Still Waiting

Lesson Success

Still waiting for the gravel to blow. Maybe tomorrow???

Meanwhile, Toby and Chance went for the lesson.

Chance was a bit "high" at the start, and I still a bit "low" from the after effects of my migraine. So, after a bit a lunging, Stacie got on him for me. Not that he's bad, but he was just a little excited and I am definitely getting older than I used to be.

May I say, she did a great job to riding him and, it was good for me to see as he really didn't do anything naughty. He was VERY forward, but that's about it. Gabriel liked him a lot. Said he put his hind end underneat himself, had three good gaits, had a really nice hind end, was cute, and he loved his markings.

When I got on, Chance really reached down for the bit, took it and worked in a really nice little frame for about 10 minutes, maybe longer. Then, after a short break, he started tossing his head up and getting fussy. Interesting as that seems to be his protest when he starts to get tired. He had, by that time, already worked longer than I ask for at home, so once I managed to get him to the bit again for a few strides, we called it a day. I was quite pleased.

Gabriel asked me if I'd like to take more of a lesson by riding Toby for a bit, but I said "no," as I was still not 100% after the migraine and this cold thing. To me, the lesson is more about the horse than about me anyhow and it was a totally positive experience for Chance, so that was what mattered.

While Stacie rode, I gave Chance a nice shower in the wash stall. He was really good for that, again a pleasure since he was afraid of the hose at home last summer. Then I loaded him up to wait in the trailer. Loading still requires a feed treat, but that is a good start, and I can manage by myself. What is funny though is that he managed twice (once at home) to get his head into the opposite stall and then he got got "stuck" with it there behind the front center upright bar. Both times I had to take down the back butt bar, and back him slightly out of the trailer to get his head back where it belonged as he simply could not do it as long as he was closed into his stall side. Strange, but curious that he could get himself in but not out of an awkward position. Once he is tied in his own stall side, he's fine.

Stacie had a super lesson on Toby and he looked GREAT while she was riding him. Again, though, her little right seat bone problem showed up again when she tried to canter on the right lead as Toby kept throwing in flying changes. She was really frustrated by it, but I think a lesson with Patrice will help out enormously. Gabriel and I could see she was putting her weight onto the left seat bone, which made Toby fly the change. One good thing was that she felt she had a solution by taking Toby's head to the left to push his body to the right to keep him on the lead. That totally confused him and he ended up simply taking the left lead and staying on it. It really is a simple fix, but in order to do it, Stacie needs to really figure out how to keep her seat to the right even if Toby tries to throw her to the left seat bone. I do know he can get a little twist in his canter if he's a little reluctant to use his hind end on one side, so that might be what's happening. Trouble is, I really can't recreate it when I ride him because I instinctively know how to correct it and just do it before things go haywire.

No biggie. I know Stacie was frustrated, but she rode everything else SO well this is just a little tiny glitch in the proceedings.