our first day at riding club!!

well, after four long years, it finally happened - Tallic went to riding club!
i had a pretty bad night's sleep; i went to the toilet a gazillion times this morning; i couldn't eat all my breakfast; i felt sick...............but, tallic went to riding club today!
and, although i packed everything and more, all we did today was tie up at the float and walk around, but, that's ok. we both coped.

it was raining this morning (and during the night), so my 6.30am wake up call wasn't really necessary. i didn't want to try loading tallic onto the float while it was raining, in case he wasn't co-operative. i didn't want the ramp getting slippery and risk him losing his confidence or getting hurt.

• left it until as late as possible, then took up nicole's suggestion and went around and collected her and Joe, came back here and popped tallic straight on. there are times when it is wise to cheat!!
• horses travelled well. unloaded tallic first this time (at kingston we unloaded joe first), and tallic was fine
• held him for a minute or so, then tied him to the float. rugs off, booties on, and we went over to the show jump arena (more or less) with joe. did a few stops and starts etc as we went
• we walked around the show jump arena while nicole and jill had their poles lesson. tried to keep tallic obedient by stopping, reining back, standing, going forward etc. if his stops or rein backs weren't crisp enough i used the whip on his legs (or chest to get a stop)
• i stopped him on one side and practised his rear and front end yields as well
• the first trot we tried was a little too forward!! did managed to settle him and eventually even trot over a set of poles (after we'd walked them a few times)
• also walked him thru a set of poles that had blocks set up (see photos)
• the instructor, marianne crawford, offered that we could saddle up and come and walk around in the next lesson, but after he had a bit of a spook at a horse walking around, i decided not to push my luck, and took him back to the float
• tallic stayed tied-up at the float with his haybag and water while we went to the club rooms for the lunch break. i was able to watch him from there, and he spent most of the time standing at the back of the float. very good boy.
• when joe went for his next lesson, leaving tallic behind, he wasn't too happy! had to untie him, and christine took his canvas off for me, then we went walkies.
• tallic did rear a few times when things got a bit much for him, but i basically walked him around the grounds, doing lots of stops, back ups and go agains.
• eventually meandered down to the second arena (joe was in the first one), again with lots of transitions. he really wasn't ready for a riding lesson!!
• wended our way back up to the float, where he was a bit p'd off, kicking out and carrying on a bit (he wanted joe back), but eventually settled down
• floaties on both horses, stuff packed up, got on the back of the float to put the tarp up, and i thought tallic was going to jump on in! he's really funny the way he's quite happy to stand underneath me while i'm on the ramp step folding up the tarp.
• decided to bite the bullet and load him first. nicole went in the front to grab him, and i opened the other breeching door so i could walk in a bit with him. all went well, he walked in, but, unfortunately he came back out before i had the breeching door shut properly. dam! whip on the ass to go forward again, and put the pin in the right spot so the door would shut properly this time. nicole walked up the side with him this time, and he walked in really nicely. this time all went well - he was in! soon had joe in with him and we were heading home!
• unloaded joe at his place, tallic had a few goes at pushing on the breeching door, but stood well. took him home. had a few more goes backwards, then when he was standing well, darren helped me unload him. nice and slow, good boy

** As at Kingston, tallic peed with his 'wee wee' still tucked up - weird. today, he peed 3 times.

so, that was our first day at riding club. i'm glad i didn't ride him, we're really not ready. who knows, maybe we won't be next time either, but that's okay.

i'm pleased to say that some of the other new combinations also had a good outing. donna's new horse, who she's had for 3 weeks, and is 3yo, spent a well behaved day; sue's young boy had his first lesson and was really good; and jill's new horse was just wonderful. so nice to see.

a HUGE thank you to Jill's husband Pete for taking these lovely photos of my boy on his first day at the victoria park grounds. i really love the smooching one!

another session in the round yard

Same team present, started with some ground work in the arena. pretty good responsess shown. moved into the round yard to start lunging in side reins. went around well, tightened them up a bit more. canter still terrible (he has trouble picking up the left lead and falls out of it easily. also usuall bucks into it - i think that's how he gets the lead!)

• got on him and he walked off a little better than the other days
• tried to do the 'bump bump' with the legs to get the faster walk as demonstrated by Elsa
• also tried to make sure i wasn't tense in my body, particularly my seat which might restrict him
• trot transitions better than other days
• got him going past his 'sticking points' better than previous few rides
• coming into a contact at times, and when he did, the forward was better
• norm decided that i was to bring him in off the circle when i was going to go down to walk from trot (so that he didn't associated stopping with being on the circle)
• when i tried to change the rein thru the circle he wanted to walk, but i pushed him on using a sitting trot and tap tap and managed the change ok
• when i took him in off the track to circle smaller he didn't want to move over and stay in. he ignores the right rein. i need to have the whip in the outside hand (left) to tap on the shoulder and push it across

quite happy with how today's session went; feel like things are on the improve

gotta get him fitter and used to the contact

tried on the new Anky bridle - it fits!! thought i was going to buy him something with some silver or gold bling, and ended-up with a black and white - go figure! but, it's got some nice features, it's fine where all the others are bulky, padded headpiece and slight shaping for ears, lovely stitching and good quality leather

side reins and a lesson in the round yard

Norm was able to come over to give me a hand today, and nicole and joe came over for a ride too. (we tried a dressage saddle on joe first, but she didn't like the bits where the stirrups go, they dug in, back to faithful ol blue!!)
anyhooo, norm wanted to see me lunge tallic, so:

• i put the side reins on straight away, and started on hole 7
• got him going nice and forward
• learnt to have a little play on the lunge rein to get him facing/flexing to the inside - gotta chase him up when i do it, and then he connects to the bit beautifully and steps thru - LOOKS BEAUTIFUL when he does this!!
• went a bit tighter again with the side reins (can't actually remember how tight - whoops)
• took the s/reins off and put the riding reins on and had a ride
• walking too slowly when we start - hopeless! where did our forward go?
• did get him a bit better, norm stood in the ring with the lunge whip to 'encourage him'
• got him going better and then went for the trot
• transition not too bad, but he did the piggy stopping thing every time he went near joe who was in the arena
• tapped and pushed etc, discovered he pigroots less if i flex him as i tap (when he does the resistance)!!
• kept riding him thru the BS and norm helped with the whip behind as needed
• stopped when we got him going forward and not being piggy and stopping near joe

had used penetrene liniment before working him

tried the isabell saddle on him with the 60cm girth and discovered it's too short. put the 75cm girth on, and it's actually not too bad. will wait to see what size would be best before i go ahead and order one from sharon. decided to get a red gullet to put into the isabell, it's sitting a little low at front. wouldn't mind working him in this saddle and see if it's any different

lunging in side reins

After our woeful efforts in the lesson/ride last week, it was decided i should lunge tallic to get him going forward. in an attempt to also get him used to accepting a contact, i was to use side reins. he'd never been lunged in side reins before, but i was ready to give it a go!

• i began by lunging him off the bridle, (also a first, i used to lunge off the halter or lunge cavesson). i'm putting the rein thru the bit to the other side and attaching on the inside.
• after a few circles each way i put the side reins on, nice and long (hole 5)
• seemed to go well, so hitched them up 2 more holes (hole 7), went around both ways
• had a little go at a canter or 2
• quit while we were ahead!!

Tallic managed to come onto a contact in the walk, but not for very many moments at the trot

He was overtracking really well, but i'm not sure how much his off-side hind leg is still crossing over. decided to put some penetrene liniment on him afterwards over his rump.

hmph - not happy frank

well, i've stayed motivated and arranged to have a lesson on tallic this morning. also arranged to try norm's judy dierks bridle on him, as i'm having so much trouble finding a bridle (it didn't suit him, noseband is way too big)
i supposed i already knew there was a pretty big chance tallic wasn't going to be forward and obedient in the saddle today, due to the fact that he didn't have another horse going around with him for company (pj was in the round yard). and, sure enough, he wasn't forward or coming off my leg aids as he should be. ground work was ok, but not startling.

• norm straight away noticed that i didn't have a good connection with him, so the main objective was to keep a slightly outward flexion, or at least feel, to keep him straight (we all know that straightness is the key to SO MUCH)
• the go button just wasn't really there, even halting and backing up seemed to achieve little
• i tried just using the tap tap tap method, which worked to an extent, but not when he decided to be a right pig
• tallic was stopping in places and just not going forward. pushing, kicking and tapping got me quite large pigroots
• had even more trouble in the trot work on the right rein, where he kept trying to leave the arena and was completely ignoring my steering attempts. putting the whip in my left hand and tapping on the shoulder was a good idea; when it was in my right hand i was using it to tap the hq's across (that often resulted in stopping and pigrooting - little sod!)
• even going around on the left rein he decided there were 2 spots where he would just stop. i decided to be very non-cronfontational and just put the reins in one hand, and go tap tap tap until he decided to move forward again. this is something i've learnt from our float loading sessions - getting bigger with him doesn't seem to be a great idea, so i tried to copy what i'd be doing on the ground. i really don't want him rearing on me again. so now i'm not sure whether i'm being too wussy with him, or whether the annoying tap tap might be the right way to go. i suppose i'm trying to think what elsa would do with him in this situation. they don't seem to make a big fuss about anything down at the AEBC, just keep on tapping, so maybe that is right?? at least that way he's not pigrooting etc and he does decide to go forward. it did eventually work with me getting him to trot past the points where he'd been stopping

well, i'm feeling sick about all this. so much for animals making you calm and happy. maybe should've stuck with budgies as rosemary says!!

a good ride!

Nicole and I are managing to stay focussed, despite the heat. we played a short game of tennis after dropping the kids at school (yep, she won! but i have learnt a really cool way of putting her off her stroke, i just mention her next riding lesson and she falls apart!!) anyway..... then we came home all set for a ride.
i really want to get a bit of a pattern going for tallic, let him know that his life of work has begun! so, even if it's only a short session, i reckon we're better off doing something than letting too much time lapse between work-outs. afterall, that's how it was for him at the 'breakers', and i think he needs the repetition to get some stuff/rules established.
well, the float's away (back in the shed where it belongs), so my ground work is in the arena now, although, of course, it starts from the moment i go out to him.

• tal was looking rather 'down trodden' and even depressed when i went out to him and boo in the stable this morning. i actually was wondering if he was crook. head down and sad looking. earlier on i thought he just looked tired, but i popped his halter on and left him standing with boo, didn't tie him up until i got the saddle, and he just looked so quiet. i don't think he copes well with the heat. he had a gobful of mineral lick on him too which made him look weird!!
• tied him up to put the saddle on. i got snapped at a couple of times, even though i do the girth up so nicely for him. ungrateful horse! carried the bridle out, decided to do some ground work in the halter and lead
• went out to the arena paddock, nicole and joe arrived, so we did the gate twice (good practise for our yields)
• took him over to the noisy neighbour's side of the arena, ready for the spacco dog to come flying out at us. thought i'd rather deal with it on the ground first this time (considering the little sod made tallic take off last time i rode him there) he didn't show until later when i was on - friggin typical hey!
• tallic was SO MUCH more forward and responsive today. had him trotting from tap tap on his side, i pretty much circled him so i didn't wear myself out running this time (unlike yesterday - i was pooped). i could lengthen his stride and quicken it at the walk, and then up to trot - NICE.
• had a go at pushing his quarters out by tapping on his flank, seemed to work. not so good on the shoulder (this is at walk and trot). managed not to crash into joe and cole, and he was fine working with him in the arena (seems to prefer it actually)
• bridle on, girth up another hole (i def. need a shorter girth, i've only got one hole to go, and that's on the all purpose saddle - dam - but, it does mean his weight is good.) speaking of which, i've added sunflower seeds and a bit of soy to his meagre ration now he's in work. his coat is rather dull since the rain scald, poor baby
• got him to go sideways to the round yard for me to get on, but when i had my foot and weight in the stirrup, he walked off sideways, not handy! decided to get on the 'normal' way, first time with no block/rail and no-one holding the stirrup leather. much better! stood well.
• ride was good! walking was more forward and responsive, steering wasn't even too bad!
• managed to quicken pace and also lengthen stride (i think, am having lesson tomorrow so norm can tell me!!)
• trotted - yay - no humpty dumpty, no rearing, just trotting (and only an occassional head shake into it - much better attitude) did several transitions, went full arena and some circles
• didn't need to tap tap very often, mostly responded off correct leg aids
• practised some indirect turns in corners where he was falling in
• practised some shoulder and hind quarter turns around corners

overall, very happy with the session!

still treating tal's face for rain scald and back pasterns for mud fever

washed PJ so i could put his summer rug on and keep some of the march flies away (thought they were going to carry tallic away when we started! have been covering him with musca-ban. i love the way he is quite happy for me to wave the whip over his hind quarters while i'm riding him around! i got bitten thru my jods - rotten mongrels

A walk in the round yard

I decided to have a quiet ride in the round yard today after giving Nicole her lesson. Joe was tied-up on the outside again. I saddled Tallic up in the corral this time, lots of fly repellent on so that the nasty march flies didn't get us, and no blue coloured anythings!!

• did some ground work in the halter. remembered to use the whip to rub him, making sure he stood still unless told otherwise. forwards and backwards, shoulder and hip yields. he was quite soft and resonsive all directions.
• did some trot work with him; he's still grumping and pulling faces in the trot. the only time he didn't pull faces was when he stretched his head and neck forward and down. brakes were good though.
• put the bridle on and hopped on. he had one go at stepping backwards, possibly because of rein pressure?? then stood nicely.
• just walked around today. he was very lazy and reluctant to go forward properly. i remembered to use my voice and praise any good responses. i didn't nag with my legs or push too hard, used the whip to go 'tap tap' when necessary.
• overall, okay response. found he started to move off a little better when i kept halting him and backing him up (he does that SO WELL!)
• next time i might try adding in some forhand and rear yields. might also put some poles out to walk over, and perhaps in the arena instead of the round yard.

float loading

did some more float loading (in the paddock)

• have been taking the passenger side breeching door out so that i can walk up that side
• tallic finds it easier if i walk up with him, but he can then reverse without me which isn't so good. it's hard to keep the tapping going when you're in that position. i either have to brace myself and hope to hold him, and bring him forward again with just the halter pressure, or, if that fails, get out and chase him forward with tap taps!
• had a good change in his attitude today, it was like he went all soft and gooey. got to the stage where he actually put himself in the float with me standing on the ramp. he definitely liked me telling him how clever he was, and giving his rump a good rub!
• he did a good job of going back and forwards on halter pressure and with 'walk on' and 'back'. sometimes used the whip to tap him forwards when he started to back out.

Back in the saddle:)

• started off by tying tallic up to the float (which is still in the paddock due to the house reno's) whilst giving nicole a lesson on joe (who did very well today: steadier/more stable leg position, concnetrated on keeping her hands together and bend at the elbow. got that left canter lead happening by doing lots of serpentines across the arena, lots of change in bend/direction and keeping her hands together, partic. at point of canter deaprt)
• did some float loading to follow-on from yesterday. not quite as good to start with. need to concentrate on making sure he is straight and correctly aligned for entry. took the passenger breeching door out to give me better access. improvements when: talking to him; on float with him; backwards forwards repetition got lightness.
• got tallic to go backwards and forwards within the float today. if he goes out of his own accord, tried to keep the pressure on, i stay in float and hold til he comes forward off pressure
• learnt that light tap taps work well, but will beef them up if he's running backwards or being rude
• tied him up to the float again and went and got his saddle etc. learning to stand at float ok. nicole said he had one go at pulling back, then gave up. paws ground occassionally.
• saddles up well, went over to round yard for some ground work. tied him up in there and got my riding gear.
• had a practise of walking and trotting with bridle. made sure his 'stops' were good. fwd was good, but cranky at trot (march flies are terrible!!)
• nicole held my opposite stirrup and i mounted him. walked off well, stopped well.
• trot - well, what can i say - cranky pants decided to test my bronc riding abilities didn't he!! we started with some humpty dumpty work, and followed it up with a rear!!! i think poor nicole might have gained some grey hairs today - sorry! darren saw it from the office, but wasn't fussed because i seemed not fussed, and, tallic didn't continue with this crappy behaviour, we went forward on onward:)
• NEED TO REMEMBER NOT TO KEEP SQUEEZING HARDER IF HE DOESN'T GO FWD! I NEED TO GO 'TAP TAP' INSTEAD. i think tallic gets grumpy when i squeeze, i must remember to use light aids, and if i don't get the desired response, tap with the whip.
• tallic responds to use of voice, so he got growled at when rearing and bucking, but told 'good boy' when responding appropriately
• did a few laps each way with some walk trot transisitions. stopped on good note. he HATES march flies etc, but will let me wave the whip over his butt - how cute!!