Lessons Learned

Fri Feb 10, 2006

Deb the trainer at the barn is offering her Ladies' Riding Lessons every Thursday in February, and I'd be a fool to not take advantage of advice from a professional trainer!! Last night was the second lesson (technically the fourth, since she gave a couple in January). Only three of us this time, probably because it was TWENTY FRICKIN' DEGREES out! But hey, that's why they invented long johns and riding mittens, by gosh!

Quzqo has been doing SO well, overall...every time I ride there's SOME improvement, and as long as I'm seeing improvement and actually learning something from Deb, I figure why not. He's pretty much the "worst" horse in the class, but he's pretty much the oldest with the least training, so it's understandable. Besides, he's so dang purdy, who cares, LOL! Deb used to have Arabians, so she dotes on him (Teacher's Pet!)

Anyway, he's SO improved with his backing up!! He still tries to stick his nose in the air and pitch a hissy, but we're working on that...more often than not his head is down or actually tucked NICELY, and it's no problem to get him to back up...the trick now is to get him to back up with his head down and balanced.

We learned to do pivots on the forehand last night, (previous week we did the pivots on the hindquarters), and heck, I'd been working on that for months, doing all the stuff I learned with Tezlu (dressage exercises, etc), and everyone was amazed when Quzqo just pivoted SO sweet, both to the left and right, with his head tucked so nice!! LOL! (I have to remember to sit straight...it's the hind pivot where you lean back and drop your weight)(Hey, I had him spinning like a slow-mo reining horse this past weekend, and Deb saw that!)

The other two ladies (my friend with the Paint and another lady with a QH/Morgan cross) had hell of a time, LOL...their horses didn't know what to do with their legs and pretty much got upset about it. Well, sweet revenge for them being able to do pretty little jog trots, GRRR.

Deb tried to work with us on a jog trot, or even a half-civilized sitting trot...Coos just freaked and kept his head high and mouth gaping and fighting every second. Deb gave me some tips on how to deal with that, and by the end of the lesson, I was able to slow-trot at the sit a 10 meter circle over poles, with the horse's head DOWN and in contact! WHOO!!! He was SO round and balanced, it was delightful! (I think he was just worn out, LOL). She offered to help me with him if she's at the barn this weekend...to let HER have the reins...poor Quzqo!

Well, I've only been able to get a half-slow sitting trot out of him since January, so I'm happy. This takes time, and I'm in no hurry. My friend with the Paint plans to show English this summer (damn, competition!!), but she was having trouble getting her horse into a posting trot, LOL...but she's got a sweet little slow jog! Eh, Quzqo and I will blow her hubcaps off in the show ring! Don't recall ever having to do a jog trot in an English Pleasure class.

Haven't made much progress in the clicker training...I'm now having to use it to reinforce the idea that he needs to STAND STILL. The instant I get him into the arena, the goofy nut starts raising his left foreleg and dropping his head...that'd be great, if I wanted him to bow, but not just standing while I adjust the tack! He just stood there holding his leg up...that didn't get him any treats, so he started pawing with his RIGHT foot...nope, that didn't work! As soon as he stood with all four feet on the ground, THEN he got the click/treat! What a goof! He's been good with the mounting block too, since I began clicking/giving him a carrot chunk when he stands still by the block...double bonus because he's so concentrated on chewing the carrot with a bit in his mouth, he stands quiet while I get on...plus he's learning to just stand after I'm on (as he chews)...he used to take off before I had my right leg over his back, the nut!

So...he's coming along! The first show is in early May, I hope we're going, that'd be so fun! (total chaos!)!