Back on Track

I finally had a work out that was worth mentioning!

Getting ready to be ridden.

So the past 2 days have been cut short due to me trying not to be killed. Thursday I had to squash my rides in between some baby race horses.  So we worked on the rein back and that was about it. Friday I lounged. She got her crazy out on the lounge and then was too tiered to do proper work. And people were breaking there pony to a cart. the Pony was not real happy about it so leaving was my best option.

Today I lounged again because my plan to go early and avoid every one was foiled by every one thinking the same thing.  she only had one tiny kick out as a horse ran away next to her on the lounge.  On the lounge I try to switch directions and gaits often so that she starts to focus on me.

The routine goes something like walk both ways no side reins. Then the side reins go on and she does walk trot transitions both ways until she will walk with just my voice aid. Then we do walk canter transitions until she is listening to my voice aid. by this time she is usually is focused on me and ready to be ridden.

The only problem with lounging is that she gets into this stretch down (fall on the forehand) mode so the first half of my ride is taken up with me getting her to sit back on her haunches with lots of transitions and some upwards half halts.

After that we worked on canter/medium canter transitions. this worked really well to help her come up in the fore hand.

My goals for Monday:

If there is no one there I will not lounge, but I will do the shoulder in on a serpentine exercise to get her supple and stepping under herself. I also want to start shoulder in at the canter.

All King Edwards Horses Can Make Best Friends