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Jun. 28th, 2011 06:18 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
which_chickProject horse report.
I caught PH, fed and groomed her, then proceed to play feet. Feet are not at all interesting to play with anymore. They're a snooze-fest. Zzzz. They need to be trimmed. I shall have to speak with Theron. I saddled PH, a process which is also getting to be quite snoozey, and led her across the road for alfalfa sampling (always popular) and practice getting on, as part of riding readiness. This is not actual getting on, it's pretend. I stand in an appropriate getting-on position (this is done on both sides, even though people are only supposed to get on using the left side of the horse) and put a foot in the stirrup and grip the saddle pommel and hop like I'm going to get on, with enough weight in the stirrup that the horse has to stand firm. Whimsy was pretty bored by that so today I added using the stirrup to get up far enough to lie evenly (balanced) across the saddle (for non-horse people, think "Dead person in a western movie") for a bit. I petted her and basically was *there* on both sides for a while. Whimsy was not distracted from the alfalfa by this... at all. Either it's really good alfalfa or she's just not that pressed. I did that a couple of times and then we walked to the poles and bridge, did them too. Wa-jogging is getting very lovely and soft. :) Amazing what a bit of practice can do.
We paused several times for more snacking and then we went home to try on a bridle again. Whimsy is still quite pleasant about letting me put a bridle on her and take it off. Chewing and spit-the-bit went away after the second time I put it on her today. Since she was finally standing quietly and having a soft and un-moving mouth (after some very amusing open-mouth-and-hope-bit-falls-out maneuvers), I worked on reins with her. Whimsy isn't really all that tall -- I can get an arm over her neck so that I have a hand on each side and can do "turn head right" and "turn head left" from the ground. I also did "back up" from the ground, with reins. All of that went very well, with no difficulties or incidents. Bridle on and off three times, in various places around and about. Reins and steering reviewed about six times, head and neck bend quite well with very light pressure, equally well to either side no matter which side I am standing on. Good to know.
It's going along, I think. She's being pleasant and kindly but I'd like a solid week of work on the aforementioned riding readiness skills before I actually try to ride the PH. I do not expect difficulty, but I don't bounce as well as I used to and would prefer to avoid instances of bouncing if at all possible.
I caught PH, fed and groomed her, then proceed to play feet. Feet are not at all interesting to play with anymore. They're a snooze-fest. Zzzz. They need to be trimmed. I shall have to speak with Theron. I saddled PH, a process which is also getting to be quite snoozey, and led her across the road for alfalfa sampling (always popular) and practice getting on, as part of riding readiness. This is not actual getting on, it's pretend. I stand in an appropriate getting-on position (this is done on both sides, even though people are only supposed to get on using the left side of the horse) and put a foot in the stirrup and grip the saddle pommel and hop like I'm going to get on, with enough weight in the stirrup that the horse has to stand firm. Whimsy was pretty bored by that so today I added using the stirrup to get up far enough to lie evenly (balanced) across the saddle (for non-horse people, think "Dead person in a western movie") for a bit. I petted her and basically was *there* on both sides for a while. Whimsy was not distracted from the alfalfa by this... at all. Either it's really good alfalfa or she's just not that pressed. I did that a couple of times and then we walked to the poles and bridge, did them too. Wa-jogging is getting very lovely and soft. :) Amazing what a bit of practice can do.
We paused several times for more snacking and then we went home to try on a bridle again. Whimsy is still quite pleasant about letting me put a bridle on her and take it off. Chewing and spit-the-bit went away after the second time I put it on her today. Since she was finally standing quietly and having a soft and un-moving mouth (after some very amusing open-mouth-and-hope-bit-falls-out maneuvers), I worked on reins with her. Whimsy isn't really all that tall -- I can get an arm over her neck so that I have a hand on each side and can do "turn head right" and "turn head left" from the ground. I also did "back up" from the ground, with reins. All of that went very well, with no difficulties or incidents. Bridle on and off three times, in various places around and about. Reins and steering reviewed about six times, head and neck bend quite well with very light pressure, equally well to either side no matter which side I am standing on. Good to know.
It's going along, I think. She's being pleasant and kindly but I'd like a solid week of work on the aforementioned riding readiness skills before I actually try to ride the PH. I do not expect difficulty, but I don't bounce as well as I used to and would prefer to avoid instances of bouncing if at all possible.
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Date: 2011-06-28 10:41 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-06-28 10:50 pm (UTC)She will stand still and turn her head left or right according to (very minimal) pressure on the reins. (I stand at her shoulder, one arm over her back, and hold the reins. Feet are in excellent getting-walked-on position, which is why this is a standing-still activity). She's not sudden or tense, relaxed and smooth and light about it. (Ayrab. Always light.)
Ground-driving will be later this week, first in a halter with lead-rope reins and then with a bit and bridle once she figures out that the long reins will not kill her. I also need to attach some floppy/rattle-y stuff to the saddle to make sure that it does not cause her concern. (Not expecting any concern, but one never knows.)
If all that crap goes well, I could be on her by the weekend. She's probably ready now, but I'm not. I'll feel better with some more readiness work first.
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Date: 2011-06-29 12:06 am (UTC)Form the sounds of things she sounds more than ready to be sat on at least, but better too slow than too fast. I'm very excited about this little mare now.