Svenna becomes a DQ

Right where I want her right now

Miss Svenna is signed up for a Jeremy Beale clinic in early October! Guess that means I'd better get to work! Even if I had to go this weekend though, I'd be happy...she has been coming along steadily and just getting better and better. She is inconsistent in the bridle, but definitely starting to understand what is the right place. I finally had someone around to take (admittedly crappy cell phone) pics and she looks much better than she feels! As my friend said, she'll probably always feel like a stiff short strided pony to me, even when she's being pretty darn good. But I'm SO SO SO happy that she is starting to be down in the bridle and come not just over the back, but up in the back. It makes her a lot more rideable and lighter in the bridle.

I've been riding her out on the grass track a lot since the weather has been so nice and man that gives me a totally different horse! Not to say that the fundamental issues aren't the same, but they express so differently. For instance, she is heavy in the bridle and in the ring she just bears down and gets stiff, but on the track she is nearly running off with me! It is not that she's really going very fast, just that I can't stop her haha. It's great to have her so forward though, makes the ride much easier.

It is interesting how much riding on straight lines only, like when I'm out on the track (no room to circle), really magnifies training flaws. Like how little Svenna understands (or respects??) the half halt. She dosen't shorten her neck, or slow down, or shake her head....she just completely ignores the aid. Its like pulling on a damn brick. I think in the ring I kind of cover that up by really bending her in  and out on a 10-15 meter circle, but on the track that is not an option. So anyway all this half halt practice on straight lines over the last month or so on the track has really helped establish a half halt. Which obviously improves everything.

Not a great pic, but shows how much she's coming under from behind which is really hard for her!

Also I finally beat convinced her into going trail riding again. Something we had no issues with until a less than ideal experience with another really green horse. She was being such a cow, she is absolutely NOT scared, she just tries to intimidate me by backing up into stuff. Hitting/clucking for forward did not work, she just plants her feet and does not move and tries to use backwards against me. So my plan of attack was to praise and reward (with cookies) forward, and when she backs, I make her back for a LONG time. Then stop and politely ask for forward again. She pulled out all the stops to evade: backing into ditches, fences, and prickly berry bushes but I just let her. It's her butt, if she wants to drag it through some super prickly bushes I'll let her! I certainly never asked her to back up anywhere dangerous, the trail is also a bike path- plenty wide enough for her to back up in a semi straight line without hitting anything. So after about 20 minutes my pony gave up and went forward and then was an absolute gem and we had a great time. I can't wait to try again, I really hope the lesson stuck and we won't have to fight again. It really freaks the pedestrians on the trail out to see me growling and and beating up the cute pony!!

We have a jumping lesson on Thursday, I can't wait! I'll make her into a sport pony yet.