The new arena membrane has arrived and the man to do it arrives later today or early tomorrow. This will be the last day that I can school on it until after our holiday in October, so I made the most of it with Ace and Jazz.
Jazz really has got medium trot. He is running as well as lengthening, to some extent, but he is rebalancing before the corner with only a sit-up and squeeze of the reins. I am prepared to let him run at this stage, as long as he is understanding that the idea is to go faster and then to rebalance to a slower pace without a fight. Once he is reliably doing that, I can ask for more speed without quickening the stride, and he'll have a fantastic medium with a "gear change" between working and medium and working. I wonder how much the hock injections have helped with him suddenly improving how much he could offer?
Ace was sweet and I am working him out, slowly. He fools me, because he finds some things so physically easy that you can mistake his physical ability for mental agility. In reality, his brain is very slow, and he gets upset easily if he does not understand. So walk to canter was a piece of cake, but walk to trot has been a different kettle of fish altogether. I have had to be very quiet, very gentle, and very reassuring, and then he can keep calm and work with me.
Radar and I hacked up to a friend's for a brew and to see her daugher's new horse. Thankfully I could genuinely say that I think that they have got a very nice eventer type mare for the money they have spent (£4,500).
Pictures of the arena build start tomorrow!
C
The hock injections probably have made a difference, but so has your consistent training.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to hearing all about the new footing.
And just in time for the onset of autumn rains. When I was working in England I remember that the cold, rainy weather (in Cambridge) arrived late October.
ReplyDeleteHe's been held up a day, now coming tomorrow. We are off out with Ace again tomorrow too, so we'll see how he behaves this time.
ReplyDeleteC