Interference from the Side

And Off We Go!!

I long lined Tucker again tonight as I still do not think I can really ride--perhaps a hack, but not schooling.

He was not as easily soft to the bit tonight as he was last night, so I ended up "veeing" the lines to the sucingle to give me more leverage. Once there, he submitted easily and went into a lovely frame.

The only thing I have to watch is that if he loses too much impulsion from behind, he may drop into the start of rolkur, so I have to be very careful with how much rein pressure I put on and just how much driving I can do.

But, if you recall, several sections of the fencing around the arena are missing and I haven't yet been able to fix it. I need to be able to dig new post holes and I need to drag posts over or remove them from the run in shed area or....lots of work I simply can't do with a bad back.

Thus, despite my efforts to keep them at bay, Chance and Toby were continually making "inroads" into the arena. I'd chase them out, and they'd come back until finally they charged in at full speed.

Well, needless to say, that energized Tucker who bolted off. Because of the "vee," I had super control over him and instantly, he settled into a head up, on the bit, forward, magnificent trot!! It was exactly what a good dressage horse should do.

H-m-m-m-m. Does that mean I need his "brothers" careening around in the arena, leaping and bucking about to get him to work correctly?

An interesting training tactic, surely, but not one I particularly consider safe. At least not with me in the saddle.

However, it did confirm that Tucker has untapped potential. Perhaps if I just spend the winter riding FORWARD a lot, I might develop that trot I saw tonight.

Hey, at least I can think about it. A goal, perhaps, once I can get my defiant body back in the saddle.

Tomorrow, a lesson with Gabriel. Maybe I will get some good pics.