Today I spent time with Scout. He got some good grooming in which he enjoyed, and then I tacked him up in the surcingle and side pull and we worked at ground driving, and a little long lining in the indoor arena for about 20 minutes around the arena and over poles.
He saw the chiropractor last week, and had his 7th cervical and his first thoracic vertibrae put back in place. She worked on his LS joint area too. The first two adjustments seem to have held, but the lower back has not. She does not want him ridden or worked in small circles until that one stays in place. He did a great job for me, and was very willing. He really likes the attention. We will have to see what happens with the lower back. I stretched out his hind legs afterwards, and he happily walked back to his pen with me.
Showing posts with label ground poles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ground poles. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Monday, July 2, 2012
Mezza revisits the obstacle course
Today was hot, but that did not stop us! Mezza watched me like a hawk yesteday, neighing every time I walked by, so she was happy to come out today. As both round pens were in use, we headed down to the indoor arena, and started our session with a longe at the walk and trot over ground poles. Then I had her do the turns (bends) on the longe line, where I toss the rope across her back just behind her shoulder, as I stand to one side of her neck, then walk to the side I tossed it to, pick it up, walk kind of towards her rear, flip it over her butt, and ask her to turn around. She is doing those really well!
It was good practice for her to start in the arena when there was someone riding in there--she has to be used to that for shows. Once the rider left, we worked on some in-hand turns (fores and hinds), backing and walking and trotting at side. The trotting at side started out with her getting ahead, so we went back to walking at side, and then "whoaing". Once she paid attention, we added the trot back in, but only for several paces before asking for a walk again. If she started to scoot ahead, I held the rope or end of the dressage whip in front of her face. Once we did well, I stopped, and then turned her loose for a break. She was relaxed, and just ambled about for a bit.
So I clicked the lead line on and we went out and groomed and put her sport boots on and headed out to the small field with the obstacle course. We were all alone, and started by walking past all the jumps. One of the ones with telephone poles we both hopped over and proceeded through all of the obstacles: the 'boxes' made of poles, walked around all of the tires, through the 'W' made of raised poles, over the tarp that is held down between 2 telephone poles, over the 4 or so ground poles, and finally, over the 'bridge'. This time she followed me over the bridge with no problem, but didn't really want to walk over it while I walked beside her. That we will have to practice more. I am really proud of her!
We finished up by walking out to the trailer, where I took off her boots and put fly spray on her, then gave her a few timothy pellets before walking and trotting her back to her pen. The walk and trot back were 'right on', she was in fine form!!
It was good practice for her to start in the arena when there was someone riding in there--she has to be used to that for shows. Once the rider left, we worked on some in-hand turns (fores and hinds), backing and walking and trotting at side. The trotting at side started out with her getting ahead, so we went back to walking at side, and then "whoaing". Once she paid attention, we added the trot back in, but only for several paces before asking for a walk again. If she started to scoot ahead, I held the rope or end of the dressage whip in front of her face. Once we did well, I stopped, and then turned her loose for a break. She was relaxed, and just ambled about for a bit.
So I clicked the lead line on and we went out and groomed and put her sport boots on and headed out to the small field with the obstacle course. We were all alone, and started by walking past all the jumps. One of the ones with telephone poles we both hopped over and proceeded through all of the obstacles: the 'boxes' made of poles, walked around all of the tires, through the 'W' made of raised poles, over the tarp that is held down between 2 telephone poles, over the 4 or so ground poles, and finally, over the 'bridge'. This time she followed me over the bridge with no problem, but didn't really want to walk over it while I walked beside her. That we will have to practice more. I am really proud of her!
We finished up by walking out to the trailer, where I took off her boots and put fly spray on her, then gave her a few timothy pellets before walking and trotting her back to her pen. The walk and trot back were 'right on', she was in fine form!!
Saturday, May 12, 2012
"Mezza" work
May 10 started with a fair amount of practice on older "stuff" including our turns in-hand, rating at walk and trot in a short circle over ground poles, and longing on a longer line over ground poles.
We did a lot of work with desensitization with the dressage whip, which has a small piece of white plastic back left on the end of it. Mezza did NOT like it tickling her ears, and wasn't too keen on having rubbed along her neck, especially when she saw it out of her other side! We practiced this for a while, and she calmed down, but will need it repeated for some time yet. Unfortunately in the video, we are far enough away that it is really hard to see the dressage whip at all!
I need to make sure I'm much closer to the camera for that!
The thing I wished to have gotten photos of was when I took her back into the barn where the stalls are. We practiced entering and leaving one of the stalls which has a good 6-inch step up into the stall. I'm trying to mimic stepping up into a trailer, since she had so much trouble stepping out of it last time we practiced. My friend, Jerry, suggested checking the stalls to see if one had a step up, and yea, I found it.
She stepped right in, and then I let her briefly explore the stall before moving her around in it, asking for her to turn her front away in a circle, then her hind, etc. Then I asked her to step out and she started to then hesitated. I stood outside the stall as she explored the edge with her muzzle and gingerly with her front feet. She finally hunkered down close to the floor, and extended one front foot--slid it out over the edge and let it extend to the floor. I thought she would end up on her belly! She didn't. As soon as the foot found the barn floor she brought the second foot, and did a small hop out with her rears. I was proud of her, and she was obviously feeling good about it. I rubbed her, and then took her back in. She came out much better the second time, but still with a bit of a hop. The third time she wasn't sure she wanted to go IN to the stall. So, we did a bit of pressure and release. Coming out, no problem. Ditto for 4th time. We went in and out of the stall about 5 or 6 times, with her finally just stepping in and out with me.
The I gave her a break and took her up to the front of the barn for about 10 minutes before we came back for a "review" which she passed with flying colors! I'll need to repeat this for awhile. Then I plan to work on backing her out of several of the stalls, beginning with one that has almost no step up.
In the end I learned not to leave my camera and tripod set up in the indoor arena without supervision--even if it is on the opposite side of a fence! One of the youngsters turned out in the arena was curious enough to put her head through the fence and tried chewing on my camera! LOL, it survived, but has teeth marks! A good lesson to me.
Mezza in hand, practicing the walk and whoa from the off side.
Practicing one form of the back from the off side.
Longeing tacked up over ground poles.
The link to the longeing video: Longeing Mezza indoors over ground poles
Desensitizing to the dressage whip
We did a lot of work with desensitization with the dressage whip, which has a small piece of white plastic back left on the end of it. Mezza did NOT like it tickling her ears, and wasn't too keen on having rubbed along her neck, especially when she saw it out of her other side! We practiced this for a while, and she calmed down, but will need it repeated for some time yet. Unfortunately in the video, we are far enough away that it is really hard to see the dressage whip at all!
I need to make sure I'm much closer to the camera for that!
The thing I wished to have gotten photos of was when I took her back into the barn where the stalls are. We practiced entering and leaving one of the stalls which has a good 6-inch step up into the stall. I'm trying to mimic stepping up into a trailer, since she had so much trouble stepping out of it last time we practiced. My friend, Jerry, suggested checking the stalls to see if one had a step up, and yea, I found it.
She stepped right in, and then I let her briefly explore the stall before moving her around in it, asking for her to turn her front away in a circle, then her hind, etc. Then I asked her to step out and she started to then hesitated. I stood outside the stall as she explored the edge with her muzzle and gingerly with her front feet. She finally hunkered down close to the floor, and extended one front foot--slid it out over the edge and let it extend to the floor. I thought she would end up on her belly! She didn't. As soon as the foot found the barn floor she brought the second foot, and did a small hop out with her rears. I was proud of her, and she was obviously feeling good about it. I rubbed her, and then took her back in. She came out much better the second time, but still with a bit of a hop. The third time she wasn't sure she wanted to go IN to the stall. So, we did a bit of pressure and release. Coming out, no problem. Ditto for 4th time. We went in and out of the stall about 5 or 6 times, with her finally just stepping in and out with me.
The I gave her a break and took her up to the front of the barn for about 10 minutes before we came back for a "review" which she passed with flying colors! I'll need to repeat this for awhile. Then I plan to work on backing her out of several of the stalls, beginning with one that has almost no step up.
In the end I learned not to leave my camera and tripod set up in the indoor arena without supervision--even if it is on the opposite side of a fence! One of the youngsters turned out in the arena was curious enough to put her head through the fence and tried chewing on my camera! LOL, it survived, but has teeth marks! A good lesson to me.
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