Yesterday I took Ace onto the field where he bucked me off, and he was very sweet and quiet. I was quite nervous and thought I might set him off, but no, he was fine. I know his feet hurt at the time and I think his stomach probably did as well. The difference a few pills from Tesco have made has been simply amazing. I wonder just how many nasty horses have actually got a stomach ache?
Jazz is gettng the message with half pass, and yesterday when he dropped the bend he automatically started full passing! As if to say, that's too difficult in trot, have this instead, I can do this! But he has stopped bucking when he is asked to try, and is generally far less resisitant to the idea, so I will keep on with this exercise because he always did learn best by day after day repetition. It's not something I would do with many horses, but we know it works with a mind like Jazz's.
C
Great news about Ace. What is Jazz's travers like in trot Caroline?
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely perfick! A really strong bend, I can probably even get him onto 4 tracks in it.
ReplyDeleteIt's a real conundrum. He can shoulder in, he can travers, he can't do them both at the same time!!! Mind you, the travers is new this year, so maybe it's just that he needs a little more time.
C
Have you tried thinking Travers across the diagonal?
ReplyDeleteHave you been readng my mind. This evening I worked out that he was moving off my leg into travers easily, but when we were already in shoulder in he would not accept the travers aid. I know it is completely wrong in a test, but I figured that if I could get him to lead with the quarters it would be much easier to add the shoulder in. So that's what we did and I got the best result yet. I'll have another go tomorrow, he got it quicker and better today, so I hope we are close to a breakthrough.
ReplyDeleteC
ps just travers across the diagonal does not work because he is not crossing his front legs in travers. He will very easily turn across the diagonal and then travers, but has to add shoulder in to get the leg cross in front. If I put on travers first and then push him sideways, he has to cross in front too. He managed one each way in a jog today, which is the first time that he has been able to complete one without dropping into walk.
ReplyDeleteC
In answer to your question, I suspect there are hundreds of "mean" horses out there that simply hurt and often, in the stomach. Glad to hear Ace is ace again.
ReplyDeleteNothing wrong with leading with the hind end at first to get the idea into Jazz's head. As long as he's figuring it all out you can certainly make the half pass more correct as time goes on. It's that bend that's the problem. He just needs to get flexible.
That is how I have been taught to half pass set it up in travers then bring the front across a bit more. I sometimes find it useful to think one step forward one step sideways (with my aids) otherwise you can get stuck in a full pass. It's a rhythm thing for me and more of a mental thing. My horse is very backwards thinking however so I need to keep the forwards button on otherwise we just die in a heap somewhere near X, if we actually make it that far!!
ReplyDeleteWe doing dying in a heap quite well. It's a shame it's not a required movement!
ReplyDeleteC
I think you should get extra points for expressions of confusion on both horse and riders faces when dying in a heap ....
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