I really want to start working Harry first again.
I worked with Brie, which was fine. She was a firecracker today and even cantered on her longe, which she hasn't done in a while. But it took me a while to work out the skip in her step in the beginning and then we flew around the arena in a corto much faster than I wanted, so I was working on slowing her down. The fun show is in 3 weeks and I'm not expecting to win or anything, it would just be nice to make it through the class alive and not excused! So maybe I'll just keep working her first the next three weekends.
But I miss working Harry first. I got him second today and didn't really know how to handle him. We're supposed to be working on his largo, but I really enjoy his collected corto so I never want to and then when I go to, I don't know fast he can go without breaking or pacing so it's frustrating. Just as I was started to get frustrated with him, my brother decided that he wanted to play horse show with everyone riding. This ended up being a good thing because it took my focus off of being frustrated with Harry and put it on listening to my brother's speed commands.
I feel bad that I was angry with Harry. He's really a good boy and I know he's trying. It's just me who doesn't know how to get what I want out of him. This is why I want to work him first, because I feel like after my mom rides him, I feel like I can't work him as much because he's tired and I feel bad asking him to do a lot. I wish I could ride every day...then I'd have so much time to figure him out.
Showing posts with label lack-of-riding guilt. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lack-of-riding guilt. Show all posts
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Monday, September 12, 2011
Day 170
Sunday
First -- I have pictures! I'll put them in a separate post so this doesn't get too long.
I didn't make it out yesterday because I was working concessions for the team. That is something I won't even get started with...I was at the football arena for 8 hours! But overall, I'm really excited to be on the team again, everyone seems like they want to make an effort to remain drama-free this year, which is awesome.
My neck still kind of hurt today, but against better judgement I rode Brie without a bit. Not for any particular reason, I just felt like it. Brie was slightly confused and her headset wasn't very good at all, but she still had a good behavior, which is all I wanted. My mom and brother have been working on some kind of dressage circling exercise for the back legs with Nina and Harry, so when I joined in Brie's first thought was "Canter circles yay!" and proceeded to be confused when I wanted her to largo, not canter in a circle, but she obliged. I had to put a bit back on her before anyone else got on because they didn't want her to be totally off the walls with them.
I rode Harry today. It was such a weird feeling. Like...after not riding a horse for a while, you feel bad about it, even though someone else is. I got that a lot when I was training Harry last summer and my mom rode Brie all the time, and now I have it with Harry because my mom's been training him while I ride Brie. It's like a kind of guilt. I don't get that with Nina, though, because I never really ride her, just pet her since my brother is like a dictator over who rides Nina.
Harry knew that I hadn't been on him in a while and tried to get away with going sideways on the wall. I was more focused on getting him on the wall than his gait, and since he's very sensitive to leg pressure, he kept speeding up when I tried to make him yield to my leg. It was all very frustrating for a good 15 minutes and then he kind of got the idea and while he wasn't really on the wall, at least he was close to it and going straight.
His gait across the board was great, and his largo seems like it's really coming along with everything my mom's been doing. Paco finally confessed yesterday that he thought that if Harry was properly trained as a baby he would be a Fino horse, but since he's already 7, you can't really do much to change that, so he'll stay in Performance. It was a bittersweet moment, where I'm happy that he's Performance, but really kind of bummed that he could've been this amazing Fino horse. Either way, he's still my teddy bear. Really, once you get to know him, he acts like one and kind of looks like one with his huge brown eyes.
What I was really impressed with was how he acted on our little ride outside. As you may remember, he's really nervous going outside and likes to be thisclose to Nina all the time for fear if she leaves, the Sun might swoop down and eat him alive. But today he was only a tiny bit nervous when we started out and then really calmed down! Brie, on the other hand, was crazy enough for the both of them. Harry was totally calm when we walked by the pond (that Nessie lives in and might eat him at any minute) and even led everyone up the little hill in back and around back to the barn! I was so proud of him, I can't even describe it.
It's gonna be hard now, because I'm going back to school. Fall Quarter is always hard because I like to stay for the football games on Saturdays, so I only get Sundays to ride. I wanted to start doing some more Parelli work with Harry because I started such a while back and never got to finish because show season took over. I think it'd be really good for his mental state.
First -- I have pictures! I'll put them in a separate post so this doesn't get too long.
I didn't make it out yesterday because I was working concessions for the team. That is something I won't even get started with...I was at the football arena for 8 hours! But overall, I'm really excited to be on the team again, everyone seems like they want to make an effort to remain drama-free this year, which is awesome.
My neck still kind of hurt today, but against better judgement I rode Brie without a bit. Not for any particular reason, I just felt like it. Brie was slightly confused and her headset wasn't very good at all, but she still had a good behavior, which is all I wanted. My mom and brother have been working on some kind of dressage circling exercise for the back legs with Nina and Harry, so when I joined in Brie's first thought was "Canter circles yay!" and proceeded to be confused when I wanted her to largo, not canter in a circle, but she obliged. I had to put a bit back on her before anyone else got on because they didn't want her to be totally off the walls with them.
I rode Harry today. It was such a weird feeling. Like...after not riding a horse for a while, you feel bad about it, even though someone else is. I got that a lot when I was training Harry last summer and my mom rode Brie all the time, and now I have it with Harry because my mom's been training him while I ride Brie. It's like a kind of guilt. I don't get that with Nina, though, because I never really ride her, just pet her since my brother is like a dictator over who rides Nina.
Harry knew that I hadn't been on him in a while and tried to get away with going sideways on the wall. I was more focused on getting him on the wall than his gait, and since he's very sensitive to leg pressure, he kept speeding up when I tried to make him yield to my leg. It was all very frustrating for a good 15 minutes and then he kind of got the idea and while he wasn't really on the wall, at least he was close to it and going straight.
His gait across the board was great, and his largo seems like it's really coming along with everything my mom's been doing. Paco finally confessed yesterday that he thought that if Harry was properly trained as a baby he would be a Fino horse, but since he's already 7, you can't really do much to change that, so he'll stay in Performance. It was a bittersweet moment, where I'm happy that he's Performance, but really kind of bummed that he could've been this amazing Fino horse. Either way, he's still my teddy bear. Really, once you get to know him, he acts like one and kind of looks like one with his huge brown eyes.
What I was really impressed with was how he acted on our little ride outside. As you may remember, he's really nervous going outside and likes to be thisclose to Nina all the time for fear if she leaves, the Sun might swoop down and eat him alive. But today he was only a tiny bit nervous when we started out and then really calmed down! Brie, on the other hand, was crazy enough for the both of them. Harry was totally calm when we walked by the pond (that Nessie lives in and might eat him at any minute) and even led everyone up the little hill in back and around back to the barn! I was so proud of him, I can't even describe it.
It's gonna be hard now, because I'm going back to school. Fall Quarter is always hard because I like to stay for the football games on Saturdays, so I only get Sundays to ride. I wanted to start doing some more Parelli work with Harry because I started such a while back and never got to finish because show season took over. I think it'd be really good for his mental state.
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