Slip Slidin' Backwards

Wed Feb 15, 2006

Well, we've slid nicely BACKWARDS since our riding lesson last week! GRRRR...once again I am going to IGNORE the trainer's advice and do it MY way...her insistence on yanking on the horse's face to get him to bend his neck and back up resulted in him REARING UP! (without tucking his head)...NO thanks...it's obvious he's got Issues with that sort of thing, so I'm tossing aside her advice.

Last night I rode him bitless, but with the jaw straps in place (so it wasn't a side-pull, but applied pressure under the jaw and along the poll), and when I tried to get him to give to pressure and back (I could get him to tuck his head, and I could get him to back, but not both together), I made a point of shifting my weight backwards, applying leg pressure, and SHORT tugs on the reins...repeated...very light, I was only using my pinkies to apply pressure...and by the end of the evening we backed a good 6 steps, and his head was relaxed and nice! Granted it wasn't fast, his chin wasn't in his chest, and it wasn't the straightest, but by God he did it WILLINGLY and without tossing his head up and rearing!

*sigh*. Trainers.

Been using my treeless saddle lately, including last night, and he was SOOOOO soft and rounded...probably due to the fact I round-penned the snot out of him beforehand, LOL...got him cantering SO sweet and balanced, it shocked me!!! No spurs, no whip, no bit, just 100% Natural Horse!

What's a headset anyway...an artificial manmade burden totally unnecessary. Looking through those old issues of Arabian Horse News, their heads are all "high", the only ones half-way tucked are the Park horses with the snaffle rein held tight...I figure hey, if the horse is balanced and pleasant and willing, who cares where the head is? And when Quzqo gets going in a nice balanced trot or canter, his head NATURALLY drops and his back rounds up and he verily FLOATS...

Trainers, phooey!

Other than that, he was an obnoxious little snot blossom last night...he was in a good mood I guess. We did a little whip-handle targeting with the clicker until I ran out of apple chunks, but then he started nosing around after the whip on the ground on his own, figuring hey, it's worth a try! Touch the whip, get a treat! Goofy lad.

He's got two lovely toothmarks on his FACE right below his right eye...right down to the black skin! *sigh*. Maybe I should put a halter on him just so his playmates will chew on THAT instead of his face!!

We're due for a Major Winter Storm tomorrow night, so I don't know if we'll have our riding lesson or not...depends if those 50 mph winds kick up or not (but then, I have a Forester, I can make it through ANYthing, ha!)