Post by holi on Feb 14, 2012 11:25:56 GMT 1
Rode today for the first time in weeks. I have my 'plan' on what we are doing and know that it may take months but why do I beat myself up when it goes wrong??? Grrrrr! Must pick out the good bits and not those that were, well at the time a bit pants. Now I feel guilty as I wasn't totally generous to the pony!!!
Basically we think she has never learnt to accept the bit and although 6 has been allowed to have lots of fun and do exactly what she and her very bold teenage rider wanted to do. Which is great on one hand for her but at times because she wants to go, her trot rather resembles a manic sewing machine - head up and pound down the road!!! I'm trying to get her to relax and drop from the wither and trot along normally but can't take up a firmer contact as she then fights the bit - any backward movement however slight is resisted (we heard that she was lunged off bit with head tied to girth when backed). Her previous owner used to just change to a bitless when she objected and they went off SJ and whoopying it. She is incredibly sane though and safe so I suppose it didn't matter as, once when she tried polo (!) they found that although up for it she just didn't have speed. When she resists we back her up off the dually and she gets the idea. TOday started great in walk, then did trot transitions which were so so but then someone arrived to muck out. She has the attention span of a gnat and so off the trot goes and we ended up with a bit of a battle which I said I wouldn't do!! How do you stop yourself and how do you stay calm and on the pathway?? We finished not too bad but oh I wish I was a) more talented and b) less uptight
Basically we think she has never learnt to accept the bit and although 6 has been allowed to have lots of fun and do exactly what she and her very bold teenage rider wanted to do. Which is great on one hand for her but at times because she wants to go, her trot rather resembles a manic sewing machine - head up and pound down the road!!! I'm trying to get her to relax and drop from the wither and trot along normally but can't take up a firmer contact as she then fights the bit - any backward movement however slight is resisted (we heard that she was lunged off bit with head tied to girth when backed). Her previous owner used to just change to a bitless when she objected and they went off SJ and whoopying it. She is incredibly sane though and safe so I suppose it didn't matter as, once when she tried polo (!) they found that although up for it she just didn't have speed. When she resists we back her up off the dually and she gets the idea. TOday started great in walk, then did trot transitions which were so so but then someone arrived to muck out. She has the attention span of a gnat and so off the trot goes and we ended up with a bit of a battle which I said I wouldn't do!! How do you stop yourself and how do you stay calm and on the pathway?? We finished not too bad but oh I wish I was a) more talented and b) less uptight
