Monday, January 10, 2011

Sunshine

I had a chance to ride Raven today. That was a good ride. I got started with some growing work to see what her attitude was like. He was flowing with me real well. We did some routine exercises that she did just fine with. Then I got in saddle and we started. I barely used the rein which is what I wanted. She responds real well to my seat and legs. I actually just put my hands in my pockets and navigated around the arena through a gate and into the round pen. We did several spins. We did some leg yields and haunches in and she did good. We had a good ride and quit. We bad an hour ride.

first lesson of the New year

I was out this morning with Buddy and Chris. We had our first lesson of the new year. I was quite pleased with both of them. Chris remembered what we she had learned before the holidays. She just needed to brush up and them and refine them a bit. She did a good job on all the exercises with Buddy. I wasn't too surprised with Buddy. He knows this stuff and it sticks with a horse with not too much of a refresher. So he responded real well to Chris' feel. I was eager to take him in hand too and work with him a little bit. I need to get the horse smell on me again. I might ride later today. Depends on what I get done around here. Chris had a good ride on him too. She did good at disengaging his hindquarters to a one rein stop. He moved out for her smoothly and followed the rein. He had some issues when she was rding back towards me and would try to turn him in the other direction. He wanted to come toward me so did some leg yields but that was because he wasn't paying attention to her but wanted to get back to me and quit. So I told her what to do and she did it and it worked to keep him going. Part of the plan was to keep him on the other end of the arena so that he wouldn't keep wanting to stop. In the end though she had a good ride on him and he did fine.
I will let you know if I get out to ride today with a blog note later on. Have a sunshiney day.

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Happy New year

Well what did you do worthwhile today? I took a 3 mile walk with my wife and the dogs. And then later in the day took Raven out for a ride. What better way to spend the day, heh?
All I wanted to do was get out and ride a little bit without doing alot of work with Raven. We didn't spend our time in the paddock, because it was so muddy, but we did enough in there to get her responding to me real good. Then I really just wanted to get out and ride. Sometimes you need to take a break like that, just get out and spend time together without having an agenda. So we opened the gate, without me getting off I might add, and rode down the road. We did do some things like sidepassing, half pass, leg yield that sort of thing. I never ride without engaging her mind and mine for too long. That is when things can get hairy when you are riding half asleep or not paying attention. As it was we rode around the block. It was cold. That wind had a nasty bite to it. My fingers were freezing, even with gloves on. We got back behind my house and had the pleasure of kicking two does up from their afternoon snooze. I didn't know they were there until Raven announced their presence with a jump sideways that jostled me just a little. We got back and I put her up and thanked her for a good ride. I wish I could say that I will ride her everyday this year, but that is not going to happen. But I will ride as much as I can, even if I don't feel like it at the time. I will feel like it once I am on her or Jake, or whomever.
Have a happy new year.