Thursday, September 2, 2010

Training Continues...

I had a pretty good arena ride with Cole, again. he really seems to understand that walking means walking. I only had to correct him a few times. I didn’t even lounge him or do a lot of groundwork first to get him tired. I just went and rode. Well, I’m sure the very hot temperatures helped me out.




His trotting is getting better. He has the best upward transitions I ever experienced before. This horse loves to trot! Is this really the horse that I couldn’t get from a halt to a walk? His downward transitions are improving. He stopped a few times to light rien contact and an exhale. It’s a little different, but I train all my horses to stop to a loud exhale. The exhale gets me to sit deep and steady my seat. That may really be what gets them to stop. It really works well for me.



I trained Mingo’s mother to stop with an exhale. She wasn’t my horse, so when someone else started to ride her, I explained what I did. I don’t think she believed me. She decided to try it herself, shortly afterwards. She was cantering, exhaled, and the horse came to such a sudden stop, the rider nearly fell right off!



The long holiday weekend may mean 3 days of trail riding on Cole. Also, I will have 3 days of trail riding on Cruiser, too. The weather is going to be cooler, too! Hurray!

1 comment:

Achieve1dream said...

My dressage trainer used to have me exhale when we'd do a downward transition or halt. She did it for the same reasons you do. To relax and sit deep. :) Horses are so much more in tune to our body language and shifts of weight than we give them credit for. :)

I can't wait to hear how the weekend goes. I wish I were riding all weekend. I can't wait for Chrome to be old enough lol. Remind me never to buy a colt again hehehehe.