Isn’t it funny how naturally easy the older advanced horses are in training?
This thought comes to me every time I work Misfit. He is supple, balanced, keeping his shape, goes easily in all gaits, changing smoothly between exercises.
The professor horses just have the routine, did the things a million times, it’s just in their system and there is no doubt whatsoever.
What a pleasure to work him. He will be 27 soon 🥰
Do you have a professor horse as well?
Yesterday evening we had a lovely but a bit chilly autumn weather and Choco was giving me his first attempts haunches-in on a circle 🥰
Knowing the side movements on ground is a big win later in riding 😉
Using the nice autumn weather to start riding Choco again 🥰
I gave him again all summer to get physically stronger through some Groundwork, Longeing, Liberty and many forest walks and I have now the feeling he is ready.
My main focus for now is on just going forward in a relaxed tempo, making many circle to get a bend in his body and a better stepping under with the inside hind leg.
I want him to get comfortable with me on top while carrying a whip. He still is a bit suspicious what that whip is doing up there. He is not afraid of the whip but just not used to it with a rider. With time it will be a nice aid to use.
I am very pleased with him as I sat maybe in total 10 times on him in between now and last year July 😀
Working on the ground is not just physically helpful but a big win for the relationship 😉
Choco is finding more balance and flow on the longe.
With me walking backwards I underline my inner feeling and picture to encourage Choco to make the circle gradually smaller while staying in haunches-in.
Work in progress but hopefully soon I can do more with less 😀
I have been working Choco a bit more in work hand and by now he can manage better haunches-in while I keep walking forward.
He still likes to swing in a bit much or gets a tight in the neck but I am very happy with the progress.
So now we can work on the refinements 😀
Yesterday I could add already a little trot with Choco 😀
I know it is slow and with less energy but my goal was to get him comfortable going soft into and out of the transitions. Just cruising around and not being to strict or looking for perfection already.
I am very happy to see him letting head and neck fall as this was a ‘no go’ for a long time.
He probably can collect easy and grow in front but the stretch forward needs to be there as well 😉
It is nothing spectacular and probably boring for many to watch. However, those who follow a little my journey with my horses know that I took the time to let Choco settle in after his arrival last July.
I worked him mainly from the ground or at Liberty. Also many hours of just observing and being with each other. Letting him know that I am ok and we are his new family. He became less fleeing, less fearful in regards a ‘pat on his back’ or a fast hand movement. He was obedient and gentle from the start but not really open to communicate.
Today he is a cool dude, very open minded, raises his head and comes towards you when you call his name. He leaned to walk behaved next to a human with a slack in the line, asking forward, halt, backwards, shoulder and hindquarter yield, he responds on energy, voice cues and subtle body language, he follows softly the rein when putting a question in, he leaned shoulder-in and haunches-in, he behaves well at the ferrier and vet, the kids can fool around him and are save… what else can I ask for? He is muscled up and ready to be ridden 😀
So I am just thrilled that he felt save enough with me on top of him. You can see that at the beginning he was a bit irritated but finally it clicked and he walked forward. It would be much easier when having a helper from the ground but normally I am on my own and for the first attempt it went very well.
And again, it proofs to me that all work from the ground payed off eventually 🥰
My son is not so much into riding lately but always open when I ask him to help out being a passenger 😀
My plan was to sit on Choco and get him used to me because I rode him only once last July in my test ride. Then he was a bit fleeing as just broken in.
I know many would have ridden him since but I wanted to give him time to adjust to his new home … his herd, his humans, the climate and after all build up more muscles to carry me probably.
Choco is doing super well with the kids already 🥰
I thought I share Choco’s first try trotting around me at Liberty yesterday 😀
This is just the very beginning so nothing fancy.
We practised a few circles in the walk but never trotted because the only thing he knew was running with a high head, tense under neck and dropped back. And this I definitely don’t want to nourish.
All the work from the ground payed off already as he is much more balanced and I can feel his self confidence ☺️
I know he is a bit slow but that is ok for now because he stays mostly in trot and stays connected to me. Creating more energy and looking for perfectionism would only drive him away.
So I am very happy with his progress...it might be slow but it is fair to him and building a good mental connection and friendship before communication was and is my top priority.
He offers me already more than what I wished for🥰
During winter time I like to work the horses a lot at Liberty because they are mostly in not being able to go out to the fields.
Especially Lucano feels like a young punk when I try to do some serious work with the cavesson. He is not so concentrated and I feel his energy like a kid who wants to move but needs to sit 🤪
Then he starts to nip at the line/reins and gives me more than what I ask for, which is super nice at times but not always. Then I have to correct him a bit too much and this feels not good to me.
So when getting him I can see he is not grounded I immediately go into Liberty but still looking for quality. Walk, trot or canter can be done wild or in a decent manner.
After a few winters now we are both getting better and better at it 😀
Choco learned over the holidays haunches-in on the longe 😀
When he arrived last summer he was walking very wide apart with his hind legs and feeling stiff his body. His neck was quite flexible to the sides but he was not able to lower it or follow a search forward down.
We are still at the very beginning of it but now I have more tools besides shoulder-in to get those hind legs sorted and he is actually starting to shape up. His back muscles are developing and his under neck and wobbly crest is vanishing 🥰
My little Choco is getting the idea of shoulder-in away from the fence 😀
I have just started with this so it is all work in progress. He still needs to find balance on all four legs as they go all over but he is open and follows my idea 😊
Tiny steps day by day will end up in the final goal some day 😉
