Wednesday, March 18, 2009

3/17/09 Ransom Lesson

My ride was good. My horse wasn't. How's that for a quick summary? Oh yeah, I probably ought to add a bit more so I can see if the problem happens again. alright.. I suppose....

Caught Ransom after work, and spend about fifteen minutes working out his shedding winter coat. This tedious task leaves me with horsehair in my mouth, up my nose, scattered all over the front yard. It's not coming out in handfuls, because that would just be too easy. It's coming out one strand at a time, and the dry air and low wind left it floating all around us. I've seen a few different shedding combs, and hope to pick one up in the next few days that will work a bit better than a standard rubber curry comb.

Gave him about a fifteen minute warm up (side reins 5s), and while he was leaning on the lunge line, he was pretty obedient. Jen showed up just as I was taking everything off, getting ready for a solid lesson off the lunge line. After Monday's ride, I figured there would be some to show off about, then maybe head back on the line for a little canter work.

Ransom had other plans. He was stiff, and belligerent. I had a hard time getting him to turn on contact and leg, not to mention softening & rounding up his back. I spent probaby twenty minutes of the lesson focusing on myself & ignoring his behavior before Jen intervened, and pointed out it wasn't me, it was him.

We argued at the trot for almost 45 minutes before changing it up. In that time, I changed directions a lot, worked on different places in the arena, went around poles & the jump set up as "obstacles", tried focusing on every part of my balance & muscles to stay relaxed & cooperating with him. I felt like I was holding him up and having to push him through every turn, alternating between posting trot & sitting trot. Some of the sit-trot was flat ugly, but that felt like the only way to keep him forward & together.

Finally, I jumped down, Jen added the side reins back, and we proceeded to chase him around the arena, hoping a little running around would loosen up his body & mind. Ransom ran and ran and ran, and when he was finally blowing really hard, and not taking off like a nut anymore, I got back on.

Another ten minutes later of all the same, we gave up. Ransom is entitled to a bad day, and this was one. I settled on a half-decent set of turns and corners, and rewarded him with a loose rein every time he dropped his head & relaxed for me.

I had a good ride, because I stuck with it, and kept correcting as best I could. Ransom, however, just didn't have an A-day.

No comments: