Sprowt was a special cat because she stayed like a kitten in behaviour even though she was into her third year. But that kitten behaviour is also what caused her to lack any sense of self preservation. When she was a few months old I watched as she sat in the road and forced a car to move out round her, and from that day on we have been waiting for what happened on Wednesday. It was only a matter of time, and we are trying to be grateful instead for the two years we had of a truly exceptional character. It would help a bit if she had not also been stunningly attractive and coloured in a way that I had been trying to find for 5 years since I first saw one - mottled stripes of dark grey, biscuit/beige and white/grey, with a white undercarriage. We were so lucky to have had her.
And how lucky am I also to have my three outside boys? Ace looked at the tack today as I brought it out with real pleasure in his face. Oh, a saddle! I'm going to do some work for you! We had a lovely hack, where he was "looky" but no longer really spooky. It was a good start to the day.
Woody got very cross that I let the other two out and then expected him to work on the arena. For the first five minutes he was horrid, refusing to accept a contact or be told how fast to go or in what direction. I put him into a lollipop tree, but I had to keep the circles extremely small to stop him chucking himself about. That got him to calm down and understand what I wanted, and very soon we had a lovely walk with a lovely contact. The next exercise was trot circling in smaller and out again. His trot is hugely improved, and although his contact is a little inconsistent, it is far, far better than it was even last week. His reaction to my leg to move out on the circle is new, and very, very pleasing.
The improvement has followed through into canter left, which is excellent. He struggles to take canter right and consistently strikes on the wrong lead. I tried shoulder in; didn't work. I tried turning his head outwards; didn't work. I tried walk to canter holding him straight; didn't work. I weighted my outside seatbone, my inside seatbone, both seatbones equally; didn't work. Finally I ran him into it from a fast trot. That worked, and I kept him going. The next one still took half a dozen attempts but was much better, and when he broke to trot and then picked it up again, I thought that was such an achievement that he had done enough.
All in all, things are looking bright.
C
Still sad about Sprowt. Aching for you. Perhaps there is another kitty somewhere needing a home who is fated for you--adopted to honor Sprowt's memory?
ReplyDeleteI have found that sometimes I can get a horse to take a lead by focusing on riding "straight" on the circle at the trot. It's more feel than anything, but on a 20m circle I ride to the bad lead side, keeping the bend but thinking of getting the hind end aligned and the feel that the inside hind is striding both on the correct track and fully engaged. It's part of the theory of the head out thing as that kind of "stretches" the inside, but you do it in correct bend instead.
Also, if you can feet the outside hind and cue as it strikes off, that can help too--provided the horse responds to a canter aid. I think one of the reasons the fast trot works is because the inside is really going forward and hence, straight.
If it is a chronic problem, then you need to be suspicious that the opposite hind--in this case his left--might need some strengthening. Or he could be having a little stifle issue--again, usually cured by fitness.
Glad you got the lead, though. Each success will naturally breed more success.
How nice to hear Ace looks forward to being ridden like that. He really is proving to be quite a character as he matures.
Isn't it nice that Ace makes it so clear that he wants to work? I can't say I've ever had another who made it quite so obvious, though Tetley is, as ML relates, always happy to work, even he did not have quite the same "yes!" look in his eyes when he saw a saddle coming to his door.
ReplyDeleteWoody's canter problem feels to me like a genuine physical difficulty. Thanks for the heads-up that it's the outside hind that is probably the issue. Shoulder-in left should help strengthen that a bit, and more of our hills.
C.