Thursday, September 1, 2011

Final Rides of August and August Summary

Drift and Pie both got rides yesterday - I was glad I managed to do this as we're supposed to have very hot weather the next couple of days so there'll be no riding.

Drift did very well - nice shortening and lengthening of trot with some good stretching down, and some nice steps of leg yield at the trot.  At the end of our work session, I asked for canter - he gave it to me nicely and cantered the length of the arena until I asked him to transition down.  The first downwards transition was abrupt, so when we cantered the other way - nice departure again - I asked for and got a very nice downwards transition to trot.  I asked him for a couple more circuits with some stretchy trot, and then asked him to halt and jumped off - my objective for the day was a couple of nice canter departures and a nice downwards transition to trot, and he delivered. No balking, no fussing or humping, just a nice canter and one really nice downwards transition.  I was pleased - his balking and other resistance behaviors are pretty baked in but I think they're beginning to lose their grip.  Once he figures out a strategy doesn't work, he seems to be willing to give it up pretty quickly, although it'll probably reappear a few more times before we're completely done with it.

Pie and I had a nice walk/trot trail ride with Charisma.  We weren't out long, as the bugs were very bad, but Pie followed sometimes, led sometimes, and went along willing next to Charisma sometimes (a bit of ear pinning on Pie's part which I asked him to stop - he did).  We trotted a bit, and he was excellent.  We finished with a bit of trot softening work in the arena.  I think Pie's beginning to get his trail mojo back, or perhaps we're getting it back together.

August was the first full month I was back to riding regularly.  The August summary: Pie: 18 rides August; 91 rides 2011 to date. Drift: 16 rides August; 62 rides 2011 to date. Dawn: 6 rides August; 35 rides 2011 to date; all horses 40 rides total August; 188 rides 2011 to date.

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