Sunday, February 28, 2010

Sockies :)

Life is good this side :)

I have been working really hard with the horses and am learning loads every day :) I have been "given" a horse to ride for the time being. She's a tiny little "farm" horse... a beautiful bay mare. I really like her. She's very tricky to ride. You have to be VERY soft with your hands and use your legs and seat more than anything else. She's teaching me so much!



Working for these people have really showed me how much I still need to learn about riding. They are helping me to improve my seat, teaching me all the basics. I don't seem sit evenly in the saddle and tend to fall in to the inside, especially when riding circles. I also seem to tense up in my upper leg ( a terrible habit I need to break). It will take a lot of work to get my seat sorted, but I WILL get it right :)

If all goes well I will be taking Sockies to a small show in April. I can't wait! I would love to do a dressage class on her. She moves so beautifully when I ride properly! Well keep everyone updated on our "training". For the next week we need to take it slow though, because she got her seconds AHS shot and must not sweat. But after all that we will be in full work :)

I am also studying like mad when ever I find the time to. I have my third stable management exam on the 20th of March. This is one of the biggest exams by far. There is so much we need to know! I really want to do well!!! I passed my first two exams with 84 percent, but want to do even better with the next one. Fingers crossed!

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Tum Tum Tum :)

It has been a loooooooooooong time since my last post. So I managed to find Joy a good home. She has settled in and is loving her new home. I couldn't have found her a better home.

Anyway, so we recently moved down to a little town (well it is more like a fisher's village). I got back into touch with some old friends of ours and got given the opportunity to work by them. They run a dressage/ training yard and was in need of some help (the wife had broken her arm two days earlier). At first I was very nervous, because they are REALLY good at what they do and I really wanted to impress them. They taught me how to lunge, properly, and lunged me to see how my seat was. They seemed to see some hope for me and “hired” me :) They needed the help. The wife has six horses to work on everyday!

BTW, they were the people who first taught me to ride! Even chose my first pony for me back in the day :)

Currently our focus is on three horses in particular: Sion, Llywd and Kishma. Sion is a little Welsh Cob (a cute little pony!). Llywd is a 14.3 h.h. Welsh Cob X Arab (the most docile horse I have ever come across). Kishma is Boerperd (very sensitive).

Sion is struggling with some confidence issues. He was apparently doing fine until a little girl fell off him. Ever since then he has been very spooky and very saved to have a rider on. I can see how some Parelli can help him, so I am slowly throwing some Parelli in the mix. Today I just played around with draw with the halter. He usually turns his head away when the halter is put on. I tried to get him curious enough to tough the halter. With some persistent approach and retreat I got him to sniff it, but he would move his head away again (like he can look at it but then needs to feel safe again). I also did some flexion, getting him to move his head towards his shoulder. I am hoping playing around with this will help him some. It is as much Parelli as I can do for now .

Llywd is VERY lazy but so cute! He is so calm and can't be bothered by anything. Lunging him is a bit of a mission. At times it takes two people to get him going! He is learning though :)

I am so tired writing this. Today we managed to work 6 horses in total! Anyway, I just thought I would write again :)