Don Hoffman

In mid March, 2011, I made one of the best decisions I've made yet for Lutallic. I organised to take him to see Don Hoffman over in Invermay at Corrine Doodt's house.
Nicole co-pilotted for me which I really appreciated, and Dale and Darren took off for a weekend at Johanna Beach.
When we arrived, there was a bit of a surprise in store for us - dogs, a cat (with a death wish), children and quite a few horses and people. Okay, deep breath......
He came off the float very nicely, had a bit of a look around, and allowed me to tie him up with his new bungey cord to the float. I had to keep the whip handy to prevent him digging holes in corri's drive way, and let the people around know that he was 4yo, newly broken-in and inexperienced. (That was so they kept their toddler out from under his feet, they were a bit blase until then! and seeing him being a bit skittish woke them up too) I felt a bit silly about warning them that he was just a 4 year old when I found out that the lovely palomino they were holding, who looked so quiet he could have been tranquilized!!! was also 4. Well, that's 1/4 horses for you huh!
Anyway, it was our turn eventually and the tying up to the float was good practise for him with all that was going on, and off we went into the stable block. Having been broken-in in a place where stable blocks with horses coming and going etc has definitely been a good thing. He was a bit concerned about the bloke who started poking him in his chest and shoulder etc (which apparently really hurt), but he wasn't too badly behaved.
Don diagnosed that Tal has injured his near side shoulder at some time, and has had the injury at least half his life. It is only just now (6 weeks later) that I've recalled that I used to look at his shoulder muscle and wonder why it looked like it did -DOH! Oh well, better late than never.
The off side hip that I was actually worried about was in fact compromised because of the shoulder (diagonal of course. Might also explain why he gives me grief when I pick up that hoof, cos he has to put the weight onto the sore front leg).
Don showed us how certain muscles didn't bounce the way they should, including those under where the saddle goes, and how after he put the injection into the rump muscle, all of a sudden there is beautiful boing in those muscles how it should be.
Tallic's near side chest muscle was so tight that Don had trouble getting the injection into the muscle, the needle went in fine, but the liquid just didn't wanna go. Bloody hell, that is tight.
I told Don that he was either a mind reader or knew what he was doing, because I had a list of 'symptoms' written down in my back pocket, and he'd told me all of them (except the n/s leg crossing over/swinging in).
We had strict instructions of no arena work for at least 3 weeks (he explained how the torn muscle would start to repair and the effects that the progress would have on him in 12 day stages (I think that's how it goes) and what to look out for. If he went girthy in 3 weeks, don't ride him. It's a bit hard to tell with Tal when he 'goes girthy' cos he always has been!)
So, I went home $110 poorer, feeling that I had let him down and should've done something years ago, but, overall, happy that I finally had done something which I had faith in to fix him.
Oooops, I forgot to mention that he gave Tal a chiropractic type adjustment as well. Lots of interesting positions and crunchings going on there. The coolest is when he gets the horse to arch his back like a cat. whoa

bridle and lunge session

After having Mond to Wed off due to being wormed on Monday and injuring his hind legs in the gate playing with PJ, i decided i'd better do a lunge session.

tallic has been a bit difficult to bridle, moving his head away and even trying to go backwards to avoid the bridle. about time we fixed this!

• right hand over the poll, lower the head; kept doing this until happy
• bring the bridle up to the nose with the left hand (this is all from the near side). he'd lift his head, move it sideways, anthing to avoid the bridle
• back to lowering he head, then bring the bridle up and down the nose until he accepted it without lifting or shifting
• had to do quite a few repetitions of all of these mavouvres until i was happy to put the bridle on. repeated this step 3 times, then did it up and ready to go

Lunge session was done with the side reins at the girth level where norman wanted them. i started on the 9th hole, but decided that i liked them a little looser.

• tallic was forward and swinging
• he went off the commands well, and i was able to basically stay in the middle and keep him going without having to chase him up much at all
• did a reasonable canter to the right, although above the bit

short and sweet session of only about 15mins.

when we returned to the corral to take the gear off, he lifted his head when removing the bridle, so, it went back on. 3 repetitions again. he has to have it removed as nicely as it should go on!

GOOD session

legs less swollen the next morning

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!!