Training Suze

Today is the anniversary of the first time I sat on her last year. She hasn't been ridden since 28th May, so hopped on today and we rode around the field with Murphy Krug and Fleur. Fleur bounced up bucking and kicking, Suze shoved her out the way and kept walking briskly, did a circuit of both little fields next to the stables, stopped outside the feed store and had her little treat. New technique for getting on, line her up at the mounting block, feed her 2 treats and while she is eating hop on. Did it first time no messing. What a brilliant mare she is.
 
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She was lying down in the paddock so went and sat with her, she didn't get up for a while and was happy to have a chat. Groomed and saddled her up, took her up to the church so that she could watch the cars leaving and hopefully learn to stand next to the wall so i could get on. She was a bit excited but coped pretty well, watching the cars, including some driving past her. Plus two cyclists we didn't hear and a man and a dog. Then a horse going past. I have fitted a treat bag to the saddle so she can have treats when she does well and for reassurance. She shoulder reined back to the yard and i got on and did some circles with her then turned her out.
 
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Suze did her first ride from the yard up the road to the church, up the bridleway and a circle back through the woods and down to the road where she failed to stop....managed to stop her eventually and got off and had a retraining session on walk halt.

She was a bit hesitant on the road but coped with two cars passing her. Once she got off road she was off like a rocket, really stepping out. She was really striding out, not looking at anything at all no spooks.

She even offered a trot. She will be tired now, as she was quite excited but she did very well. Will have to work on her bridle as she is running through it when she gets excited.
 
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diplomaticandtactful said:
where she failed to stop..
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Of all the things Ziggy did that scared me, the possibility of this was the worst. His brakes were erratic to say the least and whenever we approached a road junction I would half halt, slow down, half halt, just to try and be sure that he actually would stop! There's one particular junction at the bottom of our lane where if he hadn't stopped we would certainly have come to grief in a major way.

I hope you get her responding as eagerly to Whoa as to Go. She is so big, the thought of her using that strength against the bridle is scary.
 
Jane&Ziggy said:
Of all the things Ziggy did that scared me, the possibility of this was the worst. His brakes were erratic to say the least and whenever we approached a road junction I would half halt, slow down, half halt, just to try and be sure that he actually would stop! There's one particular junction at the bottom of our lane where if he hadn't stopped we would certainly have come to grief in a major way.

I hope you get her responding as eagerly to Whoa as to Go. She is so big, the thought of her using that strength against the bridle is scary.
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she can do it so well just say whoah and she halts instantly, she did it all the way back from the woods on the road with me walking and just using the lead rope and voice. In hindsight what i could have done was turn her around and go back and that would probably have halted her at once! But heyho she did really well all things considered and she was brave. I can do walk a few steps, and halt and back up in the field no bother, she just was lit up. Which is nice. And we had a tiny trot which she offered all by herself. You have to sort of let her express herself a bit. Anyway glad i had the bottle to do it. Next time won't be so bad
 
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She did even better today, rode the same route but in reverse so more on the road. She had a couple of try to turn back to home attempts on the way out, so they were corrected. Once she got to the woods and the narrow path she was walking very well, did a lot of halt walk on without resistance. Have adjusted her bridle a bit. She had to walk down a steep stony hill which she did and back on the road had 2 cars come towards her and go past which she coped with. Was washed down when she came back. I have lost the treat bag which i had on the front of the saddle! Must have come off yesterday. Annoying as full of treats plus nothing to use instead and she looks for her treats....
 
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diplomaticandtactful said:
She did even better today, rode the same route but in reverse so more on the road. She had a couple of try to turn back to home attempts on the way out, so they were corrected. Once she got to the woods and the narrow path she was walking very well, did a lot of halt walk on without resistance. Have adjusted her bridle a bit. She had to walk down a steep stony hill which she did and back on the road had 2 cars come towards her and go past which she coped with. Was washed down when she came back. I have lost the treat bag which i had on the front of the saddle! Must have come off yesterday. Annoying as full of treats plus nothing to use instead and she looks for her treats....
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Youre doing such a good job with her, and clever girl Suze!
 
Jane&Ziggy said:
What a good girl. Is she barefoot? Sid is managing OK but he does find steep downhills hard on his fronts.
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yes she is barefoot, she has the farrier this week which is ideal as her feet are a mess. Very overgrown. He had a bereavement and is 2 weeks beyond when they should have been done, so she and Buddy really need attention. She doesn't seem to be feeling her feet at all, managing fine. Buddy would be wincing but he has hoofboots.
 
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Today she walked up the road turned right up the bridleway, then walked along a route she hasn't been ridden on before turned back half way and on the way back took her down a route she hasn't even walked on. Had to squeeze past a man and a dog, deal with her knee boots, on for the first time, around her ankles and windy day. When she got going she was really walking out very confidently and fast, we had a couple of steering issues but brakes were good. Did around 35 minutes which is enough for an unfit horse. Found some of Buddy's treats, so mounting block rewards.
 
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I take back any thoughts I held on comtois not being able to buck. Having been dumped by Suze after a bronco experience, I can confirm to my cost that yes she can canter, yes she can buck and yes it bloody hurts.

Trainer error. Didn't read the messages correctly. Anyway I was riding her in the field, was straightening her up as she had gone to the left, corrected her a bit too sharply and she took off in a canter, put in a series of bucks which were only going to end one way as the saddle went forward and was encouraging her forward. Came off backwards on bum and back. Lay for a bit counting ribs and deciding at least they weren't broken. Walking is a bit of an issues, in fact any movement. Harrison poodle may not get his walk today. Heavy dose of arnica cream and pain killers....Silly old woman, should know better. Both of us. She was very apologetic, crestfallen.
 
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Jane&Ziggy said:
Omg you are having a bad day, so sorry
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not great. I hurt like hell, arms back legs, at least have managed to straighten up. Harrison and I will be watching a box set this afternoon and hopefully the codeine and arnica will eventually kick in. Impressed by her speed and elevation, perhaps showjumping will be possible in time.....just one of those stupid things, not her fault, take the blame totally for mis-reading her and getting it wrong
 
Huggy said:
Glad no serious damage.
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guess so main thing is that I am not scared of getting on again.....we will go back to groundwork and get her really sharp and very obedient and then get back on. Just one of those things. The last time I fell off was Rose on the south downs, Rose retired in 2008 so quite a good stretch really....
 
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diplomaticandtactful said:
guess so main thing is that I am not scared of getting on again.....we will go back to groundwork and get her really sharp and very obedient and then get back on. Just one of those things. The last time I fell off was Rose on the south downs, Rose retired in 2008 so quite a good stretch really....
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It's a big plus losing that fear. I'm no longer scared of Hogan's shenanigans - until recently I really had to make myself go out after a session, whereas now it's "meh".
 
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