Two of the boys went to school in a blizzard of snow today, like Eskimo children :-) I didn't deliberately ride in a blinding snowstorm, it looked OK while I started to ride Woody, but suddenly blew up into a gale.
I did a test today of his reactions to the initial take-up of a contact. First of all I rode off with no contact at all and he went off very relaxed. Then I took up just the lightest of contacts and he immediately went completely rigid. This is totally normal for him at the start of every session. But the time that he stays like this gets shorter and shorter. I usually, as I did today, put him into a walk serpentine and he gets the idea of the bends quite quickly. For some reason, going straight across the middle with his hocks behind him and his head in the right place is a challenge, but it takes less time every time to get a decent straight line. Today I had to send him on "too fast" to persuade him to unlock his shoulders in the trot, but again it was a shorter time than last time before he gave me a longer, lowish, swinging trot with a settled light contact. I'm very happy with his progress. His evasions are less intensive every time, and the work he gives at the end is a better quality every time. He's a very good Eskimo boy, so we rubbed noses :-)
I cooked Ace while riding Woody, and I took him out onto the arena when the wind was benign and there was no snow. No sooner had I mounted and clipped myself onto the saddle than off it went again. I am completely amazed by how he behaved in conditions like that - howling wind, driving snow, minus two degrees C! He walked, trotted and cantered; did some trot figure of eight; same with change through walk and canter figure of eight with change through walk. None of it was of startlingly good quality, but my goodness his general behaviour and demeanour were!!
If we get a hunt this weekend the two on offer are both Children and Beginner meets, so Woody will be going not Radar. In view of the fact that I was by this time an ice block, and isn't desperate for the exercise, he didn't get ridden today.
A major snowfall is forecast for later today, so that'll be us snowed in for the fourth time this winter.
C.
Saw a report about your snow on one of the news pages. Sounds pretty miserable to me. We keep getting dustings of snow, but so far, no big falls. I suppose the drivers will be knocking at your door again. *sigh*
ReplyDeleteBy spring, Woody should be ready to go. His learning curve is getting faster and faster. A nice hunt on the weekend should be good for him. Getting out and about with no pressure except to have fun is a great idea.
As for Ace? Who woulda thunk? Having him work solidly in that kind of weather is nothing short of amazing, considering what he was like last year at this time. Your heat therapy seems to have done the trick. Good for him and even better for you!
Here you go jean, current weather conditions less than 2 miles from me www.buxtonweather.co.uk
ReplyDeleteWe have bought some road closed signs, but they can't deliver them - the road is closed !!!!! :-)
C