3rd Required Post...
Well, here we are with 17 days left until we head back to WV for the Appalachian Trainer Face Off. We have done a lot of things since pick up day on April 30th.
Trail partner extraordinaire for someone who enjoys a comfy ride cruising down the trail.
Siobhan has grown a lot in our time together, but most of the great things about her came already installed. She just has a good mind and a calm demeanor that made it easy to layer skills on top of. She really made me look like I know what I'm doing this summer, but really the credit goes to her. She has taken good care of me, and gone along with the program easier than I could have hoped for. She is the kind of horse that people dream of having, one that feels safe and will soak up your love and enjoy your company all day long.
I can't wait to see her happily ever after unfold later this month!
#hopteamsiobhan
Remember when I said that I thought she was gaited? It's been a summer of finding the gait on a low energy trotty horse, but I think we have turned the corner with the help of feedback from videos from Ivy Starnes and David Lichman here and there to keep us on track.
Siobhan is the most giving and forgiving horse anyone could hope to find. She will try all day and let her rider fumble and fail...over and over...and never say no, even if she has plenty of reason to. What a gal.🩷
#hopteamsiobhan
I do not consider myself a super brave rider. I won't get on just any horse and go down the trail. I don't ride on extreme or treacherous trails regularly. I do think getting horses out on the trail is extremely important for their mental and physical development. It is really fun to feel a horse get more confident and balanced and enjoy going down the trail.
Siobhan did another 5 mile loop this morning and was absolutely perfect. She led the whole way and was such a pleasure to ride. A good and steady trail horse is a treasure, and what so many people are looking for and need.
#hopteamsiobhan
Sorting out the 4 beat gait....
This video clip shows us working into and finding steps of gait. She feels very gaited in her walk and it would feel like a disservice to not develop something that is a natural ability for her. That doesn't mean that it's easy or that she knows what to do yet, but it's coming together more and more. Again, I want her reaching forward and down some with no tension. Gaited horses are fun!
#hopteamsiobhan
Facebook will only let me post one video per post on this page so I am posting some of Siobhan's trot work here now and will post another video of her gait work. I like them versatile and make moving correctly and in a healthy way the priority. Telescoping forward with a swinging back here is what I'm looking for, and she has some nice moments where you see her ears flop forward a little and she gets more consistent in her posture and in her trot. Someday, with practice and time and strength she will lift her back and belly more, and that area behind the saddle known as "the pit of despair" will lift and fill in.
🌸
#hopteamsiobhan
Siobhan had the weekend off, but today was back to some work before the worst of the heat sets in. We played with finding some different gears in and out of flat walk and waking up the hind legs a little bit. The more we play with different gears and gaits and transitions the better each gait gets in quality.
Her favorite gait is a relaxed mosey, and she often asks if we can do that instead 😄
She would try all day long for me though, and I am so pleased with her progress.
#hopteamsiobhan
Cheddar and I had a lovely solo drive this morning and she was perfect! She has really found her calling, I can't imagine a more perfect job for her. Her ears stay up, she moves out, and loves to go explore the trails! Today's drive didn't feel like training, it was just pleasure ❤️
#hopteamcheddar
#hopteamcheddar doing all the things!
Today was her first real drive going anywhere. We took to our gravel road and walked with our buddy Axle for about a mile and a half. There are some curves and hills on this road that allowed Cheddar to feel the breeching going downhill and the effort of pulling uphill. She was fantastic.
I drive like I ride. I am very aware of the horse's balance and symmetry in their body. There's no better time to see a horse's alignment in their body than when they are between two cart shafts. It's obvious when they lean on a shaft or don't stay in the middle. When I teach riding to a beginner I talk a lot about how to turn and steer, and the importance of forward. It is the same when driving. Cheddar is getting better and better at stepping forward into her turns and keeping her hind legs stepping under herself, keeping her alignment. It takes strength and balance. It takes feel.
I am so proud of her!
