Soft as Butter

DH has to work both days this weekend and I have to go help MIL with her horse (and Cat) this weekend so I knew if I wanted to ride I was going to have to do it after work so I decided to go last night. I took Lu and Max but told DH that I was only going to work with Max after I got done with Lu and only if I still had time.

By the time I scarfed down supper, headed out to the farm, hooked up the trailer and got the horses loaded it was 5:45. We got to the arena around 6:00 and it was pitch black. Mona wasn’t kidding when she said it was dead at night. I unloaded the ponies and started grooming.

After Lu was saddled and ready to go we headed to the arena and did some desensitizing and LFR Stage I. Her take offs are quick but soft and she looked very relaxed moving in her circle. Counter clockwise is still her preferred direction. Clockwise she has a harder time bending her body in the “C” shape around me.

Every time I’d yield her HQ I’d draw her into me, scratch her head (which she’s starting to enjoy) and then I’d back her back out and send her back on the circle. Instead of switching up directions I’d have her go counter clockwise 2 or three times in a row and then clockwise one time so she moved in her bad direction more.

When it was time for the lope I lifted my hand and she softly went into a lope. Woo hoo, no bucking! Oops I spoke too soon. About the second or third time I asked her to lope her heels came up. I immediately sat on the rope (yanking her eyes towards me) and when she was facing me headed in her direction quickly and sternly making her back quickly. As soon as she was focused back on me I sent her off again. She tried it twice tonight and even acted like she wanted to kick up going counter clockwise.

Once I got a nice, smooth lope out of her in both directions we quit. I backed her over to the wall, bridled her and hopped on. We worked on the following:

Follow the fence
Yeilding HQ
Bending
Post to post
Giving vertically

She’s doing much better at follow the fence. Yeilding the HQ I’ve never really had a problem with. We are still working on bending (bending to the left is her bad side to the right is ok). Post to post was actually better then I expected (she usually moves like she’s drank a 12 pk. when we try to go in a straight line) and giving vertically we aren’t ready for. She did it but I need to back up and slow down.

By this time she was hot. Since her winter coat is long she sweats easily so I decided to tie her up and play with Max. I haven’t touched him since “that night” (September) so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I’m not sure why I always expect the worst out of him. He’s never really given me a reason to. When we hit the middle of the arena and I started twirling the rope his eyes got big and my first thought was “here we go” but he settled quite well.

We did some LFR Stage I and he was very soft and fluid on the end of the line always keeping an eye on me. I barely had to look at his hip and he was yielding. We went both directions for about 10 minutes and I decided to ask for a lope. I didn’t want to keep him in it long; I just wanted to see if he could/would do it. To my surprise he did and he was almost just as slow as he was when we stopped working last fall.

After the LFR we did some backing. He fought me a little bit (wanted to lounge) but finally got with the program. We backed up and down the arena two times doing the tap the air method and then the marching method. The last thing to do before getting on was flex. I flexed him with the halter and he was as soft as butter. He came back to me before I could even get my hand all of the way around.

I bridled him up and jumped on (bareback). I just wanted to see how he felt and maybe trot some. I don’t want to over do his hock but I want to build it up as well. He was just as soft with the bit as he was with the halter. We walked off and did a few ORS until I felt comfortable and then I let him trot. He felt so good! He moved nice and soft and really felt like he never had any time off. If/when we sell him I really am going to miss him (and I think DH will too). I trotted him all over the arena doing X and leg yield and even asking him to move out at the trot. I think even he was having fun.

I couldn’t help myself and asked him to lope. He felt a bit “fresh” and shook his head a bit but he did lope and it wasn’t his “out of control” spring lope we usually have when he’s out of shape but it was closer to the nice controlled lope we had this fall. We went both directions and then trotted a bit more. By this time I felt like can icicles and I still had to pick up after myself and my ponies so I decided I’d better quit. It was almost 9:00 and I still had to feed.

I’m not sure when I’ll get out next but hopefully soon!

Oh and before I forget. I have one problem with Lucy that I can foresee being a HUGE problem this summer if we don’t get it managed soon (but hard to do in winter). She HATES getting hot & sweaty and she tries to lay down when she’s hot (not when I’m on her, she’s tried that only one time). She was pawing last night while I was riding Max and I told her to get over it. She somehow managed to actually get down on the ground while she was tied up (guess I need to tie her up higher huh).