For the fourth ride in a row, Radar has stayed quiet and soft and been really lovely. I think he must be ill :-) Today he even came straight back to a super walk in between trotting and cantering. No fussing, no marching, no dashing off, just a nice, quiet walk. He's been able to do the quality of work he does now for quite some time, but what has suddenly made him decide to do it without a fuss first, I have no idea. Long may it continue!
Ace and the letters. Now, there's a story. It is now very clear that Ace is not remotely bothered by white signs with black letters on them. In the barn, he does not even appear to have noticed that they are there, other than that it was worthwhile chewing them :-)
Out on the arena, he is aware that they are there but takes almost no notice of them ................ until you give him some work to do that he is finding difficult, and then they suddenly come to life and threaten to eat him. It's not the letters, they are just an excuse. It's the mental tension of the work. How very , very interesting!
I think the best strategy I can use is to simply ignore him spooking at them, and carry on trying to get the work right (or in a test situation, complete the test).
The work that he struggled with today was a change through trot at X in the middle of two canter half circles. It's a movement in Novice 24 2010 which we should be doing on Wednesday. He simply would not respond to my aid to trot at first, but then once he realised that he had to trot, he did the up transition a horses length later quite well. We need to practise it a bit more before we try it in a test. Also, it comes after a canter circle at E where you lengthen the canter on the second half of the circle. So he needs to learn to come back from that to a nice balanced canter before he can start the first half circle at A. The ten metre loops in from the track which are also in the test, which he has never done before, were easy peasy for him, and his lengthening is improving all the time too, so he should manage the test fine if he can keep his brain in his head and not put it into the letters!
C.
You are at a tricky phase with Ace. Just make sure you ride forward through all those transitions and don't overcue for the downward to the point that he falls behind your seat and loses the impulsion. Riding the downwards very forward should help you get them better and sooner. Think in your brain the change of rhythm and ride it with your seat.
ReplyDeleteSounds to me as if most of what he's doing wrong is just typical of a young horse developing both his physical and mental skills at the same time. I suspect the spooking is mostly a stress reaction when he just isn't quite sure of what to do. Ignoring it a just going on is a good idea and, do remember a little shoulder in past the scary thing when you can to both focus his mind on an exercise and distract his vision a little.
It would be great if you have finally made a real breakthrough with Radar! Sounds promising. He's a smart fellow with a keen sense of both self and self-preservation. If he finally realizes that being athletically supple is really to his benefit, he may well adopt it as his motus operandi!
I think I meant to say, "Ignoring it AND just going on is a good idea..."
ReplyDeleteI find it helps Ace if I ride once or twice making it completely clear that I want a down transition, even if he halts because of it. After one, or two at the most, repetitions, he listens for the aid and comes back nicely to the pace I want with a much lighter aid. He is a horse who likes things to be made very clear, and one who you don't punish for over-reaction because all he's doing is trying to work out what you want. He's a sweet boy. Didn't stop him bucking when it started to rain and he didn't want to do a square halt in it though :-)))
ReplyDeleteC
Ahhhhhh Radar .. so glad he is settling into the work so well..
ReplyDeleteRe Ace very familiar with this kind of thing with Neets.. and agree totally with Jean.. ignore and ride forward. It is so about young horses finding things a bit challenging and venting a bit.. I have found that really being in tune and catching and rewarding every try, even if it isn't quite what I was looking for, really helps.. I've found that my confidence / certainty in what I'm asking really helps too.
I jus wish I could DO it as easily as I can say it NH :-)
ReplyDeleteC
Yup know what mean.. much easier to type it than to actually do it ;)
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ReplyDeleteRadar is getting the bug now as well??? How funny, and great. Looking forward to your next outing news.
ReplyDeleteI Radar get his act together with this dressage stuff he could be pretty awesome, Tracey, he has HUGE movement and great expression! We don't want him outshining Ace, now though, do we :-) ??
ReplyDeleteOuting postponed this week due to visitors and no time to get him ready :-(
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