Tobys Diary

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Thanks Trish, Heathers clinic was well worth going to and looking forward to for so long, which is great. I wouldnt be surprised if shes in the US b4 long, it would be harder to decide on the city/state for the clinic though as we are much more concentrated in certain areas and dont have the widley spread population like you guys do. I posted on the classical thread re: contact. What do you think?

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Rode this afternoon, Toby thought of walking away but didnt so I gave him a big scratch and a fuss. For some reason now Ive got the Suber panel Toby will hold his breath when I do up the girth, I dont think this is due to pain but rather it has a larger broader surface area that places a more even pressure over his back, his sweat marks are now completely even and "dry wither area" free.
I have just been worrying about doing the "right" thing, having the clinic with Heather was really good and I learnt and improved a fair bit and it really highlighted how excellent a good instructor would be to go to reguarly, instead of floating around out in the wilderness of every experts techniques and veiws and trying to go on training my horse alone. It would be so great to have like minded riders and instructors that you could talk to, see/ watch/ show etc. Id love to have people to discuss things with Sighhhhhh. Thank God for this forum.
Any way, Toby was pretty "up" today, very energetic and expressive. I think all the groaning and puffing he does when hes going well is because its hard work for him. Im using a french link eggbut which I dont really like, each horse Ive ridden in it seems to go hard/dull, I had him in a loose ring double joint that I checked, it didnt seem to pinch but changed anyway because it was just a smidge to small.

So we warmed up, shorter contact than old way but still asking and allowing for a low and long frame but not nose at feet level, more like chest level. I feel like I have to ask him a lot with inside rein as he'sl resisting. To not feel like Im nagging on his mouth I do a lot of shoulder in and small corners so hes really bending round my inside leg and soft on the bit. He gets peed off if Im using to much inside rein, outside steady contact is fine but he has always been a horse that disliked fiddling with his mouth.

I searched for a nice pelham today on the net as I think the whole idea of keeping off his mouth is great and if he stays as light "in front" in the pelham as he did at the seminar, it will save us both a lot of hassle. I also want to get a proper KK training bit as I think he will like that a lot more than the french Im using now. So he went pretty nicely, light off the leg, didnt lift head on upward trans and is pretty impulsive and regular, downwards are a bit more complex in keeping it all together :blink:  even though theyve improved by slowing the trot rythm to walk, he still resists through his back.  He does a really nice 3 track S/In, I dont need the inside rein at all and it gets him off his forhand so I seem to do a fair bit of that and also squares to really work the corners. I did a bit of canter work with him and for the first time ever in the 4-5mths Ive been riding him he tried some mini-bucks which was a bit of a surprise, lost a stirrup :lol:, hes feeling pretty good and I think hed like me to just allow him to go on the L lead ALL the time . So some times I will get him on the right lead and he'll do a flying change :blink: , at least I know he can do them easily :lol: . A few mths ago on a trail ride I was working on the leads and he was on the wrong one and I thought I'd see if he did one on cue of changing rein and weight and he did!! B) I was pretty impressed.
The canter work is always fun, I think its his best pace. I  focussed on asking with the inside leg, but I have to use my seatbone weight on the right rein to get the right lead. I focussed on stretching my torso up and not rowing with my shoulders and lifting up with my bum cheeks and thighs each stride, and I think? it went really nicely.
After this we walked a bit stretching and then went for a canter on the old golf course :P  and took Toby to the trains, well he hardly needed encouraging, I had to guide him away , isnt that cute! Hes alovely boy, I feel lucky to have him to learn with :blush: . Finishing off the day I trimmed his feet and then gave him a massage. Ohh lifes OK for some isnt it .

[shoveltrash]

i love reading the 'diaries'
i learn a bit from each & every one!

I posted on the classical thread re: contact. What do you think?

? :blink: ?  i'll have to go look this up......

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Ta Trish, youra sweetie .

[Linda Baia]

OMG, How come I have missed this thread!!  

Sorry Jade. It is very interesting. I envy you the clinic with Heather  

With Linda ( my mare), I have found helpfull to use laced reins. Why ? because I count the little thread:
- so my reins are the same lenghts  
- I know the correct length for working. For example in trot I put my thumb after the third thread. Then I work on my balance and my relaxation, and Linda takes HERSELF the contact.

She will ask for some stretch, I will follow her, by opening my arms, but I will re-take the contact, I put myself in the right position.

Tuesday, Linda was a real Gooff, she was tiring, and she was leaning on the bit. I did not give in. So she shook her head, saying "too much pressure on my mouth!!"  :lol:  <_< It was her creating the problem ! I sent her more forwards, that she has to hold her head alone  please :lol:

I hope it helps.

Now I will keep up with your diary    

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Hello! Yesterday I bought a 2nd hand mullen mth pelham for Toby and tried him with it today. I wanted to go and school on one of the local ovals but decided it might be more sensible to try him in a new bit here first. I am taking a while to get used to the straight bar as opposed to the double link, it feels a lot less responsive in his mouth. He didnt seem to go as well in this one as the one I tried at the clinic but by rights should be the same.
He worked reasonably well but was still a bit heavy in the hand at times although I try to get him going first w/out the curb rein in action, he did salivate more and more quickly than normal (snaffle) though. Same drill with the scholing asking him to flex at the poll and relax neck/back. For some reason (maybe the wind and some kids distracting him out of sight) he was not as resposive to my inside leg so I had to work more at getting that, instead of kicking or more pressure I lifted my leg off him and adrop it down and the sudden change in pressure swithches him on more. We kept on with the s/in at walk and trot, lots of transitions walk-halt walk-canter and am starting to work on halt-trot and trot-halt. He was more resistant in the downward transitions but I think a likely cause was the wind and other noises but am still working on him focussinbg his attention on me irrespective of distractions.
I think is it Linda or Muriel?? that your right, sometimes its easy to be distracted from keeping your riding focus with the feedback you get from the horse, but if the rider is right the horse is much more likey to come right.
Will try tomorrow and OH said he will take some photos so I can see for myself. Will post then. Cheers, Jade.
 

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I hate it when you go and loose a post . Typical me it was long enough, oh well Ive probably done you lot a favor :blink: .
Schooled Toby again today and OH took some photos. Nothing to new, same schooling as above. Tobes was a bit more soft today in the pelham but I also had to be really firm at others. Hes trying to evade by not flexing thru his body so I did lots of suppling s/in, leg yielding, haunches out on lines and circles. Has anyone some exercises that might help Toby find this easier? I might try and find some portable logs to use as trotting poles.
Was worrying about rock hard oval we are riding on, cant be too good schooling on it
 Feelin non-plussed about our rate of improvement and Im feeling a bit stagnant and stupid <_< . Am really looking forward to having some more lessons soon. Heres some picies of today.

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Photos of Toby and My 2nd go in the pelham.
Ed to say of course these are the nicest, many more unco and resistant .

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Here are some of the gumby ones.

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[shoveltrash]

oh Toby is just fabulous!  i LOVE the pics!!! you guys make a great pair.

We kept on with the s/in at walk and trot, lots of transitions walk-halt walk-canter and am starting to work on halt-trot and trot-halt.

you guys are doing walk-to-canter transitions???
wow.
regarding getting him more supple/bending....it might help to start off your ride on the ground, doing in hand lateral work.  just to get him more 'responsive' to the leg aid for bend/sideways maybe?

i have mixed feelings about the pelham honestly.

i worry that people using it to 'relax the jaw' might become too focused on the *set* of the horse's head.....
being on the bit comes from the hind end, over the topline, and THEN to the neck/jaw/bit.

sorry, didn't mean to get on a soapbox.  just expressing my own *humble* opinions/thoughts.  
how old is Toby again?
i think he's doing great - he should get more & more supple the more stronger he gets.  all that gymnastic work will pay off!
 

[hinny_heart]

Lovely lovely horse! He has a noble, as well as very kind, look about him.

Can you find a fence-line somewhere you can practice lateral work against? Or a fenced track with a good surface that you can use both sides of? I find that a fence line gives YOU something to focus on, and gives the horse a clearer idea of what you're asking him to do - it's like a third arm or an extra person, or something.

I'm sure that lateral work must be a difficult concept for horses "out in the open", so no wonder they either wobble all over the place or are simply stiff.

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Hiya everyone!
Thanks for your positivity . Hasnt Tobes got a beautiful face, and he is very gentle and noble as a person, you should see him with kids he goes all gooey :lol:  :blush: .
Trish I really understand what your talking about re: pelham, I find myself thinking about it as I ride even. I have been detirmined not to use it much but its still playing games with me. Now I know that my long contact isnt going to make him "light" I think I really could get away with a nice snaffle. Ive been thinking about investing in a Sprenger lozenge type double link as he likes my other one but I figure if the metal increases salivation and that increases realaxion and chewing then hes going to be more relaxed and more responsive to the rein aids anyway?? What do ya think about that reasoning? :lol: .
Hi Michaela I tell you what I try to do to get a straight line in lateral work.... , I line up a tree at the end of the oval and keep in a bee line to it, it works sometimes and dosnt others. Might lunge Toby this morn b4 work if theres time and I get off this forum!!!!!!!    :lol: .
Oh, Ed to add!
Yeah Toby found trot-cater hard so I thought try w-c and it worked so its easier for him and me cause I can work on giving him the right aids instead of flopping about :lol: .We can do trot-canter now too.
Oh and I was thinking about ground work, I did it with him when I first got him to teach him to moove laterally to the aids, but I do beleive your on to it Trish, shall do some next ride  
 Tobes is 5 going on 6 the dentist told me. Also found out some of his back ground, next post.............

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Yesterday I gave Toby a myofacsial massage as he was a bit tight in the loins,  and a few other areas(Rhomboids, Longiss dorsii-ribs, Glueus accessorius) the morning was a divine Autumn morning, sunny, light breeze and lots of currawongs and magpies calling. Its a beautiful time in the mountains.

I trimmed Toby's feet and rode him in the french link snaffle today, it feels better to me. I dont know if its just that I dont like the hardness of the un-jointed bit or what it is. I have been a bit funny with the whole curb/leverage thing and its possible that I havn't liked it just because I'm not used to the feeling of Toby in the mullen mouth pelham that it dosnt feel like hes going well because I dont know that feeling in my hands and I need to become accustomed to it. Who knows but enough navel gazing, I will alternate between the two and he goes well in the snaffle I just have educate him to soften in the contact I am now taking, which he did nicely today so that was good.

Toby felt like he had more suspension in his trot work today, trot work was steady, canter transition on R rein getting better, and also his halts which are often uneven were reguarly even. Did some Trot-.....Halts which seemed to help him finish sqaure and also worked on him remaining soft on the Trot to walk. I just like the live feeling you get from the double jointed bit. Im not sure if its him or me that preffers it :lol: .

Very windy today, Tobes was playing spooky "Thats sticks gonna devour me alive!!!" and I did some ground work pre ride, lunge and also circling round me mooving off stick pressure and stepping under himself. He tried me out today and tried to take me grass skiing on the lunge, and this time even though it was windy it didnt feel like he was fearful but like he was watching to see how I would react. Simple short rein lunge at walk and jog, he'd spin his bum out of circle and stop. Id ask him to go forward on circle and he'd pull back and try to take me skiing. He's such a woos (a strong one though :blink: ) i just had to bring him in and tap him on the bum and say walk on firmly and he goes "Oh alright I spose she knows what she doing, Better do it" and on he goes, Im lucky not to have a horse with a real attitude had them before and I love having a sensitive woose you just have to be consistent and calm. I love Toby :blush: .

[ParisDiamond]

I love Toby :blush: .

me too, I think he's a stunner.  Keep enjoying him.

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The wind has gone for the moment and weve had a beautiful autumn days, sunny, warmin the sun and gorgeous. Toby has started growing his winter coat now and I do beleive Ive been feeding him a bit too much as hes developed a little "pot belly" :P , I'd introduced a bit of lucerne/alfalfa chaff as he hasnt been getting any hay (On grass 24/7) and I thought with all the work he might want some more protein rather than just oaten chaff and bits&bobs. But I dont beleive he needs the extra dipper so Ive cut back. Oh well werve both put on a bit of extra pudding for cold yucky winter (Dont laugh Hinny Heart, we actually get snow here, seriously, its bloody freezing including wind chill. I want to move up NTH).

Toby had the day off 2day, rode him for about 30min yesterday, short and sweet, with the French link and he went really nicely. Getting there in softness and not hauling on the bit and being mug headed. I think hes starting to find it easier, he did some really nicee s/in and leg yielding as well where I really feel him come up in the front . Lots of yummy cappuchino froth too and seemed nice and happy throughout. More transitions than norm, I can get carried away on the circle and wanted to remember to set him up for success so I focussed on my half halts and transitions which were good and in much more self carriage and in control of his body, not the the groaning on the f/hand type that can occur.

The farrier came over to check on my progress with Tobys hooves and gave me some feedback and the OK, pheww. They look a hell of a lot better than when I got him and am getting there with the balance and flares. His limbs all are comming into allignment now that his hooves are becomming balanced.
Any way heres a piccy of my kitten that I rescued, the vet and I thought he was disabled with a congenital brain stem injury as when I found him he could hardly walk and would just flip backwards w/out warning. But 2 mths later is now a normal healthy little kitten- who I am now going to have to build a run for so he dosnt kill our beautiful native birds and reptiles .