Panda's a Lazier Horse
She likes to lay down in the middle of the arena and snooze during the middle of the day. The first couple of times I saw her do it, it was slightly alarming because the first thought is "horse down, something must be wrong!" Apparently, though that's just the way Panda is and she likes flopping over and dozing in the sun. I do think it is a little odd to sunbathe on a perfectly hot and sunny day, but that's okay, whatever makes the mare happy.
Panda did get a bit of a workout this morning. After warming her up and trying to loosen her up a bit in the walk and trot we worked on trot-canter and canter-trot transitions. I basically counted 15 strides in the trot (a stride for each beat) and 10 in the canter (which is three-beats, but a stride is considered the 1-2-3 plus moment of suspension). Going back and forth has really improved her canter departures, especially to the right. The left is still a bit ... I want to say "scattered," but I don't think it's quite the right word. She doesn't pick it up quite as readily or easily as the right does and still has a slight tendency to want to run into it (trot faster and faster until it's easier to just canter), but not for so many strides as she had before. I was quite happy with how she did and then we went a roaming outside of the arena.
I took her across our property and cut through the neighbor's to the little access road and then up to San Tan before going down the road to Dave and Marty's and having fun watching the guys working on their roof. Panda wasn't quite sure about the crazy wild people pounding away and crawling around on the roof, but she stood and watched. The first couple times I tried flexing her neck she started walking off into a turn because she was a bit stiff and nervous. With several repetitions she calmed down and flexed easily, though there were a couple moments when cars made noise on the road behind us or the men working did something that caused her to get slightly nervous and want to move her feet. She did great, though despite not really being OUT in quite a few weeks.
I had a lesson with the new kid, Zane. I think it'll be a slow progress to getting him focused and really listening. His mom mentioned that he's latched on to the bullriding thing and would, ultimately, like to do that (and go fast and all such other wonderful things). Of course, his mother isn't so sure about the riding bulls thing, but she does understand that there's a process and set of skills that one needs in order to be able to stay on any fast-moving animal, be it simply running or bucking crazily. I personally am not enamored with the idea of climbing aboard something that I KNOW is going to explode under me, but I guess that's personal preference, and there's not much that can deter the fearless five-year-old. With the knowledge of what he wants to work towards, though (moving faster in particular) I think I can use it to help him focus more and understand that he can't progress and get to the "fun stuff" until he's able to do the boring, slow stuff first.
Yesterday consisted of training on Kash with Kim. I think I am FINALLY getting off of my left hand when it is the inside rein and starting to pick up some contact with the outside and being a bit more effective when moving to the left. I think I'm also starting to balance a bit better through the turns. Kim notes that I have great balance in the canter, but I can be a little shaky with the trot.
I think part of the reason I hang on the inside going to the left (especially when riding Kash) is that he is stronger going to the left and more prone to doing something silly, like deciding that he doesn't want to go left anymore and trying to take off straight or pop his shoulder out and shoot to the right. It sounds counter-intuitive, you'd think that bringing his face to the inside would make him turn, picking up with the outside rein to prevent him from overbending has been quite the eye-opener and a bit empowering. Instead of trying to beat him back around to the left with the right leg and left rein, I close my outside leg and use the outside rein to prevent him from overbending and popping the shoulder out. It works great, especially when I remember to do it!
The rest of yesterday was fairly nondescript. I worked on the website redesign and wrote three letters. One to the woman I'm collaborating with on a short comic, one to Darcy, and the third to Aubrey, my friend who is serving her mission in Portugal at the moment.
And now it's about time to think about giving the horses their evening ration. My parents' still need their joint supplement and I really need to take some time to work Rowdy tomorrow. I've been working my parents' horses for some extra cash to make up for the pitiful lack of lessons I've had this summer, particularly this month. I just need to get my butt moving and do it. I should have worked them today, but had to run some errands and the lesson ran a bit over this morning.
Panda did get a bit of a workout this morning. After warming her up and trying to loosen her up a bit in the walk and trot we worked on trot-canter and canter-trot transitions. I basically counted 15 strides in the trot (a stride for each beat) and 10 in the canter (which is three-beats, but a stride is considered the 1-2-3 plus moment of suspension). Going back and forth has really improved her canter departures, especially to the right. The left is still a bit ... I want to say "scattered," but I don't think it's quite the right word. She doesn't pick it up quite as readily or easily as the right does and still has a slight tendency to want to run into it (trot faster and faster until it's easier to just canter), but not for so many strides as she had before. I was quite happy with how she did and then we went a roaming outside of the arena.
I took her across our property and cut through the neighbor's to the little access road and then up to San Tan before going down the road to Dave and Marty's and having fun watching the guys working on their roof. Panda wasn't quite sure about the crazy wild people pounding away and crawling around on the roof, but she stood and watched. The first couple times I tried flexing her neck she started walking off into a turn because she was a bit stiff and nervous. With several repetitions she calmed down and flexed easily, though there were a couple moments when cars made noise on the road behind us or the men working did something that caused her to get slightly nervous and want to move her feet. She did great, though despite not really being OUT in quite a few weeks.
I had a lesson with the new kid, Zane. I think it'll be a slow progress to getting him focused and really listening. His mom mentioned that he's latched on to the bullriding thing and would, ultimately, like to do that (and go fast and all such other wonderful things). Of course, his mother isn't so sure about the riding bulls thing, but she does understand that there's a process and set of skills that one needs in order to be able to stay on any fast-moving animal, be it simply running or bucking crazily. I personally am not enamored with the idea of climbing aboard something that I KNOW is going to explode under me, but I guess that's personal preference, and there's not much that can deter the fearless five-year-old. With the knowledge of what he wants to work towards, though (moving faster in particular) I think I can use it to help him focus more and understand that he can't progress and get to the "fun stuff" until he's able to do the boring, slow stuff first.
Yesterday consisted of training on Kash with Kim. I think I am FINALLY getting off of my left hand when it is the inside rein and starting to pick up some contact with the outside and being a bit more effective when moving to the left. I think I'm also starting to balance a bit better through the turns. Kim notes that I have great balance in the canter, but I can be a little shaky with the trot.
I think part of the reason I hang on the inside going to the left (especially when riding Kash) is that he is stronger going to the left and more prone to doing something silly, like deciding that he doesn't want to go left anymore and trying to take off straight or pop his shoulder out and shoot to the right. It sounds counter-intuitive, you'd think that bringing his face to the inside would make him turn, picking up with the outside rein to prevent him from overbending has been quite the eye-opener and a bit empowering. Instead of trying to beat him back around to the left with the right leg and left rein, I close my outside leg and use the outside rein to prevent him from overbending and popping the shoulder out. It works great, especially when I remember to do it!
The rest of yesterday was fairly nondescript. I worked on the website redesign and wrote three letters. One to the woman I'm collaborating with on a short comic, one to Darcy, and the third to Aubrey, my friend who is serving her mission in Portugal at the moment.
And now it's about time to think about giving the horses their evening ration. My parents' still need their joint supplement and I really need to take some time to work Rowdy tomorrow. I've been working my parents' horses for some extra cash to make up for the pitiful lack of lessons I've had this summer, particularly this month. I just need to get my butt moving and do it. I should have worked them today, but had to run some errands and the lesson ran a bit over this morning.