I have started schooling Holly. We have discovered that if she has someone new on her back - she will try and get away will all sorts of naughty things - like turning in circles, heading for the gate, barging the fence, all the things to put an inexperienced rider off from ever wanting to bond with Holly ever again !
She still tries it on with me of course, but each day I am getting more confident with her, and now can anticipate her thoughts!. We practice moves in the school until we get it right. She needs a few minutes to settle down - this is normally just walking and talking, discussing the view and talking about the other horses grazing in the field. There is a new calf at the farm, so this has been discussed too! Yesterday there was a fisherman by the river, on the bank opposite the menage, so he was discussed. All this helps Holly to settle, she is listening to me, and we are bonding.
I try to have a plan of attack for each session [a lesson plan - just like work eh!] and some days we just stay in walk, practicing turns, Holly responding to leg aids as well as voice and rein.
She is very light in the mouth and need little leg. If I were to kick her on, she would go exactly that, and gallop up the school......'you asked me to go fast....' [lots of riding school horses need kicking just to keep them in walk - they are so bored and programmed].
Schooling has been interrupted by our trip to Northumberland [see next installment!].
No comments:
Post a Comment