Saturday
I managed to get in a quick ride before going to work that night. There was some people who trailer in on weekends to use the arena in the arena but i was happy to see that all the jumps had been cleared out of the arena to make room for the dressage lessons. I didnt have time to lunge him but he did very well at the mounting block stood nice and still and waited until i asked him to walk on before going anywhere.
He was a bit fiesty so we spent lots of time walking the arena he is not used to there being no jumps set up. He spent a good amount of time spooking in one of the corners the first couple times wasnt a big deal but he started to do it every time so at the walk and trot i really had to push him into those corners. We did a lot of trot work focusing on contact and a steady pace.
Then we started our canter work and counter clock wise he was great and could go forever there were no bucks and no major spooks. However clock wise which is by far his worst side he tried to get out of cantering that way by giving me a few big bucks (big for my horse that rarely ever bucks). My back was sore after that ride from lifting my hands up to stop him from getting his head down. After he tried a few times to get out of having to canter on that lead and me bringing him back and asking again he finally cantered on that lead, it wasnt for long but we got the canter on his bad lead with no bucking so i called it quits for the day and wrote it off as a win.
Sunday
I ended up getting off work early this day so i was able to get out to the barn before i picked my little guy up from his dads (they just got back from Disney Land) so i snuck out for another quick ride to try to work on our canter situation. I admit i was a little defeated with all this bucking nonsense from a horse that has never offered to buck and i have been thinking that it must be something wrong that i am doing but i tried to swallow my fear because G is the type of horse you allow him to be in control the issue just escalates. So i put on my big girl panties and a brave face and went to work with my horse. I made sure that i went out with time to lunge him so i could get him cantering on his bad lead as much as possible on the lunge hoping that that might make the ride go a little smoother.
I lunged him in his good direction for a few minutes then did a little longer on his bad side.. he was pretty good other than the head tossing going into the canter transition and other than needing constant encouragement to stay at the canter he was very good.
He was definitely not as patient this time at the mounting block but still stood still long enough for me to get on. We started out at the walk (again the arena was clear of all jumps) again he was spooking at the same corner so i spent a lot of time pushing him into that corner in both directions but still he would hop to the side he was also ignoring my seat and would speed up. Trot he was good, Canter counter clockwise was perfect no bucking nothing smooth rythmic and he didnt try to stop without me asking him too.
Clockwise was a different story he bucked harder this time everytime i asked and one time i had to turn him sharply to get him to stop and to get his mind back on me the other time i had to run him into the wall. I was so disheartened and i know he is weak on that side but i felt like there must be something i was doing wrong... this is typically where i would have quit and tried to find someone else to ride him and work him out of this, but i stayed on and we started doing figure eights at the trot, we did quite a few when i finally mustered up enough courage to ask for the canter again and it was perfect no bucking or anything we didnt canter for long but he got lots of pats and praise.
Im so glad to be starting lessons again i need to make sure that its not something that im doing wrong. Im also going to try to use my other saddle and see if he bucks under the other saddle as well... i really dont think its anything wrong because he doesnt do it every time and he doesnt do it in both directions only the side he is weak on. But i am very proud of myself for not giving up and not giving in... however from my back being sore from the ride the day before i did feel myself leaning forward and collapsing in so i will have to keep that in mind and make a concious effort to correct that again.
Monday-Dressage lesson
Tuesday-Off
Wednesday-Off
Thursday-Jump lesson
I managed to get in a quick ride before going to work that night. There was some people who trailer in on weekends to use the arena in the arena but i was happy to see that all the jumps had been cleared out of the arena to make room for the dressage lessons. I didnt have time to lunge him but he did very well at the mounting block stood nice and still and waited until i asked him to walk on before going anywhere.
He was a bit fiesty so we spent lots of time walking the arena he is not used to there being no jumps set up. He spent a good amount of time spooking in one of the corners the first couple times wasnt a big deal but he started to do it every time so at the walk and trot i really had to push him into those corners. We did a lot of trot work focusing on contact and a steady pace.
Then we started our canter work and counter clock wise he was great and could go forever there were no bucks and no major spooks. However clock wise which is by far his worst side he tried to get out of cantering that way by giving me a few big bucks (big for my horse that rarely ever bucks). My back was sore after that ride from lifting my hands up to stop him from getting his head down. After he tried a few times to get out of having to canter on that lead and me bringing him back and asking again he finally cantered on that lead, it wasnt for long but we got the canter on his bad lead with no bucking so i called it quits for the day and wrote it off as a win.
Sunday
I ended up getting off work early this day so i was able to get out to the barn before i picked my little guy up from his dads (they just got back from Disney Land) so i snuck out for another quick ride to try to work on our canter situation. I admit i was a little defeated with all this bucking nonsense from a horse that has never offered to buck and i have been thinking that it must be something wrong that i am doing but i tried to swallow my fear because G is the type of horse you allow him to be in control the issue just escalates. So i put on my big girl panties and a brave face and went to work with my horse. I made sure that i went out with time to lunge him so i could get him cantering on his bad lead as much as possible on the lunge hoping that that might make the ride go a little smoother.
I lunged him in his good direction for a few minutes then did a little longer on his bad side.. he was pretty good other than the head tossing going into the canter transition and other than needing constant encouragement to stay at the canter he was very good.
He was definitely not as patient this time at the mounting block but still stood still long enough for me to get on. We started out at the walk (again the arena was clear of all jumps) again he was spooking at the same corner so i spent a lot of time pushing him into that corner in both directions but still he would hop to the side he was also ignoring my seat and would speed up. Trot he was good, Canter counter clockwise was perfect no bucking nothing smooth rythmic and he didnt try to stop without me asking him too.
Clockwise was a different story he bucked harder this time everytime i asked and one time i had to turn him sharply to get him to stop and to get his mind back on me the other time i had to run him into the wall. I was so disheartened and i know he is weak on that side but i felt like there must be something i was doing wrong... this is typically where i would have quit and tried to find someone else to ride him and work him out of this, but i stayed on and we started doing figure eights at the trot, we did quite a few when i finally mustered up enough courage to ask for the canter again and it was perfect no bucking or anything we didnt canter for long but he got lots of pats and praise.
Im so glad to be starting lessons again i need to make sure that its not something that im doing wrong. Im also going to try to use my other saddle and see if he bucks under the other saddle as well... i really dont think its anything wrong because he doesnt do it every time and he doesnt do it in both directions only the side he is weak on. But i am very proud of myself for not giving up and not giving in... however from my back being sore from the ride the day before i did feel myself leaning forward and collapsing in so i will have to keep that in mind and make a concious effort to correct that again.
Monday-Dressage lesson
Tuesday-Off
Wednesday-Off
Thursday-Jump lesson
Could G possibly have something physically wrong with him that would prevent him from being able to canter on the left lead (clockwise--that is left lead, isn't it?)? Perhaps something is causing him pain when he is cantering on [that] lead? I don't know much; it's just a thought I had. :)
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