Thursday, February 21, 2013

Riding the powder kegs

I got back home late Monday and ran right out to the barn after work on Tuesday.  Amy had ridden Buddy over the weekend, and said he was good so I hopped right on him.  He was pretty good, just a little cranky over his left bend in the canter.  We had a little discussion, but he ended well.

Anna had been gone over the weekend as well, and was still feeling a little nervous about riding Phoenix after a few days off, so I rode him for her yesterday.  We did a 20min lunge first; he was pretty good, no bucks, but cantered for most of it.  It wasn't raining, yet, so we went outside.  He was a little up and looky but held himself together well.  We went back and forth over a cavalletti working on stopping right away.  There were a couple times he felt like he could buck, so we took a break and worked on some leg yields and half pass at the walk and trot.  He calmed down, and I decided to quit with that.  Anna watched me, and I think we'll try to do that once a week so she can see him be good and also see what I do to redirect his energy.

I had time after Phoenix and still wanted to ride, so I got on one of Connie's horses, Wednesday, the mare that has bucked her lessees off.  I did ride her a couple weeks ago, western, to ride out her bucks, but rode in my jump saddle last night.  Wednesday is 14yr old unraced TB mare, and can be pretty hot.  She likes to leap/jump/buck into the canter and will buck/fling herself into the air on the off side of jumps.  She's deceptive, she's forward and gets wiggly when you put leg on her, but as long as your leg is there and not asking her to go forward she'll relax into to.  You also really need to sit down on her and make her work her hind end so she can't do silly things with it.
She's a very cute, well put together mare.  If I could/had the $$ I would do a breed lease on her.

We worked on transitions since that's where she tends to be naughty.  The first time into the canter I asked from a collected sitting trot and could tell she wasn't sure what I was asking for.  She likes to leap into the canter, but couldn't with me sitting down and with my leg on her holding her in a nice frame.  She finally got it, and we schooled that a few times till it was nice.  We ended trying to do some leg yields at the walk, but she really doesn't like moving off of leg pressure so they were pretty pathetic.  We'll get there!

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