Pedro's riding diary :)

Cremola Foam

Well-Known Member
Jan 11, 2005
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Scotland
I've decided to start this diary to track how peds and I are getting on in our ridden work. I found a blog post that suggested a layout for keeping notes on lessons/schooling sessions so I'm going to follow that. (Hoping this keeps me focused and motivate to ride through the rest of winter!)

05/01/15
5pm (dark, rode till about 5.30pm)
Schooling area (outdoor)
Bit breezy (ventilation flaps on the sheep trailer at edge of area rattled a couple times, only spooked P once and all he did was skoot his bum under)
Took my time grooming P before we rode, let him do his usual occasional walking around the box and didn't get cross with him for it. He stayed calm in the stable and stood well at mounting block. (Rode in GP saddle)

Followed a warm up from the website 'school your horse' was good to have a plan in my head. Started by doing two circuits in walk on a long rein, both reins. P spooked at the tractor bucket scoop, but just stopped, snorted at it then walked past suspiciously! Fine after that. Then it was figure of 8s and circles. Kept it all to walk. He felt much stiffer than the last time I schooled him, but not schooled in a month and it was cold (he has an excersise sheet on)

All I wanted from this session was to get him back out in them schooling area and for him to behave, both achieved! For me, I was trying to keep still in the saddle and use minimal aids, in particular minimal rein aids. Something I still need to work on! At end of warm up (I was only going to do the warm up) tried a few halt transitions, using my thigh and knee to halt him rather than hand. Worked quite well, needed a little feel on the rein with my ring fingers to get him to compleatly halt, but it took barely any rein at all.

Nothing went wrong, he listened well but was just a bit stiff.

Plan for next ride is to do the warm up again, aiming for him to become more supple (I don't foresee that taking long as he was pretty supple when our schooling went by the way side!) I'll do some more halt transitions too.

Very pleased with him, especially as it was our first ride since Boxing Day!




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Got a lift up to the yard after work so made the most of the remaining light and grabbed P from the field quickly tacked up and got out for a 15 min hack in the half light! (With lots of hiviz and lights on!) he was super :) Very sensible and kept a lid on his need to spook! Feeling a bit footie though so going to get him on either pro hoof or forage plus ASAP.
 
First schooling session in ages this evening! Nights are finally getting lighter and the lorries/trailers have all been moved about again so more room again :)

Worked in walk and halt. Tried a few ideas from schoolyourhorse.com, holding reins correctly and getting him more responsive to my leg, plus halting using thigh and knee pressure. Also did some leg yielding and shoulder in. Got a few really good steps of shoulder in so was pleased with that. Halting coming along nicely, still needing a slight feel on the reins, but mostly keeping his head steady. Quick to walk on again from a light pressure from leg. Outline getting better too, lighter. At one point he did about three or four strides of lovely light but powerful walk, could really feel him holding himself up, rather than me keeping him together, felt amazing!

Got a bit tense in his head carriage, tucked nose in too much and muscles in his neck bunched up. Need to work on keeping him relaxed, but that's quite a big issue as he does get worked up and anxious, especially when working on things he's unsure of. (Got his knickers in a twist when started to ask for lateral work)

All in all pleased with how he went tonight. He felt much more supple than last time (Thankyou hacking!) and his attention only wavered from me a few times! Oh, and rode in dressage saddle, forgot how comfy it is!

We have two dressage comps coming up in March, both walk trot tests and I'm starting lessons again from next weekend.
 
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Another successful schooling session after work today :) Peds best horsey chum and her loaner were riding at the same time so that added an extra dimention!

He worked well though once he got used to her being there too. Only real issue was his speeding up on a circle when he got to the furthest away point from her. But I just asked hi. To halt as soon as I felt him increase speed and he was very responsive to my aids (was warming up so longer contact) he settled really quickly.

Worked on halting without rein aids, holding my reins properly and leg yield and shoulder in. Halting is coming along nicely, he doesn't stop instantly but with a slight squeeze on the reins he does, had to keep correcting him to stand square though. He got quite uptight in the lateral work, but as soon as I stop asking and relax he does also and we try again! He eventually stopped listening all together! Which I took as the que that we had over done the lateral work! So finished with some nice circles with inside and then outside bend and finally normal bend.

Nice we wander down the road to 'cool' down (not much cooling needed as neither of us broke a sweat! Clearly we are not working hard enough!)

Have a lesson on Sunday, will be interesting to see how that goes as not had a lesson since the autumn I don't think!
 
Peds has always been fine in warm up rings but whenever cher is about he gets overly concerned with where she is! I've yet to go to a comp where she is there too.

Didn't ride yesterday as have got a terrible cold and was off work yesterday (will have a vit c packed fresh juice this morning and drag myself out to ride!) and I wasn't going to ride on Thursday (must have been the cold lingering in the background) so ended up doing some inhand work in our wee court yard outside iur stable block. Set up three Trec obsticles (s-bend, corridor and bending) and had a play about with those in walk and trot for ten mins. Was enough to keep his brain occupied! He really needs that daily to stop the crazy leaking out his ears! Lol!
 
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