Weather or Not.....

The lake in the back woods. This used to be a sand mine.

....Saturday was a Washout....

And a chilly one. I just kind of bummed out after I went to the chiropractor and physical therapy. Then I went to the feed store where there was a 20% off sale and stocked up on more grain than I had room for, so that took some work to put away.

So, Sunday dawned with some beautiful weather, but I had to go the church in the morning. I was singing a solo on the introit--opening piece of the service--and the choir number was a favorite. I go every week anyhow, so that's a given, but I was "itching" to do some riding in the sunshine.

But, the local saddle shop, with the 20% off sale was also having the annual drawing for a $1000 spending spree and you had to be there to win, so I knew I had a 2:30 PM deadline to ride and do my horse stuff.

I saddled Tucker up first for his trotting workout. Interesting. When I put my leg on, he laid his ears back, napped and threatened to buck. Now this was after his acupuncture, so I was fairly confident he really wasn't really all that sore. It took some convincing, but I did manage to get him trotting and as we went along his enthusiasm increased. I am suspicious, that when he did hurt his stifle, the pain was sharp and sudden...as it is when my knee "goes out"....and his pain memory was so strong, he just didn't want to do anything. After about 15 minutes, he was really starting to move out, so I added the trotting poles to the work and he was just fine.

After about 20 minutes, I tried a canter and again, I got the ears, the napping and the buck threat. I rode it out, and finally he gave me nice canter on both leads without a fuss. I really think his confidence had been seriously undermined. Hopefully, with some babying and fitness, he will forget about it and be a willing partner again. This is totally different than the napping before the ulcer medication as in this case, he is always willing to walk off in a nice, long relaxed stride. He is just very anxious about trot and canter. Since I forgot to put some linament on his stifle before I rode him, I might also think it took a little work before the muscles started to loosen up as well.

In the end, with about 2 mintues of cantering, we did a good half hour of trotting, adding some lengthening along the long sides on both reins at the end. I kept him in a long frame and did not ask him to rock back on his hind end much at all. I'll save that for about a week of just plain muscle building work.

I long lined Chance for a really nice session. He softened immediately to the bit and worked in a lovely frame with a nice forward trot and a very relaxed, rhythmic canter. He really is a nice youngster. It will be ironic if down the line, he's the one I end up training to Grand Prix. He may have the better mind for the upper levels. Ah, well, we shall see. Tucker is the clever one, perhaps too bright, and the faster learner. But Chance just has such a solid disposition.....

I went to the tack store for the drawing and, as usual, did not win. But, I did get some nice buys on a few essentials and, of course, the grain.

It was still light out when I got home, so I saddled up Toby and took him out for a ride around the lake. He is very cautious on that trail, convinced that all kinds of dangers lurk in the trees, brush and grasses around the lake area. There are also several places where he has to wade through muddy patches of water. While he is OK with the water, if he can see a potential way around, he will try to take that, so in one section, I found myself getting tangled in some thorn bushes. Thankfully, I was well padded with clothes, so no major damage was done.

The ride was a good end to the afternoon and my last day of the short vacation from school.

I spent the last half hour of daylight unwrapping the new arena drag I bought several weeks ago. Everything was wired together for shipping so I only managed to get one 4 ft. section free and attached to the draw bar. I guess I will finish up at my leisure during the rest of the week. If it hadn't been all wired together, it would be ready to go now, but I just got fed up cutting and untwisting all the little pieces and left the second section to wait. I don't need it right away, so it's fine if it waits for a few more days.

Everything I purchase recently seems to be packed within and inch of its life. Plastic wraps need heavy duty scissors, mailing pouches need to be carved apart, and boxes are sealed in yards of packing tape. The area drag was no exception.

I'll just keep trotting Tucker. At least his sheet is easy to get off.

On Target

The back trail heading home to the gate in the riding ring. As seen through Toby's ears!

Acupuncture for a Dressage Horse

Tucker went to visit Dr. Klayman tonight, and sure enough, he was sore. Mind you, he was not lame. We jogged him and lunged him and he looked fine. But, he was sore on his right stifle.

That along with the sacroilliac were my two suspicions. I am guessing that what happened when he was doing the leg yield is that his stifle just gave out, and afterwards it hurt.

The prescription? Well, first he had a course of acupuncture. Then he has tomorrow, Saturday off. And then, it's back to the trotting to get the muscles really strong around the joint. This is 25 minutes of trotting with hills just about every day.

I have dealt with stifle issues before as my Russell R. had chronic problems. There are many other treatment options to use, but Dr. Klayman prefers to take the most natural approach first, which is the acupunture and trot work. If, down the road this crops up as a more chronic problem, then we have a host of options to get the joing stronger.

It's really like my knees in a much less severe condition, so I understand what Tucker felt when it "gave" way on what might just have been a bad step. And I also know it REALLY does hurt.

So, I guess I will be in the saddle a lot just trotting along, like the old days with my Russell R. All too familiar.

In the meantime, I took everyone on the short trail ride today. Tuck walked the whole way. Chance decided to trot for the first few minutes, so I just kind of let him blow off a little steam. I don't know if his attitude is something I am going to have to watch out for as he gets more fit, but he certainly has the potential to be a forward going fellow. This is a good thing as long as it doesn't develop into jogging off all the time instead of walking. He did have a good time and wanted to stay out longer, but I'd gone to get my new contact lenses in the morning, stopped on the way home to get cat food, and with the vet appointment looming, I just didn't have time to indulge him.

I am going to alternate long lining and riding with Chance for a while as it really did seem to make a difference. Today when I got back from the hack, I rode him in the ring for a little while and he was really going well and taking the bit on his own.

Toby, dressed in "trail ride pink" so the hunters will see us.

Toby and I went out for the same short hack and we jumped the log just for fun. Every time I take him over a fence, he impresses me. Had I steered his career towards the hunter/jumper route instead of dressage, he would have been a wonderful competitor. His only flaw is uncertainty about strange jumps, but schooling would have easily cured that. He gives a really athletic feel off the ground and naturally rounds his back. He does have one jumping ribbon in his memory chest, but I had by that time decided to give up the jumping for my own safety. I would have had to deal with his spooks and sudden stops for several months of training, and I just didn't feel up to it.

So now, I just jump once in a while for fun or to put some variety in our schooling. Toby does get a little "enthusiastic" when he jumps but he feels so wonderful, I don't mind.

It will be interesting to see if Chance has any talent in that department. His dad was gorgeous over a fence. Hard to say if it's inherited or not. Chance's gaits don't appear to be as good as his dad's, but as I watch him on the lines, I see more and more potential to be a "nice mover" for dressage. Time will tell. Although he is four years old, I am not totally convinced he has yet fully matured in his body. His mom was a grade mare, and his dad a warmblood, so I have no idea what that means for his development.

Chance posing in "pasture orange." The camera has failed to pick up the true color of that sheet. It is a bright, very orange, orange flourescent.

We Have a Problem

This is part of the trail through the woods. Sometimes I jump the little log, just for fun.

Definitely A Problem

Tucker is just not right. I took him in the ring to ride a little. The trot was fine, but I didn't try to really ask for more than a lower level frame. Then I asked for some canter and his ears went back, his back humped up, and he started to shut down big time. He was very clearly saying, "No, I can't"

Here is Tucker dressed in his pink quarter sheet so the hunters can see us.

That test completed, I took him out on a nice little walking hack through the woods, as his walk felt fine. And, if his sacroilliac is out, walking is generally good for that. There are a few little hills along the route, and on one of the downhills, he was decidedly short strided and overly careful, so that too points to something being "out" in his back.

Fortunately, I have an appointment with my marvelous chiropractic/acupuncture veterinarian tomorrow at 4 PM, so we'll get it all sorted out pretty quickly, I'm sure.

My farrier was here this morning and we decided to leave Chance shoeless as long as we can. With winter coming, I'd rather have no shoes as that gives him far better traction in the snow and ice. Then we will see if his feet can hold up once Spring comes back.

I just long lined Chance today, because he needs some work at accepting the bit without me on his back. I "veeded" the lines through the top ring, the bit and then a lower ring--the top ring rein going to my hand. He argued a little about it at first, then dropped his head into a lovely frame and gave me some very nice work. I think he is going to have a very nice trot and a good, three beat canter and, overall, he seems very balanced. I had to be careful to make sure to "give" the lines when he came on to the bit so that he didn't overbend, but he was very easy to correct. I pushed him past his quitting point so that he will build up his stamina and muscles and was pleased to see how welll he accepted the driving aids. It was a really nice session.

Toby and I took to the woods for a pleasant trail ride. As usual, he was a good boy and he caught quite a few branches and leaves to munch on along the way.

This is kind of a cool pic. I was riding Toby and decided to take a picture of the path along the cornfield. I didn't see our shadow until I loaded the piture on the computer. One of those unexpected "art" shots, I guess. *G*

The Best Laid Plans

How Does the Rest of That Go?

"..Gang aft a-gley." Which means, I didn't do exactly as I'd planned today.

It's still not midnight, though and if the winds have died down, I still may long line Chance. It all depends on whether I can convince myself to go out in the dark and get something useful done.

In the meantime, I had to take the horse trailer to get the wiring plug replaced. That is a good half-hour plus drive to the trailer place, depending on the traffic, which was a nuisance. The guy there is great and we had a bit of fun replacing the plug since the trailer wiring color code has nothing to do with the standard truck/car wiring color code. My plug was badly corroded with several wires off, which explains why the trailer brakes were not working...almost...more later...and he had nothing to go on once he'd pulled the wires off the old plug.

As I stood there about a half hour into the enterprise, getting ready to write the trailer code down for the next time I'd need a fix, something nagged in the back of my brain that I had been through this before. Sure enough, in the glove box of the truck I found a paper with a list of what each color wire on the trailer worked. Had I remembered that paper early on, we could have saved ourselves at least 15 minutes of confusion.

The guy plugged in the new plug and everything worked just fine...except the brakes. Sure enough, there was a damaged prong on the receptacle on the truck, and like the last time I was there, he didn't have any Dodge replacement sockets in stock. Apparently Dodge has its own unique receptacle unlike Chevy and Ford, so I needed a new one from Dodge.

Now, here's the rub. This is just what happened last time and I had bought two receptacles from eBay. I had already used one on the truck and that one had the broken prong. When I'd left the house, I thought, "Gee, maybe I ought to take that other receptacle." Then when I wasn't 100% sure of where I'd put it, I left without it. I was kicking myself at the trailer place. The guy told me I was welcome to come back if I had any trouble swapping it out on my own. So, I paid him--very reasonable rates--and headed home with all the trailer lights working and no brakes again.

Back home, it took me all of 2 minutes to find the replacement part. Yeech!! Before I tried intalling it, I searched back on eBay, found more parts, ordered three--always want lots of spares at this point--and then went out to struggle with the plug. Fortunately, this is actually an easy job with the newer, factory wired trucks. You just unscrew four screws on the faceplate, pull out the old part, push a holding clip out and then, with a bit of effort, unplug the thing, plug in the new one, put the clip in place, and then put the four screws back. When the parts cooperate, its a cinch. I only scraped one knuckle and said four curse words before I was able to complete the task.

By the way, I have rewired both the trailer and truck plugs from scratch more than once in my life, using ameters, and test lights to figure out which wire is which, so none of this is rocket science to me anymore. I comprehend the need for ground wires and how the direct current works and all that kind of stuff.

Still, I was quite delighted to see the brake confirmation light on in the truck when I hooked things back together, so I guess we are back to optimum. A good thing as I need to trailer Tucker again on Friday and may well be driving him back after dark. As well, my next lesson will be at 9 PM so I will be going both ways in the dark. And, having properly working trailer brakes is a special plus. If they don't work right, I can still stop, but I must be super careful to anticipate well in advance which can't always happen in traffic.

That done, the next plan for the day was to get my hair cut as Wednesday is $8 off at my salon. That headed me out to East Brunswick, not far from school. What a bummer to go there on a vacation day! (Off this week for Columbus Day, Election Day, Veterans' Day, and Convention.)
Got the haircut deal and made the mistake of deciding to drop by the mall on the way home in hopes of finding a Christmas present or two. This time for my cousin and my Aunt whose house I go to for Christmas Eve.

Why is it that when I need a medium in something for me all I can find are smalls and when I need a small for someone else, there simply aren't any? And, did I get sidetracked trying on bargains for me? Of course. Fortunately, I only found one thing I liked and did manage to get two nice gifts. I have a plan for most of the other gifts I need, so that I can take care of in short order.

Well, when I got back home it was nearly feeding time for The Boys, so that's what I did. An hour later it was dark. I keep forgetting the quick coming of darkness this time of year.

I have tomorrow and Friday yet to get some horsey work done. Tucker would have had today off anyhow as he always has the day off after a lesson. Toby and Chance? No excuse except that the darn wind was pretty strong and my ring is right at the edge of the woods. Taking a hack would be hazardous as well since that too is woods and this time of year all kinds of things blow off the trees.

How's that for an excuse? Not bad, eh?

Had A Lesson, Sort Of

Well, About Half a Lesson

I think the session with Steiner may have left Tucker sore. I hadn't ridden him since and had a lesson with Gabriel this afternoon.

We started off like gangbusters. Tucker was really moving well and working beautifully. I looked in the indoor arena mirrors at one point and he was up in a beautiful frame, really carrying himself.

Then in our second or third tour of shoulder-in on the right rein, he took a really strange step with his right hind. Shortly after, he just quit the trot and started laying his ears back and refusing to go. It was not a total shutdown as before the Ulcergard, but a definite trot shutdown. He walk was big and beautiful, but he simply would not trot.

Something had gone wrong and Tuck was making it perfectly clear. We got a lunge line after I dismounted and lunged him a bit. He trotted off a bit stiffly at first, then seemed to warm out of it, but when I got back on, he still refused to trot, threatening to buck if I pushed too hard.

I dismounted again and we took the saddle off. I ran the end of my dressage whip all along his back looking for acupressure sensitivity and found nothing until I pushed on the pressure point in his right rump. He flinched significantly. I checked it several times and each time, he reacted. This is the point for either the stifle or the hock...not quite as accurate as my vet at this...so I suspect one joint or the other must have suddenly given out or gotten sore.

When we'd started the lesson he was acting just a little "funny" but really did settle to work, so I now suspect he was a bit muscle sore when we began. The exercise probably loosened things up until whatever twinge or issue finally stopped him in his tracks. It could also be that the shoulder in movement might have thrown something out in his back--especially if his muscles were a little sore already.

While I am disappointed at not having finished up the lesson on a good note, the part we managed was really quite wonderful. Hopefully this is just a small glitch in the program. If I can get my vet out ASAP, he can do some acupuncture/chiropractic work and get Tuck back on track.

Gabriel and I did discuss the Steiner clinic and comments and we were in complete agreement. Gabriel said that kind of attitude is what is ruining dressage in the US. The prejudice towards warmbloods and the arrogant attitude that "only warmbloods can do it" completely defeats the principle of what dressage is all about. That's the "competition" dressage so many people complain about. We both agreed that we know Tucker has limitations, but the whole goal is to train him to be better and certainly to reach for Grand Prix. I said my new goal was to ride a Grand Prix test on Tucker under Steiner. *LOL* Hey, at least I have something to shoot at now!

Gotta get Tucker feeling better first. He seems to have decided he now has the right and obligation to make it quite clear when something is wrong. Guess it's better than having a horse who works through the pain and ends up hurting himself even more.

I guess.......

Update from Wednesday Morning:
I called my vet and We have an appointment for chiropractic/acupuncture on Friday morning. I will have to trailer Tucker to the barn where I had my lesson. Otherwise we would have had to wait until Tuesday of next week.

Classical vs Competition

Most of My Trainers Have Been Classicists

To reply to Muriel, I have been lucky to have good trainers all along the way.

There have been a few "rotten eggs" in my clinic experiences, but, like Steiner, I have ignored most of them. I learned long ago to "separate the wheat from the chaff," as my early riding instructor used to say, and take whatever good I could get from each clinic and throw away the rest.

My current trainer is totally convinced Tucker can do the upper levels. His approach and attitude are entirely positive. We both know Tuck's possible limits, and are working to reach beyond them. Our big problem was all the trouble we were having before the Ulcergard. Hopefully that is all behind us.

I do believe that years ago, I had a clinic with Racinet. If he is the trainer I think he is, he ended up riding my PJ for most of the lesson. He LOVED PJ because he was so light and easy to the aids. He didn't worry whether everything they did was perfect or not, but he just rode, all the while telling me what a responsive horse he was. PJ had a super trot and a dreadful canter--which was improved over time with lots of training. I think he would give any rider who was kind his whole heart and try anything he was asked to do. I was so proud that day, even though I hardly rode at all and really didn't learn much for me. What was a joy was to see someone else riding my horse and loving every minute of it.

Some clinicians I have ridden with have been bad teachers--no names this time--and one time I even had to "go to the videotape" after the lesson to try to figure out what in the world the "teacher" was trying to get me to do. Even then I couldn't figure it out because he contradicted himself a number of times.

My most enlightening moments have often come when the teacher has gotten on my horse after I have failed to do what I was supposed to do. More often than not, the teacher has had even less success using their methods on my horse than I had. That has been a bit of a laugh to me, but I NEVER laughed out loud.

Just to let you all know, I live in a very accessible area not too far from the US Equestrian Team headquarters. Since the horse is our State animal, there are many riding stables around and over the years I have had many opportunities to ride with different trainers at clinics. I was just doing a mental account and stopped at close to 20 different clinicians including International level trainers from: Holland, Germany, Denmark, Hungary, France, Britain, New Zeland, South America, and, of course, the USA. My present trainer works with a Canadian Olympian. I have remembered a lot of good exercises from those clnics, forgotten and equal amount of good things, and tried to remember the bad as well so I could try to avoid it.

I have also been very choosy about the regular trainers I have worked with and have been lucky enough to settle in with some really good ones. I visited dozens of barns and watched many lessons before I found my first serious trainer to help me with Russell when he began his jumping career, and have been just as choosy since. I am very lucky to have so many opportunities.

I compete in the show ring as a challenge to myself and my horses. I would, of course, love to win once in a while, but it that's not to be, it's fine. Riding a dressage test in competition is entirely different than practicing at home and it really does define where the horse's training really does stand. What I am sorry to see is that horses not correctly trained are often rewarded just because they are "good movers." Having scribed (written the comments during a dressage test) for some International judges as well, I have also seen some evidence of prejudice towards "name" riders even if their tests were not as good as the scores said.

Ideally, as I have said, every horse entering the dressage ring should be and equal and the test should truly be a test of training, not the horse's natural talent. There are some judges out there who score that way and some who don't.

After the Clinic

Not Sour Grapes

I am still pleased with Tucker and, though still stinging a bit from the insulting comments, pretty much have it all in perspective.

I remember taking Russell R., my first horse, to a lesson with an International trainer who had a reputation for helping people get their horses to extend the trot. During the lesson, said trainer rather quickly decided Russell had little talent, but he still worked with us. However, at one moment of exasperation, he said, "Well, this horse could never do a proper half pass."

I kind of shrugged nonchalantly, and said, "I'll show you." Well Russell had amazing half passes at both trot and canter with wonderful crossover. And it was absolutely easy for him to do them.

Trainer's jaw dropped as I demonstrated some super half passes across the arena.

Just because "They say so," it doesn't make it so.

Of all the horses I've had--except perhaps for Si, the four year old I lost to colic surgery--Tucker really is the most suited for dressage. He has three solid gaits, good balance, a quick brain, and a willingness to learn. On the negative side, his trot is not expansive, and he will have trouble with the extension. On the plus side, the collected work will be easy for him as will the lateral work. He does need to learn how to carry himself better off his hind end and elevate his forehand, but my lessons with Gabriel have already proven he is capable of that. I just need to learn how to ride/teach him on my own. He will never be a top level competitor, but he is capable of being solid through I 1...as high as I've ridden, so I know, and, I certainly hope I can train him to Grand Prix, again, not to win, but to be able to do all the movements.

I do not have the money to spend on a big, expensive incredibly moving dressage horse, so I train whatever horse I own to his full potential. I honestly and perhaps, naively, think that is what dressage is all about. I show more to test myself than to win, but I do take issue with judging and scoring that reflects the quality of the horse as opposed to the quality of the training.

I have been insulted by teachers before, so I can certainly survive this latest experience. That is one of the reasons I loved Lockie Richards. You could come into one of his lessons with a short legged fat Shetland pony and he would always find something good about the horse and, in the lesson always find a way to make the horse even better. He was a true and talented teacher and the world is much emptier for his loss. Edgar Hotz, who was a really tough judge, was also a good teacher whose goal was to make whatever horse came into one of his lessons better.

As a high school teacher myself, I try to judge each student according to his/her abilities, and while I may well set my standards high, I will always reward the student to tries to reach the goal and I try to make at least an essential part of the goal something every student in my class can reach.

I am hoping Gabriel will be here Tuesday for lessons, as I could use some good training right about now.

In the meantime, I rode Chance for a bit in the ring, then took him out for a longish trail ride tonight. We saw at least 3 white tailed deer (the dreaded fangtails) out on the edge of the woods and all my Chancypants did was stop and stare, and then go on about his business. He did try to spook at a tree stump, but once he saw what it was, he marched on by without much fuss.

He is funny as each time I school him in the ring, the "out gate" to the woods has a magnetic effect on his body. At this rate he may never really learn to go on the bit, as the hacks are so much more fun for us both. On the other hand, I really would like to have some more steering control when we are out on our adventures. Guess I am going to have to settle down and do some serious long lining with him as when he was in more steady work in the spring, it was really making a difference in his under saddle efforts.

Tuck had the day off but certainly insisted on attention. His new trick is to try to bite me, demanding at least some kind of acknowledgement.

I "asked" Toby if he wanted to go out for a hack, but he took off when he saw the bridle. So, I gave both him and my bad knees a break.

I'll ride that terrrible mover of mine, Tucker, tomorrow. School is off for the week, so I have lots of daylight. Here's hoping I can get him to do some of those things he simply shouldn't be able to do....*G*

Cinic

Tucker was a Gem

Even if Axel Steiner didn't like him.

Well, ,aybe he liked him a little, but he certainly was disparaging of Tucker's gaits when we started out. The horse prior had been a nice little Dutch Warmblood and Tuck DOES NOT move like a warmblood. He does have three more than adequate gaits with a nice canter when he relaxes.

He was very tense at the beginning but, aside from a few spooks, really a good boy.

Steiner made a few remarks about how much more the gallery could now appreciate the previous horse gaits and also told me Tuck would never be a Grand Prix horse. Now, mind you, I did not tell him I wanted to compete at Grand Prix, just that I wanted to train a horse to that level. Sorry, but there I cannot agree. Far less talented horses than Tucker have been trained to Grand Prix, so I don't think that's a real issue.

We spent the session getting Tucker to move forward off my leg, something which, prior to the ulcer medication was an iffy proposition. He was good as gold about responding to taps of the whip and, once he figured it out, transitions down and up to help him engage his hind end.

The trouble was, aside from encouraging me to get Tucker forward--something which I do know has been a problem--Steiner didn't really teach me anything else new, inventive or worth the exhorbitant fee I paid for the clinic. ($200+) If I hadn't known how and when to do half halts to encourage him to step under or to soften him before the lengthenings, we would not have accomplished anything. To be frank, this guy was not a good teacher. Good eye for demanding and watching for improvement in my horse's gaits, but very little use as to how to get there except to drive him on.

For his part, once Tucker decided that the doors, windows and people seated at the side of the ring were not going to eat him, he settled into a very workmanlike attitude and really worked hard for me.

Times like this, I just try to keep things in perspective. I know Tucker does not "take your breath away" when he moves, but he is certainly capable of the upper level movements. He is not carrying himself as well as he will be able to as his training progresses, but we have also just come through more than one wasted year when every effort to challenge him for more was a really, really risky endeavor.

I have always believed dressage was the way to make an average horse better and that done well, any horse can be improved. I have also believed that in the show ring, even the average horse, going at his best, deserves reward. It may not be the blue (In Britain, the red) ribbon, but some respect and compliments from the judge can go a long way.

Hard to tell any of that from Mr. Steiner. One of the auditors left after a few minutes of my ride because she was so insulted by his commentary she just didn't want to watch any more.

Too bad. As far as I am concerned, Tucker won the championship today with his attitude and work ethic.

A Word on Long Lining

There Are Many Approaches

I first learned to long line over 25 years ago from Lockie Richards. He taught me the basics of driving my horse with me behind as a way of introducing the piaffe. My horse never did quite master the movement, but I found lining a great way of encouraging him to go correctly on the bit and began to line instead of lunge soon after.

Some people call it "double lunging" as you are using to lines instead of one. The advantage to lunging, in my mind, is that the contact to the bit is not static as it is with side reins. However, it also demands that the handler think a whole lot more about how to work the reins.

I don't much any more walk behind my horses, mostly because my bad knees make it hard for me to run so we can only work at the walk. That's fine for some of the lateral work and introducing piaffe, but it's hard to do much else. Also, because the walk it the least "impulsive" gait, getting the right contact to the bit can be tricky unless the horse just naturally swings along in a good free walk taking the reins. (My guys like to get a bit lazy.)

I've used lots of rein configurations but prefer attaching the lines directly to the bit, then running them through the top rings of the surcingle to my hands. This is most like the postion the reins would be if I were riding. I run the outside line over the horse's back, not around the hindquarters. I don't like using the line around the rump because it can get caught in the tail and also, should it go slack I think it's a potential danger to get caught up in the hind legs.

I know plenty of experienced trainers put the lines lower and use them around the rump, but I am just not quick enough to correct things should we have a problem--again with the knees--so I like to take a more conservative approach.

If I do need to drop a line to a lower hole, I will most likely just drop the inside line.

Another option is to "vee" the lines by fastening the line to a lower dee, running it through the bit and up through the top dee to my hand. This gives a "draw" rein effect and far more leverage on a horse that might be really resistant to giving to the bit. However, again, you have to be really careful in using your hands as it is also very easy to get a horse overbent--into the dreaded rolkur--if you don't "give" the lines as soon as the horse yields. It's tricky.

I use the "vee" technique on Chance now and then to get him to go down as he likes to "stargaze" when he first starts out. Then, I am very light once he gives because when he gets the idea, he is soft. Toby can be tough sometimes so I might use it more. It is not the best solution for Tucker as he will overbend very quickly.

The outside line is always the key, just as the outside rein is the key when you ride. It is the line that brings the horse onto the bit and essentially controls the "height" of his head--the frame. The inside rein offers direction and bend, but really does need to work with the outside rein to get much done.

Aside from my start with Lockie, I have never had any other formal training on using the long lines and have figured out most of this by myself. I have had more than my share of mishaps including loose horses galloping around the ring with the lines trailing, and one of my favorites, horses who have spun around to end up wrapped in the lines.

However, when the lining works, it is a wonderful training tool. When Toby was first ridden after having been lined for a year, the girl who worked him for me kept insisting he was a trained horse instead of an "unbroke" three year old. She had him cantering after the second ride and he was steering and stopping like a pro. Tucker was largely started on the lines as well and when I first rode him, he stopped and steered well too. Chance loves trails so much I tend to do that with him more than the lining, but this past spring, I focused on lining him for about two weeks and it made a huge difference. (He had a injury soon after and was laid up almost all summer, so I never did finish up that effort.)

I've jumped my guys in the lines, and worked them over cavaletti. I've tried flying changes with little success, but the Spanish Riding School trainers have no trouble with that. From what I have seen, a good trainer can do most everything a rider can do under saddle in the lines. I'll never quite master all of that, but who says I won't keep trying?

All in all, I have found long lining to be a great alternative to riding, and, as I said in my last post, a good way to actually see your horse in action.

Three Long Lines

And I Get To Watch Them Go

One thing that is nice about lunging on the double long lines is that I can watch My Boys move.

I started off with Toby who was broken in the lines and is a true master. All I have to do is think what I want him to do and he does it. I gave him a moderate workout, as he is not fit enough to work for long up into the bridle. Most of his session was on a longish frame, but at the end of each direction I did a series of canter/trot/canter transitions that brought him up into an upper level carriage for one or two turns around the lunging circle. He certainly earned his carrot at the end of the session.

Chance was next and this time I did not "vee" the lines through two sets of rings to create a draw rein effect to get him to give to the bit and drop into a frame. This time I wanted to see what he would do with just a direct rein through the top to rings of the surcingle. He went into a nice trot but did not lower his head on his own. However, when I asked for the canter, he reached out to the bit and offered a little bit of a frame. I suspect the added impulsion of the canter made him seek the contact while the trot, not quite as energetic did not. One thing I do find interesting is that he definitely does tire from the work and, quite unlike my Thoroughbreds, chooses to just stop on his own.

In contrast to Chance, Tucker does not wind down as the session goes on, but rather energizes. Twice, towards the end of our lining work, he let fly with a buck and bolted off on the end of the lines and it was all I could to to follow along on my bad knees to hold him from breaking away.

Years ago at one of his first horse shows he was all riled up and I tried a lunging session to settle him down. I accomplished nothing. As a matter of fact, he was even worse during and after the lunging than he had been under saddle.

As a result, I have never made it a habit of lunging my horses before riding as a way of relaxing them or warming them up. Chance, as the first non-Thoroughbred I've worked in a long, long time, is an entirely different kind of horse. It's something I need to keep in mind should I ever need to settle him in.

Tucker looked good in between the silliness, but I have to be very careful that he does not overflex. He is not doing what he did when I first started him, which was to go behind the bit with both his head and his body, but is now more likely to overbend on the lines while still keeping pretty active behind. When he does that, it makes it hard to encourage him to elevate his front end as the weight shifts to his hind end, because there is no way to "Lift" or half-halt him on the lines when he's too flexed.

If this doesn't make sense, don't worry about it. Long lining is a tricky business because you really don't have a seat or leg to back up a rein aid. While the whip does help, it's not quite the same kind of driving aid a rider can offer. The best exercise seemed to be to push him into a forward canter, which did open up his frame, than ask for the trot, hold it in the more open frame until he overflexed again, and then go back to canter. The natural impulsion of the canter, as it did with Chance, creates a better frame and tends to correct the over bending.

My surcingle with the turrets was damaged in one of Chance's "Barn Raids" so my upper rings are not quite as high or loose as I'd like them to be and that helps too. I have seen some driving rigs with an elevated "thing" so the rein aids can be higher up, but that's kind of a cheat....and expensive, as I recall.

I'll just have to figure out how to encourage him to take more weight on his hind end with some clever exercises--yet to be determined.

A Nice School

But Only One Tonight

My knees were kind of sore tonight, so I just rode Tucker and gave him a pretty good school.

I focused a bit on the lateral work, with shoulder-ins, leg yields and baby half passes. He is a little unsure about the half pass and doesn't have the concept of the bend in the direction of the movement very well yet, but he is certainly trying.

In fact, he is trying everything I ask. He had one moment of protest after a canter/walk transition when I insisted he not drop onto his forehand in the downward, but he rallied quickly and worked right out of the very mini-tantrum.

His reinback is nice and straight at the moment and the move off after it is also getting much more forward.

I was having some problems getting him to, as I said before, do his downward transition from the canter without going onto his forhand so I set up an exercise to teach him to carry himself better. I cantered on the right lead around the ring to "C," transitioned downward to the walk and immediately did a turn on the haunches/half pirouette so he ended up facing left along the rail and then I asked for another canter depart on the left lead. The canter/walk transtitions improved, and the pirouette movement kept him on his hind end.

Hopefully, all these exercises will improve his carriage enough so that whatever we do at the clinic on Saturday will not be too difficult for him to handle.

I am going to dose him with the Ulcergard on Friday--maintenance dose only--on Saturday morning and again Saturday night and Sunday morning to eliminate any problems from the stress of trailering and the lesson.

Gabriel may be here early next week for lessons too, so I will have some good follow-up to keep me going in the right direction.

Busy few days on the horizon.

Three for Three

Into the Woods

I schooled Tucker in the ring for about 15 minutes pushing the envelope to get him into a fairly "up" frame in a short amount of time. Once again he performed like a champ, doing everything I asked with a postive effort. We did a number of canter, trot, canter tansistions, and, at the end a perfectly lovely halt, reinback (very straight and correct), to a trot transistion. At that beautiful moment, I stopped the session and headed out for a hack in the woods.

I really only do one trail with Tucker and that caused one interesting moment. Sometime since the last time we'd taken that path, a four foot tree stump had fallen over about 25 or so feet off the trail. I was totally oblivious of it until Tucker stopped and his eyes bugged out. Clearly, the tree stump fallen over was a new distraction/danger on "our" trail. When he finally decided he could move his feet again, he tried to swerve off the trail to the left by another several feet. Since I have no idea if there are any holes under all the fallen leaves, this was rather disturbing, so I had to correct him, pat him in assurance and convince him that walking along the defined trail--even if he did it sideways--was a much better option.

As I mentioned to Caroline on her blog, the tree stump was not really all that scary, but the fact that is was a NEW tree stump on an OLD trail seemed to give it a terrifying power far beyond its capacity to do any kind of damage to a 16.3 hand horse. *G*

I rode Toby in the ring for perhaps 10 minutes, once more showing Tucker the flying change as well as how to successfully naviagate the trotting poles no matter how badly we came into them. He again seemed quite interested in Toby's masterful demos, which was good.

Then "The Wobester" and I went out for a hack checking out the upper level trail near the trails to the Park lake in the back. He was his usual sensible self, quiet and pleased to be able to grab at greenery along the way and do a bit of grazing at the edge of the field.

Since it was still light, I saddled up Chance and did a variation on the trail I'd just ridden with Toby, basically doing it in the other direction. The only flaw in Chance's otherwise perfect performance is that he too now thinks snatching at tree leaves is an entertaining and rewarding pasttime. I had to keep redirecting him to the path as each time he'd snatch his whole body would head off after his mouth. Guess I am going to have to get stern with him, but it was so funny all I did was laugh at his efforts.

I trotted him in the ring for a few minutes after we got back home just to remind him of how to steer and do all that nice kind of obedient horse stuff. Frankly, he enjoys hacking so much I find it hard to spend time when it's so nice out doing any serious schooling. He is one spoiled youngster, I fear, and not yet trained as well as any of my other young horses have been at age 4. I have fallen for his charms and just let him get away with it.

With Tucker going so well, I am totally spoiled and Chance is reaping the benefits. His training is on the slow track and that's just fine with me.

Taking a Chance

My house is to the left. You can seen the riding arena as a rectangle behind the barn. The pasture is to the right. The three little "beans" near the trees are probably PJ, Toby and Tucker in the pasture.

And Nearly Riding in the Dark

I had to go to the feed store after school to restock the Boy's food supply.

I was home by around five and since the time hasn't yet changed back to standard, I had daylight enough to ride.

I had a nice school with Tucker, adding a few more shoulder ins to the repertoire so I can develop the half pass. He is very responsive to everything I try, looking for the right way to go. The half pass is still a little awkward for him, but he is definitely getting the concept. I actually think it's a little better to the left which is interesting as that was his difficult direction when I taught him leg yield. Then again, I'd wager part of it is my aids and my own comfort level at moving in that direction. I need to really concentrate on how I sit so I don't confuse him and so I make clear exactly what I want.

We mixed the canter changes between trot changes and walk changes and I was quite pleased with how well the canter/walk/canters went. His whole attitude is so positive, even when he fusses a little if I use the whip, it never feels really threatening like it did before. What a good boy he is.

I saddled Chance next for a school in the ring and a plan to take a little mini-ride on the trail just behind the ring. While his head is back to kind of bouncing up and down as he shifts his balance, after about 15 minutes of work to keep him steady and get him down onto the bit, Chance seemed to have a handle on what I wanted. I cantered him just a few strides in each direction and was super pleased when he took the correct lead both times.

The right canter lead earned him a hack in the woods as a reward. He is so funny. Once more he was very clear about the fact that he wanted to head off in a new direction instead of the usual path. Trouble was, it was already getting late and dark. But, I have to admit his enthusiasm was contaigious and I ended up doing the short loop woods trail.

The light was fading fast as we came out to the edge of the cornfield, and Chance did stop, a little confused to see the "wall" of corn in front of us as the last time we were out, we went in the opposite direction. Though it was getting hard to see, we managed to make it back to the barn in fine form, with my little "trailmeister" once more pleased to have gone out into "his" woods.

Now, if I can just teach him to work to the bit properly, I am going have one super nice little hack horse and another potential dressage mount, if I decide to show him. He is one good guy.

This picture shows a distant view of where I live. The blue lake to the south is the sandpit where sand mining went on for years. All the green trees are the State Park behind my house. The last picture pulls back even more. Farmland, also State Parkland lies to the east. The roadway is the New Jersey Turnpike. And the buildings you see are the warehouses. The other blue patch to the west is another former sand mine, now restored to a natural lake in the Park. To the north is the farm we are trying to save the the flooded area is in that line of green just below it. You can kind of see a stream bed running across the farm field where that right angle of green is. That is part of the flooding.

Back in the Saddle Again

After a Fun Morning...

Beautiful day. Clear skies and cool enough for a jacket.

After church a friend and I went to the farm of the guy who grows the corn around here and often sells me my hay to walk through his corn maze. I've never done this before and wanted to try at least once before my bad knees make such activities too painful. The maze was not too complex, but it was really fun. All along the way they had posted signs and stories about local town names. And there were all kinds of Halloween inspired displays throughout the 8 acre field of very tall corn. We never really did feel as if we were lost, but it was fun to explore all the little paths to see where they led.

I had a nice chat with the farmer, who told me the vivid story of how his very large tractor had sunk into the saturated ground near where the flooding is in back of the Park. This was over a hundred feet into the field itself--not in the flooded area itself--where he has been farming for over seven years. I have to see the pictures of this, because the tractor is huge and had sunk in so deep he was able to stand next to it and lean his elbows on the fender. It took some heavy equipment to actually lift the tractor and his harrow out of the bog. Pretty scary and pretty strong evidence of how much those warehouse stormwaters have damaged the natural ecology of the area.

Back home, I headed out with Toby to check on the flood status since was have had several days of rain. The monitoring stake we'd put in the tree line showed that there was 1 1/2 feet of water collected there. This does not bode well for the winter. As the ground, which had dried out over the last months of summer, gets wetter and wetter, the water table will rise and that depth of water will easily double. At least now we have a way of measuring it.

Toby is getting so naughty about snatching at the greenery along the way or trying to stop to graze. As I usually allow him to graze at portions of the ride--and indulgence his retirement permits--he has decided to try to take advantage at every opportunity. Fortunately is is a pretty good sport about being corrected and going on but I keep thinking of fat ponies like Thelwell's pulling their little riders out of the saddle to eat when I ride him. *G*

Chance felt bouncy sound and make it abundantly clear that the ring was not for him today. So, Since I had promised him that as soon as he was better we would go out for a woods ride, we did. He was so happy to be out that he bounced and jigged for at least the first 10 minutes of our short 20 minute ride. He was looking at everything and trying to head off into any opening that looked like it might offer passge for a horse. He was truly looking for an adventure, but I didn't want to push things as he hasn't been ridden in weeks. I do love his enthusiasm.

I decided since it was cool and windy to stick to the ring with Tucker. We had a lovely school, and tried a flying change or two with moderate success, so I didn't push it at all and let him change leads through the trot. I also did some half pass work at trot and canter, although he isn't quite clear on the principles. Had I done some more shoulder in I'm sure it would have helped, but since the weather put a cramp in our training this week, I tried to make most of it play rather than hard work. His attitude is a plus nearly every stride, with just one little uncertainty when I picked up the rein again after a walk break. For a horse that two months or so ago was throwing mini-temper tantrums when being asked to half-halt, his progress is amazing.

I have a clinic with a high profile judge, Axel Steiner, (O level judge who has judged at the Olympics.) on Saturday, November 3, so I need to get some quality riding time in between now and then. Hopefully, I now have a horse up to the task.

Rain Again....

...Just as Predicted

And really too much rain to ride in, especially since it was pretty cool out and the rain cold.

So, I stayed in and did some sewing, something I haven't done for years. I picked up a new sewing machine on sale at Kohls, and decided at last I was going to update my Halloween costume.

I bought some gold sparkly fabric last year for an overdress over the base black gown and some shiny black fabric to make a new cape--since I have somehow lost the old cape I had. (I will probably find in in a month or so now that the replacement is done or almost done.)

I made the overdress and most of the cape all in one evening. Since I hate to cut the fabric and lay a pattern, this was a major accomplishment. Now, mind you, the finishing details are not the high quality needed for real clothes, so it's a lot simpler sewing. I still have a few more bits to finish on the cape--which includes a hood lined with the gold fabric--only because I was interrupted by a phone call that used up an hour and a half of the evening. (The guy friend I invited to come to the Halloweeen party with me.)

Since it's still supposed to be raining tomorrow morning, I'll have plenty of time to complete my costume extravaganza. Maybe I can get someone to take a picture of me in it so you all can see.
In the meantime, just imagine a witch in black and gold.

I used to dress up for school and may still do a modified costume as the morning announcements say, "Halloween, NO COSTUMES!" What a bummer.

Addendum: Saturday Morning
Got up to rain, rain and more rain, but even worse, now it's warm out. I don't have any super lightweight waterproof sheets for the Boys either, so they are still in the ones that are going to be too warm as the day progresses. I have having them get all wet when it's like this and they don't always stay under the shelters.

It just feels more like the tropics out there than I care to think about. Good news is that it's supposed to let up by afternoon, so maybe I can undress them then.

Yuck.

Time Slips Away

Feet Matter More

My feet this time. I had to go to the chiropractor to get fitted for new orthothic inserts for my shoes.

By the time I got home it was around five, so I fed the Boys. I'd left them wearing their waterproof sheets for the day and they did seem pretty comfy in them as it had stayed chilly all day with intermittent showers.

Since it's Thursday, I had choir rehearsal, leaving me without any real time to ride.

If I want to play sour grapes, I can claim the ring was pretty wet too.

Of course it will be wet tomorrow too if it keeps raining. Right now, there is a pretty good breeze, enough to dry my riding surface, but showers are in the forecast again.

But, it will be Friday and I certainly won't have any excuses for not riding this time--unless the showers turn to some steady rain....again.

Rain Arrives

And Comes the Cooler Weather

Would have been a nice day to ride temperature-wise, but not so with the rain.

My farmer neighbor and I went out to set stakes with depth markers in the flooded area before the water starts flowing back in so we can monitor it. Because of at least a month of very dry weather, we were able to walk into the center of the trees where most of the water collects and put a monitoring stick. Now, at last, I will have a fairly accurate way of recording just how deep the water gets over the winter.

Needless to say, I didn't ride. It was a bit too soggy.

At least I did something useful.

The Boys are making use of the run in shed on the west side of the barn. When I went out for the late night feed, it appears that all three were under the roof. Tucker was partially inside Chance's stall which opens to the shed. I guess Toby and Chance were sharing the outer portion.

Nice to see them all clumped together...my little happy herd.

Have I Said This Before?

Another Hot Day???

Yep. Only this time I was in another classroom for the day as my room/computer lab was being used for student achievement tests.

This room had real windows and a breeze! What it did was assure me I am not crazy in claiming to be in a hotter room than almost every other academic teacher. When I went back to my room to do some work, I was roasting again.

Though I did manage to get one of the kind, handsome computer techs in there with me to try to figure out why one of the educational programs we are supposed to be using just wasn't working right. Since I am supposed to be the teacher program expert on this software, it was rather important that I learn some of the ins and outs. What we did learn was that the program will not work if any of the popup blockers are functioning. This was a useful lesson which now nearly sets me on full track to mastering the program. I just need a few days of working it.

Back at home, after a chiropractic adjustment, I suddenly remembered I had to go to a Township Council meeting to witness the passage of an important zoning ordinance designed to help protect some of our rural residents from industrial development. That cut short my plans to ride in the early evening when it sort of started to cool off.

I say "sort of" because it is now nearly 10 PM and I've just come in from lunging Tucker and both he and I are pretty sweated up. The temperature may have dropped below 70 F, but the humidity is so high it's still summer weather and pretty miserable. There is a weather front coming in later, perhaps around midnight with rain and the heat should break.

But, it looks like it is going to rain the rest of the week, let up to showers for a while and then continue on into next week. So now, it will be cool and soggy.

This is really frustrating because Chance is finally sound again and Tucker is on the verge of some exciting training breakthroughs, and I may be washed out.

Then again, when I have been absolutely determined in the past, I have ridden in the rain, so one never knows when and how the motivation might strike me.

Tucker lunged with a nice foward trot and an occasionally "silly" canter as he leapt away from some invisible night monsters in the bushes and the woods. He was nice and forward without much urging on my part and gave me some good work. I think I lunged him for about 20 minutes all told, but I lost track when he took off into a bucking spree a few times. He never really challenged the line, though, so I was easily able to hold him, something which has not always been the case.

He has been extremely affectionate lately and I really think he is trying to tell me he feels good and is happy with himself.

I lunged Chance just long enough to see if he was limping, and he looked great. No more soaking and wrapping. I just put some zinc oxide ointment on the coronary band at his heel where the abscess broke and set him free.

Toby didn't seem interested in lunging, so he had the night off.

All seems peaceful, well and quiet at Follywoods.

Exhausted

Another Hot Day at School

This is getting ridiculous. It was hot again in my classroom today. Probably over 80F outside?? Not sure. And we had computer generated testing today and I had to set up my kids for the test--with some super help from a substitute teacher who was a gem at setting up the computers in his room next door so the overflow of my students had a place to go.

Anyhow, the break in my normal routine wore me out along with the heat. I may lunge Tucker later, or a I may not. Tonight is also the last soaking for Chance's hoof, so that too will wear me out. He's been getting a little fussy about holding his hoof up for all the cottoning, vetwrapping and duct taping, so we have a little wrestling match each time. (Oh, by the way the nappies are a great idea, but I'm using the cotton because I have about 10 big rolls of the surgical stuff left over from when I first got Tucker--he had a leg injury with some serious proud flesh-- and ordered a case of the stuff for bandaging him. Some of it has gotten wet so, I am using it up as hoof padding. )

The heat is supposed to break tomorrow. I hope so. I have all kinds of fall clothes to wear to school and today I was in a summer sundress....again!!

Continuing the flying change experience, I did some research and found a nice article here
http://www.classicaldressage.net/members/lesson_pages/flying_changes1.html There is a part two as well.

One of the controversies seems to be the difference between teaching the flying change and teaching it "correctly" as the masters claim. They say if you teach the horse through less than classical means, he will learn to change crookedly or in an unbalanced way and the problem will stay with him all his life.

I have not found that to be true with my horses. The difficulty was getting them to understand that it was OK to keep cantering, swap leads and go on. Once they get the idea...as the writer of the linked article suggests, then the basics of the "game" are set. They need to think the movement is just another stride, and become totally relaxed about it. Once that happens, the tempis become no big deal--at least up to the two tempis. I never quite developed the ones with any of my horses, but I've ridden a few and again, to the horse, if you don't make a big deal about the single change, so what if you do it every stride? It does take muscle and balance--right now Toby's threes come out of a too strong stride because he can't quite carry himself in the collection needed to get the more moderate ones--but that is all part of the package once the horse reaches the competitive levels requiring the tempis.

I am far from an expert on this, but I do know western horse simply ridden for pleasure and many of the hunter/jumpers around here a perfectly capable of doing repeated changes without all the proper carriage and collection demanded of dressage horses.

So what? There is a difference between training the movements themselves and expecting the movements to be correct. Can a horse half pass on a long rein? Of course. Can a horse make a canter depart on no contact all with his nose stuck out? Of course. Would he score a "10" in the dressage arena or be considered to be working properly? Of course not. But he can still perform the "tricks."

Sometimes its just kind of fun to approach the movements as "tricks" teach them and then work to perfect them. Maybe the classicists think this is backwards, but it can take the pressure off and turn work into play.

Just my philosophy and why I will never make it to the Olympics. *G*

Easy, Breezy, Day

Took It Easy on a Warm Sunday Afternoon

It was up near 80F today in the sun, cooler where there was shade. Supposed to be the same tomorrow and then some rain to break the heat on Tuesday. Ridiculous for October.

I rode Tucker first with a little bit of ring work. I have decided to simply try the flying changes without worrying whether he is in a frame and all together, mostly because his canter is so easy and balanced. As well, years ago when I didn't even know the word "dressage" I taught Russell R. to fly the change for the hunter shows/jumping and he certainly wasn't collected.

So, after a short warm up at the trot and then canter, I went for it. First time was right to left. I started the figure eight on the right rein, made a slight left half pass move which starts to displace the shoulder towards the right. Then I changed the bend and asked for the change....nothing, but I continued on the counter lead to the corner, tapped with the whip and with a bit of a buck, he changed the lead. Since I'd ridden the attempt pretty badly, I took that and continued on the left lead after giving him a lot of praise. This time, I crossed the diagonal trying a slight leg yield to the left, got the counter canter going into the corner, asked for the change and this time, he offered just off my strong leg aid and a change of bend.

This kind of combines a lot of principles. I found with PJ that the best technique was to start a half pass, say, right lead from centerline, keeping his body really straight rather than in right bend as is correct for the half pass. At the rail, I'd give his body a good lateral push, then change the bend as his inside hind was starting to step under and he'd change to keep his balance for the new direction.

Lockie Richards had me simply take Toby on a figure eight, and ask for the change on the centerline as we changed directions. Later, I developed the change by using counter canter on the long side and asking for the change in the corner.

The horse needs to be totally confirmed on both leads and be willing to change leads through the trot reliably. You can work it down to a one stride trot change, then go for the canter change. Some trainers insist the horse be able to change through the walk, with no trot strides in between first as well. The big trick is to get the hind end to initiate the change which is how the tap of the whip comes in handy. Just about all the horses I've taught will give a buck now and then when they are learning, but that's fine as it gets the hind end engaged and elevated so the lead can switch. You also need to have a well confirmed counter canter which you can lose for a while once the horse learns to fly the change.

After the ring work, I took Tucker out on his favorite woods trail.

I rode Toby for a few minutes in the ring and used the poles and jump combo I had up for Tucker the day before. Toby did the little set up with nice quiet confidence and a good steady stride. The biggest issue was some little white flies, the size of gnats swarming all over the place in the ring near the "C" end. They kept flying up his nose and into my eyes and face as we passed there. Annoying little critters. After the little session, we too went out on a short ride through the woods where it was lovely, cool and bug free!

When I got back, Chance insisted on hanging out at the gate to the woods with a longing expression. I promised him we'd go out as soon as he was better.

Then I fed the Boys and went back out to clear some of the fallen trees and overgrown branches off the two parts of the trail nearest the barn. All the while, there was Chance hanging over the gate with that same longing look. It was his first choice of activity after finishing his dinner. He didn't come back to the paddock until I put out the hay.

Guess I owe him a few trail rides.

Oh yes, I mowed the lawn too. Riding mower.