Iris time

[glenatron]

Since my contract ended, I have tried to take lots of opportunities to ride, both on Iris and out with my student Anne, who I have been doing frequent lessons with. As she has a really nice arena and we have a slightly sandy swamp, I have been taking Iris over sometimes when I'm teaching there, which gives an opportunity for us to work, new

Comments

[joycemocha]

I forget--how many rides does she have on her now

[glenatron]

I think she's doing great too- I don't know how many rides she has, but it's less than a hundred for sure.

I noticed the same thing with the rein leathers, I think I had my reins at just the wrong length there too- they either need to be shorter or longer. I'm working with this at the moment. I really like the mecate rein though, having that lead is so useful if you're doing much trail riding where you might need to get off and lead a bit, way better than regular reins and harder to drop than split reins...

[joycemocha]

I would shorten up the slobber straps. The original McCartys were horsehair which is a stiffer rope--I've seen them on a bosal. Mocha's leather snaffle reins attach to the bit by a strap which looks like a slobber strap but isn't, and is much shorter. Here's a picture that I have right now (when they were shiny new), I can take another one this coming week which shows more detail if you would like. It's a nice little braiding with a piece of thin latigo leather which holds pretty solid.

[glenatron]

I actually have a horsehair mecate but I tend to use the rope one on snaffle horses because it's longer and I like the rope in my hand. The horsehair one stays on the bosal, which I haven't used with Iris because she really hated it and it didn't seem worth arguing about.

I've noticed that people like Buck tend to actually use longer slobber straps which maybe are a little more stable with their point of balance further back - effectively like the rein-chains on a romal. I'm trying to find some video of them in use so I can see how that works in practice in faster or bouncier gaits.

[puddleshark]

Wow! Hasn't she come on! To be calmly cantering across open country and quietly stepping over ditches is a fantastic achievement.

I'm even more impressed by the fact you could lead her past a field full of all the horses in the world, without fireworks. Even Charm, who is 23 and generally a delight to lead, would be bouncing up and down on the end of the reins if confronted with that lot...

Lovely pics as always!

[glenatron]

Thank you, I'm really pleased with her. It's reassuring after the last few years that when I have a normal, willing, physically able horse we actually make good progress. Makes me feel as though the last seven years of working relentlessly on my horsemanship was not entirely wasted.

Interestingly the better I get at training horses, the less training they see to need.

[siberian_angel]

I really like this. Iris seems like such a sweet-tempered, steady mare that it makes me curious what she was like in the beginning?
Also curious, how many years of horsemanship do you have under your belt?

Most of my horses either had problems with water crossings or not running off with horses on the other side of the fence. Well, I'm not perfect and neither were my horses.

[glenatron]

I've been learning to ride and be around horses for a little over ten years, but things got really serious around 2007, which I guess makes for about six years of genuine progress. The biggest jump was when I spent a month in the US learning to start youngstock with Martin Black - that type of immersion really allows you to make rapid progress if you have the right support, which Martin certainly was

[siberian_angel]

Wow. I never would have thought that you got into it comparatively late. From both your seating and your manner around horses I would have thought you were on the back of a horse before you could even walk.
Yeah, the US is pretty stellar with horsemanship. Frankly, I've never come across German horses anywhere near as calm as most of the steeds in America...
I had a few nasty incidents with horses, so after a while it didn't come as easy to me not to buy into their anxiety. That's when I stepped down from breaking in young horses - I realized that I couldn't help them become a steady mount when I was worrying about something going awry. You're doing a great job, though! Iris - and Cash - can consider themselves lucky!

[glenatron]

Thank you! I realised very quickly when I got involved with them that horses were something I needed in my life and that if I could possibly make them my work, then it would never feel like work. That remains true, though the facility to make them into my work seems to elude me with every turn.

I think actually Germany is one of the best places in Europe for trainers- I know Steve used to teach there a lot and had a whole lot of good students around the place. Probably you guys have better people than we do around, but I suspect they are also hard to find, much like here...

[ext_2271118]

Hi Ben, really nice to see Iris looking so calm and willing - she really is a lovely mare, and you guys have obviously already progressed massively as a partnership already.

I have a question (really a question, not a criticism!). I am interested as to why most people from the more 'Western' approach to horsemanship only ever sit to the trot? I have always believed that particularly with young horses, or horses who do not yet have a strong ridden posture, that you should rise - as it is much easier on their back and frees them up to develop their posture more easily. However, I see a lot of western/horsemanship trainers riding sitting trot from the moment they start a horse. Do you know why?

Kate

[glenatron]

I have two reasons- firstly, it is a lot less dangerous in a saddle with a roping horn, especially on a horse that is likely to stop suddenly.

Secondly, when I am rising to the trot I only really have full use of my legs half the time. With a horse that needs a lot of guidance, that simply isn't enough.

I would be interested to know what evidence there is for rising trot being easier to carry- I haven't noticed that in particular among horses I have ridden.

In a more general western trainers will not rise because there is no tradition of posting to the trot in western riding- indeed there isn't much tradition of trotting in western competition discipline, although of course if you're working a large area of ranchland it's the most practical way of getting around - if you ever get the chance you should chat to Martin about this.

[blitzen_]

so great to see you out and about enjoying your girl.

she is looking great too.

the music is lovely!

[glenatron]

Thank you!

I don't think The Courage Of Others is close to Van Occupanther but Midlake were still pretty good. I don't know about their newer stuff but I think the singer quit, so they are probably kind of a new band at this point...