to the whip and increasing her lateral flexibility (or, rather, her response to my bending aids).
We walked, trotted, and worked on some trot figure eights. Her back up has something to be desired, but as Michelle pointed out the cart is heavy and she is resisting sitting on the breeching. She wiggles sideways before settling into a good backward step. She also likes to swing her hip out a bit much in the turn, though this seems to be a commmon problem with a lot of horses. The forecart also gives her a lot of room to swing her hip as it is designed for a full-sized draft over a Fjord.
I think next week we'll work the trot a bit more and then we'll be rotating between riding and driving Kitt and maybe bringing Kash out to ride too. We'll see.
I teared up a bit after I got back. I was filling up buckets and rubbing everyone's heads and thinking too much about Z and her place in the herd. Terror at feeding time, but also the initiator of many a back and neck scratch. How she was the only one Ruby could stand to be in a stall next to. She and Kitt were the babies of the herd (four years apart) and would get each other going.
So many things we were going to do. No more crash vest next year. Students getting to feel her out. Starting to work our way up the levels in Dressage and seeing how far we could go.
With Chewy in the small turnout since Sunday the arena feels extra empty.
I am still thinking. Maybe I just need to focus on the herd as it is. See about moving Panda on and just have five for a while. Fill Kitt's gaps a little faster and get more time on the boy. I think I'll try Panda Training or Intro this winter and maybe see about Kash too. Once I get the hay sorted I want to pick up the official test book like I have been meaning to the last two years.
Kash may be 17, but I think we can work towards putting together a solid 2nd level test in the next few years. Get Kitt going too and see about tentatively getting Chewy at Intro. At 23 I don't really want to try to get her canter going again. When we first got her it was school keeping me and then she kept getting older and it's a "why screw up a good thing?" because she is a fabulous walk/trot pony.
I have a squeeze of alfalfa coming tomorrow then pick up a few bales Bermuda to tide me over, order Bermuda, and see if I can't manage another squeeze of alfalfa before winter starts thinking about setting in and prices shoot up. It would be awesome if I could manage a winter's supply!
Today the cart was MUCH quieter. It did jiggle and rattle in the trot, but nothing too terrible and moreso when Kitt wasn't steady ahead in her trot. She would shift between rushing and slacking, and it really settled to my having more contact and being able to half-halt and steady her as needed.
Things I do need to work on with the Kitt are getting her to leg yield in response to the whip and increasing her lateral flexibility (or, rather, her response to my bending aids).
We walked, trotted, and worked on some trot figure eights. Her back up has something to be desired, but as Michelle pointed out the cart is heavy and she is resisting sitting on the breeching. She wiggles sideways before settling into a good backward step. She also likes to swing her hip out a bit much in the turn, though this seems to be a commmon problem with a lot of horses. The forecart also gives her a lot of room to swing her hip as it is designed for a full-sized draft over a Fjord.
I think next week we'll work the trot a bit more and then we'll be rotating between riding and driving Kitt and maybe bringing Kash out to ride too. We'll see.
I teared up a bit after I got back. I was filling up buckets and rubbing everyone's heads and thinking too much about Z and her place in the herd. Terror at feeding time, but also the initiator of many a back and neck scratch. How she was the only one Ruby could stand to be in a stall next to. She and Kitt were the babies of the herd (four years apart) and would get each other going.
So many things we were going to do. No more crash vest next year. Students getting to feel her out. Starting to work our way up the levels in Dressage and seeing how far we could go.
With Chewy in the small turnout since Sunday the arena feels extra empty.
I am still thinking. Maybe I just need to focus on the herd as it is. See about moving Panda on and just have five for a while. Fill Kitt's gaps a little faster and get more time on the boy. I think I'll try Panda Training or Intro this winter and maybe see about Kash too. Once I get the hay sorted I want to pick up the official test book like I have been meaning to the last two years.
Kash may be 17, but I think we can work towards putting together a solid 2nd level test in the next few years. Get Kitt going too and see about tentatively getting Chewy at Intro. At 23 I don't really want to try to get her canter going again. When we first got her it was school keeping me and then she kept getting older and it's a "why screw up a good thing?" because she is a fabulous walk/trot pony.
I have a squeeze of alfalfa coming tomorrow then pick up a few bales Bermuda to tide me over, order Bermuda, and see if I can't manage another squeeze of alfalfa before winter starts thinking about setting in and prices shoot up. It would be awesome if I could manage a winter's supply!