Circle over a pole

I watched the Jumping with Confidence DVD over the weekend and how they were getting that beautiful Fresian to jump the jump on the circle until it was smooth.

So I decided I would try circle with a pole today before we progressed to a jump. Well ever since I taught Garbo to stop at a pole on a circle (and gave him a treat) he now will not go over a pole if he is doing circle game. He stops and straddles it and starts going sideways, or as this picture shows, eats the bamboo stake on the tree next to the pole!



I am not sure what to do - ok I didn't ask him to stop (no rope wiggling), but he obviously is asking me a question when he does it - he stops and if I ask him to continue he paws.

So - up my phases to ask him to go (tried that today and got a bit offended), or.... hmmmmm not sure what that 'or' might be.

On a better note - asked him to back back through the gate I had just led him through today, same width as his stall gate, and he did it - albeit at 100 miles an hour..... but he did so I let him have a bite of grass.


I then tried to get Garbo to drive from Zone 3 on the end of the 22ft line. He tends to play that game as if I have a 12 ft line and no more. So I had to really be strict about him moving further away from me and walking beside me. We made a little progress - got to about 18ft I guess and for about 10 m along a fence.

I was going to play with Maraschino but just after that it started to rain.

Tomorrow is another day.

Figure 8

I watched this Savvy Club DVD with the L3 instructor having a lesson with Linda, as they did Figure 8's - but it didn't look to me like she was doing much (obviously the point but not helpful)...

So - I bit the bullet and have ordered the Patterns DVDs!

Tyre

This is the tractor tyre that I have had my eye on at work (across the road) all winter. The guy who owns the garage across from my work owned them (there were two) and he didn't really know what to do with them so was happy for me to take one. That was a story in itself! Just to lift it took three men - then they rolled it into my float.

George and I struggled to roll it (without tipping it over) to this spot but we did it!

So now we have been filling it with clay so it will one day be a pedastal!

Maraschino didn't like having something new in his paddock initially and ran away from it, turned and faced, several times until he was sure it was not going to eat him.

Today he is keeping an eye on the neighbour's shetland pony who has a new bright blue canvas cover.

Bareback addiction

I got the boys in and groomed them - well Garbo was tied up and Maraschino just hung around while I groomed both of them. Before that I did a wheelbarrow of poo picking, worth doing now that we have had a low worm count result.

So - I decided to ride Garbo and got on bareback (always a challenge), and we went for a lovely walk round the place. Mostly in the middle paddock (Garbo's choice). He was keen to get it over with though (feed time Mum) and I didn't have my phase 4 string or rope on me... bum... next time.

Maraschino stood in his yard and watched. Very cute.

Backing

In my old yard I would try and back Garbo through a yard doorway... and he would stop when his bum hit the doorway (sometimes literally), and turn sideways so that I couldn't yo yo him through the doorway.

I had not tried it in our own yards here at home yet. So today we did. He still got stuck as soon as Zone 4 was in the doorway.... I could get him to start inside the yard and come out one step, back one, out two, back two, and nice and slow - but as soon as he had Zone 4 out as quick as you could say LBI he had his back end sideways along the yard!

If I try and move his HQ back to line him up he zips round the other way!

So we need some more work on that.

Mainly just being playing Friendly with Maraschino - I groomed him today while he was loose, just hanging round. Got to comb his tail and everything before he got bored.

Garbo was in a cuddly mood which was nice (unless I brushed his torso).

Ride in the sun

Today was a lovely spring day and I had about an hour window when I could ride. George doesn't like me to ride if I am home alone and he was due to leave at 2pm, so at 1pm after trying some figure eights on the ground (unsuccessfully) I got on to try them from above. I need to watch the 2nd to last Savvy Club DVD again carefully because all I seem to do is confuse Garbo - online as you can see.I didn't stick a saddle on (riding is so quick these days with no bridle or saddle - I just tie the other end of the 12ft line to the halter!) so I jumped on and Garbo put up with figure 8's for about 4 times...so then we did some carrot stick riding and went for a lovely walk round the track.

We did a little bit of disengaging the HQ and sideways but it was a bit messy.

Maraschino was so good - it's the first time I have got Garbo out of the paddock without getting him out too, he came cantering over to the gate when he realised but then just looked, saw we weren't going far, and carried on eating. He was such an angel.

In the afternoon my friend brought her horse around for me to have a play with. She describes his as naughty mainly. He freaked out at the Shetland Pony next door after he got off the float so I took him off her and backed him up alot - I would describe him as playful and dominant - just like Garbo actually. Her lead rope was too short so we swapped to my halter and rope.

After quite alot of yo yo I showed my friend how to start at phase one. It's funny watching others do exactly what you did once, she was clucking to make him go backwards - I asked her if he knew what that signal meant? She admitted probably not. I asked her if it meant backwards - I didn't suspect it did.

She is quite petite so he would try to dominate her quite alot especially when leading so much to her embarrassment I taught he the chicken flapping while leading and backing up.

Then we did some porcupine and I tried a bit of circle game (she told me he always comes in on the lunge). It was alot for them both to learn in one day - Tital was yawning flat out after a while, and I think my friend was too. I have told her to do yo-you and porcupine (and polite leading) every day for a week at least.

I saw her later and she said he normally chases the older horse when he gets in the paddock but today he just went and sniffed him and then started eating!

First trip out from new home

The boys went on an outing today to Royal Oak. It's a great place for a youngster because it has a large square pen right next to the arena so I can pop Maraschino in there loose with hay and water while I ride/work with Garbo and they can still see each other.

It's the first time either of them have been off our property since they arrived here.

I wasn't even nervous, maybe a little bit about loading Maraschino, but not about loading or riding Garbo. Since our marathon trailer loading day he has been an angel. I had not ridden him since early July.

Anyway - Garbo loaded straight on, and began munching on hay. Maraschino heard Garbo eating his carrot (I always give him a carrot when he loads nicely), and pricked up his ears looking into the float. I led him on and he backed out a little (after taking quite a few steps in), and he stood at the bottom of the ramp and chewed on the ridges on the ramp, and then pawed. Need I say more? We waited.

Garbo turned his head round as if to say 'c'mon we are going where the sheep are'...

My friend tapped him lightly on the hind end while I stood at Zone 2 and patted him. It only took a little bit more of this and he was in. We closed the divider and he only just fitted!! He didn't kick out, rush back, rear or panic - I was so impressed.

We arrived (the drive took about 15 minutes I guess), and opened the back door and ramp and undid his divider (I have an angle load), and he backed out quietly.

Next came Garbo - well for what ever reason - as soon as I undid his divider, he straightened up and rushed out backwards - he was covered in sweat. Two possibilities - he was hot -I had the windows open but not the top vent - and it was a really hot day today (17). Or he got a fright about something, or wondered where I was taking him - who knows. He was fine on the way home. Maybe he was just out of practice.

So I put Maraschino in the square pen and Garbo was a bit jumpy so we started straight away in the arena doing 7 games. He had quite a bit of energy and offered trot and canter transitions, we did travelling circle, sideways round and L shape pole (well two poles). It was great fun and I think Garbo thought so too.

Sorry - I have no photos.

Then I tied Garbo up next to his hay and got Maraschino out. Had to play catching game for about a minute to catch him, but after that he was fine. We played put your nose on that for quite a bit after reading about other RBI's liking this game. He seemed to really like it. We did a bit of circle, yo yo, and head down. He was quite tired by now.

Then I put a bareback pad on Garbo and had a lovely ride. Garbo was relaxed and happy and even happy to go round the arena and over poles. He seemed to be enjoying seeing all the horses there. Catching up with the gossip maybe.

My friend then got on him and I handed Maraschino's 12ft line to her - she was going to see how they both were with ponying. They were great. Maraschino had a couple of spooks but Garbo remained calm and at one point just told Maraschino to get off his hind end (he didn't think he was allowed up to Zone 3 so would keep following Garbo's tail instead).... with a little kick... but apart from that they were both great.

The float loading on the way home was just as good and Garbo didn't sweat on the way back either. Maraschino turned and came out forwards calmly which was great, then they both went off to graze. A great day out. I got sunburnt!

Lead by the leg LBI style

This is Garbo doing (or not) lead by the leg. He just can not see the point. He has a huge amount of opposition reflex as you can see. And as you can also see by his back feet he is not making any effort what so ever to move, or to rebalance. I just crack up laughing after a while.

Ok I'll move it one inch!

But that's it! This really is a boring game Mum. Why are we doing it?

Let me show you how it's done Garbo. It's a bit scary but I am getting used to it now. My leg doesn't shake as much.

This is Maraschino standing on top of the clay pile aka the new Parelli play hill.

I tried backing Garbo up and down (yo-yo) it yesterday but he went pretty crooked.... kind of turned the yo yo into sideways! Heehee.


This is Maraschino trying to eat one of the most prickliest ferns on earth!!!


What??!!