Today was a day when I would have said that it as too bad to ride outside - fog, drizzle and a very high wind. But I found once I was out there neither I nor the horses seemed to notice, which was a great bonus.
Ace was quite good. His main foible is that when he thinks he has done enough, he sets rigid like a plank. He then bucks if you try to push him out of it. I do it anyway, he can't just shut down when he thinks 20 minutes is enough work!
I tried to work on Jazz getting a canter change on a straight line across the diagonal but he simply refused to acknowledge that I had even asked. In the end I had to admit defeat and make a physical change of bend to force him to change canter leads, but it wasn't a happy compromise this morning :-(
How's this for a comparison? With each of them, I took them to see the new blue barrels before I got on. Neither of them were bothered, each of them sniffed the rapeseed residue on the outside and both were perfectly calm. I got on Ace and he never bothered about them at all. I got on Jazz and he refused to go anywhere near them. For goodness sake what goes on in that horse's brain?!?!?!?! He's been licking them two minutes earlier!
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How unusual, it seems to me, to have fog and high wind too. I love dense fog and the still that usually accompanies it. That's one of the advantages of having horses - that it gets you outside and enjoying weather that at first thought seems unpleasant.
ReplyDeletePut some treats out on the blue barrels, then Jazz will change his mind. It is strange though; you know he wasn't afraid before.
Horsebrain....oxymoron. *G*
ReplyDeleteMeant to comment at some point that jumping is great for dressage horses. Vice versa, dressage is great for jumping horses. The key is to get them to do both properly and jump with the same gymnastic expectations you have for the dressage.
Years ago, I've been told by riding masters, nearly all the dressage tests had a jump in them--often at the end. Part of the old cavalry concept, I guess, but there it was. The jump was part of the proof of the dressage training.
I have, I think, 8 of those barrels. Lucked out and got them free. There are also plastic jump blocks you can buy--saw some for $57 USD a pair out of KV Vet supply (The link it too long to post here.) These allow you to make cavaletti as well as various heights of jumps. The Blok brand--the ones I have--have gone way up in price! Whew! Don't know what you have in the UK like that or the prices.
Those Bloks are horribly expensive Jean. About £80 a pair the last time I looked.
ReplyDeleteHe isn't scared really ML, the only difference is that I am on his back and he is looking for a way to evade doing what I want him to do!
The fog is really low cloud, which is why we get wind as well. It is the same as fog, but if I drive down 500 feet or so, I go under it and the weather is clear but dull.
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Someone told me that a led horse will only take in about 40% of their surroundings, relying on the person doing the leading.
ReplyDeleteThat is why long reining is good, as the horse is out in front having to weigh up everything it comes across.
That's interesting Judith. Jazz will go anywhere I lead him, but ask him to do the same thing with me on him and it's different altogether.
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