Tuesday, June 18, 2013

6/17

Ok, I need to catch up with what is going on with these Arabs. Friday I wanted to continue to work with So Grand and really develop that connection with him. I put the saddle on and let him stand free a few minutes then I started to move around and he followed me all over. I did some more liberty work with him and then put the halter back on him. We went over all the ground work as a review, then I got on him. He has really sticky feet, so I kept working on getting him to go forward. He does pretty good going to the right, he even offers to trot for me. However, going to the left is another story. He keeps wanting to stop. On the ground he doesn't seem to have trouble going forward, though there is some slight resistance at times. It just shows up when I am in the saddle. Somehow my being in the saddle magnifies his resistance. Anyway, I was able to get some trotting out of him. I have been having him go short distances then stopping for a rest. Then I stretch out the distance, more laps and let him stop. He does show improvement. Moon is doing good. I am trying to get him used to my side pull. It has a different feel than a rope halter. So I have been putting the long lines on him and flexing him with that and then moving him forward. The whole thing with the pressure coming from the saddle is taking him some getting used to. He is unsure of everything when I have two lines on him. But he will get better. Monday, 6/17 I got So Grand out and saddle him up. I took some time to play with the pad and the extra pad I sue trying to get the saddle to fit his back better. Right now the pressure point on him is right behind his shoulder blades. My suspicion is that his forward problem is connected to the fit of the saddle. He is so hollowed out in the back that it is almost like he is sway backed. An examination of his withers shows that he has not carried himself balanced, but high headed, even though it looks like he is balanced. So that could be an issue too. I want to make it as comfortable as possible for him to carry a rider. Anyway, after playing with the pad, I saddle him up and worked him from the ground, then rode him for 1/2 an hour working on going forward, bending laterally, even starting to get some breaking at the poll. When I took the saddle off the pressure point was more wide spread, but still forward behind the shoulder blade. I am going to try something else next time. Moon had a good session too. I saddled him and did some liberty work with him too. I then hooked up the side pull and long line. I flexed him and YH. Then lunged him. Then I put the line back through the saddle ring as though I was riding him. I drove him this way for a few minutes then switched sides and did the same thing. He doesn't like the right side as much as the left. I then hooked both sides up and drove him in a circling fashion just looking for him to drop his head and relax. I noticed that the side pull is rubbing his nose kinda rough so I am going to try the snaffle bit and see what kind of response I get from that next time. Back to the session though, He would move up to a trot or canter no problem. It is like he is scared though and I am wanting him to relax more and start carrying his head lower and respond to the rein in a more yielding fashion. I am trying to help both these horses relax enough to eliminate the resistance that runs through them.

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