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Posts: 1585
Sep 20 09 5:18 AM
In the last 17 days since I reported here, I have only been able to ride Justin five times. (This is because we bought a nice APHA show horse for my daughter and we have been spending all of our time at her trainers where he is being kept. He is a nice horse, with a great mind, but is a bit too technical for a 13 year old to school by herself at home and the days of me being able to offer her "constructive advice" that is not followed by the statement "Mom! You are not helping!" are over. More importantly though, he is much more advanced then my own skill and so they need professional help.)
So rides 20 through 24. Not very many rides in such a long period of time but they were really good rides.
Significant advancements: The most significant advancement has been in controlling Justin's hindquarter. We had been doing very half-assed-not-really-leg-yields because his shoulders were leading. Until you have control of the hind quarter, there will never be control at a canter.
Three requirements needed to be met to deal with this. One is consistent movement away from leg pressure behind the girth. Second is that the inside leg is supporting keeping the shoulder straight. Over both of these cues, and one of the cruxes of Justin's whole issues, it that Justin need to respond to cues for lateral movement and control of the shoulder without simultaneously interpreting these as cues for an increase in forward movement. It is clear that this last point has never been made to him.
Starting from the easiest move controlling the hindquarter- lots of turns on the forehand, 360o, both directions. Then, trying haunches in and haunches out, keeping my eyes fixed on a post to maintain straight forward movement. These are still piss-poor, with only the faintest hint (one or two steps) of a real haunches in or out. Finally, leg yields. These are easiest to do on trails leg yeilding between tire tracks. Trying to keep forward and sideways, with the hind quarter movement not falling behind the shoulder.
A side effect of this has been that Justin has really picked up sidepassing very well. I can now stop him any where and side pass left or right.
So now I have decent leg yields in the quiver of exercises to use to bring Justin's mind back to me when he gets over-excited.
What about cantering? We have been expanding Justin's cantering zone to include long stretches of cantering on the trail. I cantered him about a mile, on a loose rein the whole time. We stopped a few times and made sure his mind was still on me by leg yielding at a walk. He was very relaxed and did not attempt to pick up excessive speed.
Finally, a real test of the difference this training regime has had on him. I took Justin to a playday series my kids compete in. I had ridden Justin in it before, with disastrous results. He was, to put it mildly, extremely unmanageable (bolting, cantering sideways, one time literally running away with me out the alleyway and through the crowded parking lot). We were DQ-ed from numerous classes for either breaking the timer line or breaking the pattern. Putting better playday riders then myself on him did not help. Pretty much demonstrating the behaviors that got him abandoned by his previous jumper owners to begin with.
Last night was a 100% change. We went in five classes. All I can say is he was really with me the whole time. He was "between my legs" no attempt to go off course, very responsive. After the timer line, I could just say "whoa" and he stopped and walked out of the arena. I did not ask for speed, nor did I try to keep him excessively checked. Just a fluid canter (with big turns for now) around the different patterns. It was awesome and I am really stoked.
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