I know i haven't been the best at blogging lately..but things get hectic when you have 30 something days left in a competition. I've made a solid goal for Ruger and for myself.
I've got a few extra pounds hanging around(who doesn't..shut up you salad eating skinny girls) so I've vowed to lose them in the next 30 days.
Ruger, my dear ruger..I have 3 things i want her to accomplish before we go out and see lots of scary things at this competition. Be level headed and collected at the walk, trot, and canter. Three things, three gaits. We have walk and trot, its our poor dropped shoulder, half run of a lope i have to work on.
Since the wind has decided to keep on it's insistent blowing and pissing me off I took a day and went a few steps back with her training. It sucks, but, sometimes in this thing I feel like I have to skip steps in order for her to have everything they want done..I hate that. I'm the kind of trainer who won't take a green horse to a show until I know I can get through the class and look decent or better. Being "green" is no excuse for placing 7th out of 8.
Anyway I bridled her up and longed her with her head down, this is the second or third time for her and she was great, she doesn't fight it and just puts her head down. I've ridden her after and she friggin gets it! yay! -anyway- I decided she needed to learn to pick up that shoulder she loves to drop so much, so I tied one side of her head the the saddle horn, not so much that she had her head all the way around, just enough to have that "arc" in her face. Then I tied the other side to the cinch ring tight enough so she can't fallow her nose, but loose enough so she is willing to go forward..She was so funny I couldn't help but laugh a little when she went around the pen, shoulder up at a trot. She couldn't figure out why her body was moving that way and her face was just classic. :)
If you have never tied a horse like this and they have a shoulder dropping problem..I highly suggest it, it teaches them balance on their own, and your not the "bad guy" for picking a "pick up your damn shoulder" fight. You will see them correct themselves instantly and their movement is much nicer and floaty. English horses benefit from this the most, but it helps those joggers too. :)
Back to Ruger, she was very good and tried very hard to keep that shoulder up at the trot and lope. I'll post videos later today so hopefully you can see the difference between not bridled and bridled and not think i'm a quack. haha.
I also worked more on our showmanship and in hand trail..she is getting so damn good. I was watching some of the in hand stuff from EEM's past and i must say...i'm appalled. who leads their horses that way? dragging them around the course like a sack of potatoes. I know that the horse following behind while leading is fine for the barn, but in a class? ouy vey! I'm super surprised that more people don't have their horses mind better on the ground. I guess pat parelli doesn't teach these things. hahahahaha...whew.. sorry i know that was a cheap shot.. :)
Anyway, the wind isn't too bad today so maybe i'll go out on a trail ride with the mama.. after all we do have to do 2 hours of riding on the "urban trails" during this competition.
more later!
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