Kat & Tango Update

Kat

Since the WRR show, Kat's been up to all sorts of things.

We've done a lot of dressage and for the most part, we have bend and forward down.  Her fits are far and few between, and she's getting more and more rideable. We've done some trail riding which is surprisingly boring.

Some jumping, of course, and she's been getting better, and better, and better. Half-halts are something we DEFINITELY need work on, but they're improving.

I'm pleased with her progress. I need to help her get a bit more comfortable trusting me in the canter, but it'll come in time. Remember when all we did was buck? Wasn't that long ago.

Yesterday E and I hauled Kat to Woodside to school cross country out there.

There were groups of riders all over, working on various things, so after a quick hack around the field we ended up at the north water complex.

Honestly, what was I thinking? Tackle the thing I'm most worried about FIRST?

She wouldn't get in the water. She thought about it at one point, but I think I stopped her because I sort of squeezed the reins and said "please don't launch yourself into the water."

I dismounted and hemmed and hawed about having to get into the water because I was wearing my new show boots, but I finally did. I don't have photographic evidence, but it was a rodeo. Small mare LEAPT into the water, then panicked about wet feet, then reared, the leapt around a little more.

I probably shouldn't have gotten out unscathed.

This was the second time. Not good, but much less life-threatening

We walked in and out a lot until it was a bit better...

Then we moved to another spot on the water hole.

I actually love this photo

Basically that photo sums up my day with her.

Nah, not true. She ended up being really good. It was frustrating at first because I'd just spent thirty minutes basically training her to ignore my legs.

E suggested that I try getting on her while we were in the water, so I tried that. We walked around in the water and ended up getting back into the water once.

I'm going to save some of the better jumping photos to populate future posts (can't give everything away at once, can I?) but here's a collection of a few photos to whet your appetite for photos not involving me nearly getting trampled.

She's... uhm... scopey.

Tango

Tango's been dressage-ing like crazy with his new Niedersuss saddle (which I love. Yay impromptu eBay purchase). And man oh saint's alive is he coming along.



I don't have nearly enough photos to demonstrate this, especially because photographing a dressage school is much less interesting than photographing my near death a dozen times over.

I've mostly been focused on improving the transitions in and out of the canter. Bending into the canter to prevent him using the bottom of his neck to drag himself into the canter, and then really using my core to set the tempo for the trot before a downward transition.

It's getting SO MUCH better, but he still has a lot of strength to build in it. So we'll keep trucking away, improving the leg yields and the shoulder-in, using our transitions to improve my horse, and seeing where he ends up.

So what I posted this yesterday? It shows a MUCH improved trot.

And look! He's jumping more like a sane horse now.