Nothing wrong, the meet was as 11 this morning instead of 1pm this afternoon, because we are all off out for a Halloween Hunt party tonight. It was VERY odd to ride this morning and it feels very wierd to be sat at home now.
I have the pattern now with Radar and the bitting. You use a new bit and he respects it for one week. The next time you use it, he fights it. He fought the Mikmar like billyo on the first and second leg. I was at one point belting down a steep and very slippy slope with no control at all, with a right hand turn to a fence at the bottom, which we only just made, avoiding barbed wire. A few seconds later we approached a big dip across a field and instead of running down into it and up the other side, he jumped it, and landed with a huge thump on the far rise, jarring my back horribly, the baaaad boy :-(
At the check, I took the neoprene cover off his curb chain and did it up three links. From then on life was easy and we jumped well, including a good few big hedges which must all have been fair size drops because all I can remember is slipping my reins time after time to let him use his head to balance. When I saw that picture I posted last week, I tried to remember how and when I learned to do this, but I can't. I think it must just be instinctive behaviour, because as far as I recall I have always been able to release the reins when the horse needs his head. Lucky me, I guess - I see so many hunting people pulled over their horses heads by being unable to release the reins.
I've checked his mouth now we are home and he has done some damage by pulling so hard on legs 1 and 2, but nothing like he did with the Pelham or the Liverpool straight or the Liverpool cherry, so I will stick with it. He has two weeks to heal the sores over, because next week's meet is a horrible journey and apparently the meet is not worth the effort.
Radar has gone out in the field to boast to the other two how wonderful he is. I'm of for a snooze, a bath and a bop, in that order!
C
ps there was a girl in the field who asked me if she had seen me on a dark bay at Beaver Hall Dressage in April. That was Ace of course. He made such an impression on her that she remembered me from it after all this time. She has asked for first refusal if I ever decide to part with him, and she was serious. He certainly makes an impression on people, doesn't he?
Dare I ask - what's a "bop"?
ReplyDeleteWow, Radar is determined to run hard and seems immune to pain in his mouth. Does the curb chain always work on him? I find with Tetley that different bits don't make much difference; it's the chain that makes an impression on him.
Hope your back doesn't hurt tomorrow.
Ah - two nations divided by a common language. Who said that?
ReplyDeleteA bop - dancing - and I did, all night, well from 9pm to 1.30 in the morning, anyway. It was grand.
C
Unfortunately he's also often immune to pain from the curb ML and he will allow it to bite right through his skin and make him bleed rather than stop. Yesterday it worked, but it's a bit of a lottery whether it will or it wont.
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Bopping, I've seriously retired from that antic!!! Hope you're having fun.
ReplyDeleteVery satisfying that the lady remembered Ace and asked for first refusal on him. Fab.
Crazy Radar for being immune to pain - it just shows how much he loves his job eh?
xx T
Whew - am relieved that a bop is dancing - wasn't sure what you would have to post :-) I am impressed that you bopped for 4.5 hours. I did a one hour run this morning and then rode Tetley plus some barn work. That did me in and I have not much energy left.
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ReplyDeleteIs it lower bars being affected more?
ReplyDeleteMight try a kineton or possibly switching to more of a gag? The kineton is designed for horses that pull at higher speeds
Thanks for the suggestions but he doesn't respond well to nose pressure I'm afraid, and because he is thin skinned a Cheltenham gag would rip the corners of his mouth, I'm sure. The latex covered Mikmar is about the best I can do balancing being in control with hurting his mouth.
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RadaR, ever the challenge. At least his disobedience comes from his extreme enthusiasm for his work. Not exactly the norm, so you are lucky that way.
ReplyDeleteHe'd have gone long ago if his problems were reluctance to move instead of over enthusiasm Jean. I can always forgive a horse who wants to move :-)
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