Oh Radar!
We did a schooling session. He walked nicely and calmly for a circuit in each direction. He trotted, very nicely for him, a circuit in each direction and a 20m circle in each corner. I asked for a canter transition and he dived madly head first into it. I pulled up and tried again. The second one was even worse than the first, completley manic! I took him back to walk.
And FIFTY minutes later, I had managed to get him back to a nice calm walk again. The intervening fifty minutes were spent trying to trot, canter, leave the arena interspersed with diving left or right when asked for a simple turn. He made life SO hard for himself! It was only the fact that my primary objective is to keep him fit and that he was making things such hard work for himself that stopped me from getting very, very cross.
What a silly boy!
On the bitting front, the Saturday before our holiday we hunted and he massacred his mouth on the cherry roller. It was a complete mess, with bits hanging off his gums :-((((( I have been forced to go back to the Mikmar, which I was avoiding using because his top tushes were touching it. I wrapped it in latex, and built up the front edge with a roll of latex inside the other latex, so that the front 1/3 of an inch (which would be the piece pressing into his gums if he pulled) all made of latex. I wrapped the curb in neoprene because that has been biting his chin groove too. I raised the bit as high as I could get it - about where dressage riders seem to put them now. I think it's too high, but there seemed to be no option.
Radar had a different opinion. Even before I got on at the meet he was making dreadful faces about it. When I got on he went demented. He reared and backed even if I didn't touch it, shaking his head around in temper (or pain? Difficult to see why though.) He would not go forward at all. I had to get SH to put it down a hole quickly, and then he was OK. He went well in it and there was no additional damage to his mouth at the end of a full four hour hunt. I have ridden him in it every time since and today all the gum is healed and smoothing out nicely. I can only hope that he will continue to hunt well in it, because I'm right out of other options now if he chooses to ruin his mouth again :-(
C
Good grief! He is a puzzle. Not many horses I've met over time just want to run fast and jump. All that "schooling" stuff is just too silly for him...*G*
ReplyDeleteThe bit mess is a nightmare! Hopefully your new configuration will work out and keep him under control, you safe, and his mouth in good condition.
Let's hope so Jean!
ReplyDeleteC