Sun 31st Oct 09
Met S at 3pm again. In the morning it was hammering with rain and blowing a hooley but by the afternoon the rain had stopped and wind dropped a lot. The horses were pretty spooky as there had been a huge bonfire across the road for Halloween the night before.
As the light fades quickly now, got a march on. D got a quick lick with a dandy and we were ready for the off. Went round Scarletts lake again. D was full of himself and on his toes but I didn't worry about getting on as he'd had time to take the edge off his energy as we have a 15 min walk before getting on.
D was fine with me getting on but he's always a little bit reluctant to step forward and I was glad when S kept a steady pressure on the rope to bring him forward - and which kept his head up too. I get the feeling that, in that pause, he's thinking about things and this is where the explosion could occur so you really need to get on and either go forward quickly or keep him flexed until he relaxes.
What was striking today was how much more jumpy D was with me moving around on him. I was patting myself and the pad and touching him. Each time, D broke into a trot and I kept up the patting until he walked then quit. There was a lot of licking & chewing going on! I think this was because he was on his toes today, not because he has become more sensitised. By the end of the ride, he was chilled again. Had some really nice trots - I'm very comfy on my bareback pad and love feeling everything going on underneath me. I can really feel when D is braced or relaxed.
Oh no - a pat on the bum sent him shooting forward and I grabbed TWO reins!! I didn't actually pull them, just gathered them - I'd had no contact at all - but there's a pattern I must break. In fact, if I only break one "traditional" pattern, that's the one. In my defence, I'm not a puller, but I have always micro-managed my horses and got them working in an outline when they got spooky. Although effective, this is not good practice as I must be able to do everything freestyle.
So, more, more more extreme FG needed and FG on the move (thanks Beth). I'm proud to say Duncs has picked up his newest trick very quickly (about 3 sessions). He can now walk to the thick orange Sainsburys bag, pick it up with his teeth and give it a good shake! Very amusing and, as I'd hoped, he has also become much more relaxed about having the bag on him. Must now try it walking along.....
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