Posts

Gia - sessions 1153-1156 - change of plans - grooming ground work

Gia has recently had a behavior change.  I'm not sure exactly why, but regardless of why, I am putting her riding work on hold for a little bit, and taking a step back to work on her behavior on the ground, and to help her become a better equine citizen around her people.  She hasn't always been the easiest horse to groom, but lately, she has taken an extra turn for the worse.  Her reactions to being touched or curried or brushed in any way, especially in a way she doesn't like, have become a bit extreme - stomping her front feet, trying to bite, trying to kick with her back feet.  She has always been a bit "displeased" with anyone's touch other than myself or her favorite groom, Danielle,.  If a groom was ever having trouble with her, as soon as Danielle would step in to help, Gia would act as if nothing at all had happened, and she was happy as a clam, even leaning into being brushed, and acting like it was her favorite thing ever.  If ever a horse had a ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Gia - sessions 1150-1152 - back to riding, and some behavior modification!

 Last week was a little crazy, hence why I am just now getting around to writing the blog! Tuesday - I was finally able to get back into the saddle on Monday (although I didn't get a chance to ride Gia).  I did get back to my lessons with Suzin today though!!  We worked at the walk, trot and halt doing a lot of transitions.  We worked on bending, and when I got stuck in one direction not able to get the bend, she reminded me that I could go the other direction and ask for counterbend just until she was straight.  She also reminded me to "give" for the tiniest correct answer that I received from Gia.  All things I say to my students all the time, but it's funny how you can forget these things when you are in the saddle yourself! We also worked a little on turns-on-the-haunches, and even got a couple of nice steps! Wednesday - due to the rain, the fields were too wet to jump in, so Gia and I stayed in the arena for some jumping.  I mainly focused on her ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Gia - sessions 1147-1149 more lunging and long lining

 As I continue to heal, I continue to work with Gia on the lunge line over jumps, and on long lines on her flat work. Monday 9/22 - I took Gia out in the field and warmed her up on the lunge line, focusing specifically on her obedience to going forward, and not pulling on the line when she did so.  If she pulled on me, then she had to stop, and then go forward again.  She remembered things fairly quickly, so we moved on to practicing the same things over a few jumps.  She was doing quite well, so by the end, I had her try a combination over the skinny barrels to the very skinny water trough.  She did it beautifully! Tuesday 9/23 - I worked with Gia on the long lines in the arena.  The vet was out for fall vaccines and checkups, so I didn't have as much time with her as usual.  We were still able to get in some transitions and flexions at the walk and trot.  She was nicely obedient and soft! Wednesday 9/24 - We went back out in the field on the lun...
Post a Comment
Read more

Gia - sessions 1143-1146, more long lining and lunging

 This week was more of me healing my tailbone and not riding, and more lunging and long lining for Gia.   Monday 9/15:  I lunged her in the field, starting with a light warm up at the trot.  Whenever I asked her to go forward, she was not allowed to pull on the line.  If she did, she had to stop or slow down until she wasn't pulling anymore, and then go again.  We did lots of transitions like that until she could go forward nicely in each direction without pulling or leaning.  Then she had to do the same thing over jumps, and she had to go forward when she landed from the jump.  She wasn't allowed to land and quit, or land and drag her toes.  Once she would go forward without pulling, she was able to jump much more freely too! Tuesday 9/16: I started Gia on the long lines in the arena at a fairly loose trot to get her warmed up and get her muscles moving and blood flowing.  Then I brought her back to the halt, and worked with her in...
Post a Comment
Read more

Gia - sessions 1125-1142 - A lot has happened over the last month!

Image
 Sorry guys, I know I am sooooo far behind!  I have had a LOT going on in my personal life, in addition to the usual craziness that I always have going on, but I am starting to catch up!  (I think)  I'm going to try a weekly synapsis to get you all caught up on what Gia has been doing though. 😁 Going back to the week of 8/12-8/16 - I had three dressage rides that week and one jump ride.  Even on the jump day, I was working with her at all gaits (yay!).  I was doing a lot of work on suppleness - flexing left and right at the poll, as well as making sure she kept the poll lifted when necessary.  Sometimes she would get a little behind, so I worked on making sure she went forward, and we did a lot of transitions between, as well as within, all the gaits.  I was even able to work a little on the stretchy trot that week, which we haven't done in a while! For the week of 8/18-8/20 - This was a short week for me and Gia, since I took a brief break (YES...
Post a Comment
Read more

Gia - sessions 1121-1124 - more of the same, but adding more suppleness and more canter work

 I'm going to wrap up another week all at once: Monday August 4th: I worked with Gia lightly on some dressage.  This was her first day back since her injury.  She only had a week off, which isn't enough time for muscle to start to atrophy, but I wouldn't want to come back hard after a week off, so I don't make my horses come back hard either.  We worked at the halt, walk and a light trot.  I mainly had her focus on flexions at those gaits, lifting her poll, and transitions.  It was a nice reminder of the basics. Tuesday August 5th: We had a lesson with Suzin, where we still kept things fairly light, comparatively speaking. 😊 We mainly worked at the walk and trot.  Suzin had us working on our steadiness at both gaits.  It is very painstaking work, at least on my part (and probably on Gia's).  There are a million things that can fall apart, and they all tend to do so at the same time, but I have to keep them all together at the same time in or...
Post a Comment
Read more

Gia - sessions 1113-1120, More of the same, but then some hacking on the trail

Image
 So obviously, I am way behind.  I have had way too much going on in way too many directions lately, but I have finally found a minute to catch up on Gia's blog.  So, you get two weeks all in one! Tuesday July 22 We worked on dressage at the halt, walk and trot.  I asked her to do a bit of flexions to loosen her up.  Then we moved into transitions between all the gaits, while also keeping up with the flexions.  Finally, we worked on several different basic dressage figures, focusing on straightness and bending.   Wednesday July 23 I warmed Gia up with transitions, flexions and lifting the poll at the walk and trot.  Then we started to play over a few jumps in the arena.  The highest we got was up to about 2'3", with some interesting fillers.  She doesn't seem to mind what I have been putting under the jumps to fill in the space - barrels, flowers, jump blocks, etc.  I worked with her on being very straight towards the jumps, as...
Post a Comment
Read more