I put a scarf over my ears and pinned it in place with my hat harness, guarded my lions (I think I mean girded my loins :-) and rode Ace in a biting sharp wind this morning. I had no trouble once I had started concentrating on my riding, and he was spooky but really very good for a young man.
I have learnt now not to push him into trot before he has had a good gawk around the arena and made sure it is all in the right place. If I do, he sets his back and can buck. If I wait for him to offer the first trot, things go a lot more smoothly.
Once he was moving, I decided to practice trot/canter/trot transitions. This is an exercise we have never done before, because of his ability to explode on the up transition if he feels pressured to get it right. So we cantered the 40m side and trotted the 30m side and he did it really well on both reins.
Ace is a horse who you do not repeat an exercise on too many times, or he anticipates what you want dreadfully and then panics or throws a strop when you won't let him do it. Jazz is completeley different. With him, you repeat until you get what you were asking for, however long that takes. Chalk and cheese. Radar is somewhere in the middle. You repeat til he does a fair approximation of what you want and then stop, otherwise he too anticipates and throws himself around.
C
Ace is rather more "Thoroughbred" than Jazz, I guess. Seems so far that Chance does not mind the repetition and needs it. Tucker and Toby are more...do it and stop. Makes for an interesting contrast and certainly keeps you on your toes with your riding skills.
ReplyDeleteYou are a brave woman--or as noted, a bit crazed--to ride out in that kind of wind. But, on the other hand, it's great for Ace to learn how to work in adverse conditions.
Yes, the temperament difference shows in their build too Jean, it's clear how much less TB Jazz has in his background.
ReplyDeleteC
ps I'll ignore the further questions posed about my mental health
pps oops, I didn't do well at ignoring it, did I :-)?
My 3 have been in their stables for 48 hours now and they are absolutely happy with that option!!! Horrendous weather here.....and my heating has broken down, no hot water either and now they're fitting a new boiler, so they've turned off the cold water and the gas as well. If they turn the electric off I'm leaving home!!!
ReplyDeleteSorry I needed to moan. Grrrr
That's not nice! No hot water, no cold water, no gas ..... I'd just go back to bed.
ReplyDeleteC