Just like a "proper" horse :-D

I did the same routine as yesterday, except the heavens opened and we had to stand under the shelter between lunge and ride..Livvi then felt that she just had to go with Drummer (my mum was riding!) and we had march towards where Drum was and dawdle away preferably grinding to a halt!

So, as my plan yesterday was to work on impulsion and I cannot bear a napping horse I grapped my schooling whip and off we went...at first Livvi was resistant all round, falling through her shoulder, not listening to me leg and resisting the contact ...BUT... it took a good 10 minutes ...BUT...she started to listen AND respond!!!! Yipeeeeee! It was magic! Suddenly napping pony realise that we weren't going to see Drummer whatever she did and we were definitely going where mum wanted to go and we were going at the speed mum dictated!

I didn't do anything difficult, just calmly and consistantly walked a figure of 8, backing up my leg with a flick of the schooling whip when she didn't respond and I was careful not to drag her round the circle but keep a fiem outside rein and ask for the turn using a pressure and release open rein which she caught on to exeedingly quickly.

I am really chuffed with where we are but I need to know that I am heading in the right direction so I am hopefully having an EE lesson very soon!

First trot, first Buck!!!!

and it was pathetic! lol!

Tonight Jane came over and rode Drummer for me while I lunged Livvi and then had the intention of having a walk round the field following Drummer, but things never quite go as you plan!!

Livvi lunged beautifully, really listened and went over the trotting poles like a pro so on I get and off we go down the field, but 20 yards in and the rain starts, apparantly it is totally unacceptable to do anything at all in the rain! lol! So bum swing round and there we stand! I could agree that it was quite yuck and it was a good lesson in standing around so we stood...for a bit....then we fidgeted then we reversed into Drummer and then we got really antsy when Drum went in front to walk round and we threatened to bite him, then we got alongside and threatened to kick him and then we got in front and all was roses!

This was getting a bit out of my comfort zone so we decided back in the paddock was better. Livvi was great, she was much much better in her mouth and as long as I kept the outside rein firm the steering was great, we had less forward though but it was calm and there was movement so I am not pushing that just yet.

So........I though I might just try a trot!.........1st attempt we stumbled into it and stopped..2nd attempt 2 whole stumbles...3rd attempt might actually have been a stride of trot and final and forth attempt I flicked her with the whip, she bucked and off we went, 3 entire trot strides :-D The buck was totally pathetic so if thats the worst she ever does I will be one happy girl! Bless her, her ears were all over the place, she was definitely giving me the "you expect me to TROT with YOU on my back!! Are you BONKERS! Its just not possible!"

Anyway I decided that I wasn't focused enough on my ridden today (it was fun though!) and I need to plan my sessions more carefully...I am also going to leave trot until I feel I have enough forward in walk to achieve it. I am going to focus on instant response to my leg and improving the impulsion of the walk.

Wahoo, we have forward!

Today I worked Livvi in hand to get her listening before I got on and guess what? She has worked out what my leg means! Not even a hesitation!! So I did lots of circles and halts so she listened to me and we finished off with walk round the bigger field with Billy :-D

Contact is the biggest problem, in hand today she wasn't great but on she was awful, just hanging off my hands and gaping her mouth...I definitely need help with this.

Sorry, short and sweet!

A fab week so far!

Well, Monday night Caragh lunged Livvi for me, we tried the side reins for the first time but she is resistant to them. Its funny how accepting of the contact she is in hand and yet not so lunged or in long reins. Caragh is great at lunging, she has been taught properly but the problem is, she doesn't use the same tone of voice as me...so I watched carefully so that I can get it right myself. Livvi was also a complete loon as we took her in the bigger field but it was nice to see her let off a bit of steam.

So Tuesday after a short in hand session to settle her, I got on again, with dad as chief whip flicker :-D
as you can see it went well, Livvi gives me bags of confidence, she is so chilled and listens to me so carefully. My biggest fear was that she was going to frighten me and that I would not be able to continue with her backing but it is totally the opposite....I know I shouldn't become complacent but this all feels so right!

She is much better with the contact when ridden, stearing is not an issue although I think she can get a little confused between turn and stop...forward is getting better, it takes a second for her to process what I am asking but she is starting to walk on nicely and dad only had to use the whip once or twice....We even ventured out of the round pen and had a walk round the paddock with dad at her head.



So tonight I lunged Livvi myself, Caraghs proper lunging had been a good lesson for both of us and apart from her tendancy to drift in towards me we did fab! Livvi listens to my voice much more than Caraghs and she was definitely more relaxed with me. We had some lovely transitions up and down and she even managed to ignore Drummer leaving her! She is very relaxed working with me and always comes in with a soft eye looking chilled, I wonder how much is me and how much is endorphines released by exercise? I'm starting to worry that my biggest problem will be getting her going! lol!

Then just because I can, I stuck my hat on and rode her bare back around the paddock :-D she took it all in her stride, although a bit more topline is needed before I try that again!!!

Well, she learns quickly!!!

I rode Livvi again today! :-D She tried to get grass once and then gave up and listened! My friend Jane helped out and when we got "stuck" she swished the whip behind Livvi which got her going! Liv strode out much better and even though Jane hid the whip, she knew it was there! lol! I felt totally at home and comfortable....actually riding today was better than the long reining, I long reined before I rode and she was quite resistant, I think the signals to the bit are just too dulled down but once I was on she was light and responsive....this was with the new JP french link...it is actually too large BUT she was sooooo much better in it.

I also think that once I am on I am confident in my ability to ride where as long reining is something that I have learnt recently and I am not sure of myself.

Acceptance of the contact

Last night I long reined Livvi and she definitely goes off the click of the tongue rather than "walk on" but I use both. I worked her in the car park away from grass, it takes her a good 10 minutes to really listen to me and focus, I find she pulls towards home on every circuit which is annoying as then she is fighting with my contact and starts gaping her mouth. I did lots of transitions through walk halt and trot, concetrating on making har stand in halt and not just march off the minute she feels like it and gradually she stopped napping, accepted the bit better and softened, so today I am going to long rein before I ride I think.

I am still struggling with the bit, I think it is definitely too fat, I had a look in her mouth and it sits on her tongue and touches the roof of her mouth, there is just no room in there. I like the NS bits with the lozenge, she sucks it! lol! But I have bought a 2nd hand JP french link, it has a slightly curved mouth piece which is supposed to relieve the pressure on the edges of the tongue, if we find this is the bit for us they do a loose ring with a lozenge and NS make the Verdiband which is shaped although it might be a bit thin.

Solo on Livvi!!!

I am on cloud 9, we did some in hand work and once she was working and listening, we went into the round pen and on I popped!

My first problem is getting her to stand still on grass (actually she is not one to stand still its boring :-D ) she paws and wants to eat so I MUST work on this soon, I think I will try the clicker again as I can't see another way......So Jeanette (my 13 year old camera girl!) stood by her head while I got on and we were away. At first Livvi backedup and wanted grass but I persevered and she listened and away we went....I was very nervous, there is a history of bucking fromwhen they tried backing her as a 3 year old but she was chilled and happy so I am REALLY pleased.

Steering was very hit and miss, a couple of times we almost slimed along the walls :-D she was quite fussy in her mouth and I don't feel like she was trasnfering what I have been doing in hand and on long reins at all, this is just new! I also think her new bit is too fat and I have got JP french link coming.

We ground to a halt several times and she responded better to me clicking my tongue rather than my voice but I do think she started to think about my leg and our first halt was lovely...the end one isn't as she was heading for the gate and freedom! lol!

I am really really pleased with her, her ears were everywhere but mostly one was on me and at one point she did proper floppy donkey chilled ears.....now I just have to take this forward, its soooooooooooo exciting! lol!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49ZzR67eQFY