So last night I felt like being productive but I was worn out from the weekend and knew it wasn't the best night to get on greenies, so we did more ground driving. I think the ground driving is very helpful for the VLC. When he wants to resist the bit and balk, you are right behind him. That option simply isn't available. Therefore, he has to get over himself and go forward, and he does. I have a friend who knows how to ground drive much better than I do, and she's giving me lessons in how to do it effectively.
Then we decided to do the same with Casper, the Cowgirl Spirit horse that I am working with. Casper is just one of those great green horses who truly wants to learn and loves the attention. She caught on to everything we asked so quickly, whether it was body language on the longe line or her first ground driving session. I admit, I've become a fan of ground driving. I like it better than longeing because you can go in a straight line and do maneuvers like serpentines that you could never try on the longe. You can use the whole arena and aren't torquing their heads around. It's just more tiring for the human because when they trot, you trot. But hey, I needed more exercise anyway!
Honey and Bessie are home and back on vacation for awhile. I am sure they are both thrilled!
One preview from the SAFE show...this is me on Class, a Cowgirl Spirit pony who is available for adoption now. She is a Quarter pony and is six years old with no soundness or behavioral concerns. She is just under 14.2 and would be great for a Pony Clubber or other young rider with supervision. She still needs finishing (this was actually her first show class, ever) but she is willing, easy to ride, and has seen and done a lot this summer with the drill team.
17 comments:
Class looks very pretty in that picture.
Wow you must be tiny if she is under 14.2! She looks full size in that picture with you on her. She's super cute!
Her front legs were making my brain bleed. Til I finally could see her left leg is in front and her right leg is in back. The shadowing doesn't help and when your looking at below the shadow of just the legs, its hard to tell which leg is which.
Cathy IS tiny! 5'nothing and weighs 100 pound soaking wet with rocks in her pockets!
LOL Karen has taken off a couple inches and twenty pounds.
On second thought, Karen, keep talking, I think I like your version better. :-)
What a nice pic of you and Class!
Cathy - do you have plans on attending any upcoming schooling shows waaaay down here in the south end? (Pierce County)
VLC - OH WHAT EVER!!! Where is the other 20 pounds??? HUH?? Your hair is longer than mine but I seriously doubt it weighs 20 pounds! And you boobs are THAT big! You can NOT weigh more than 100 pounds! CAN NOT! I could toss you over my shoulder and pack you like a sack of feed with no problem!
PFT! 20 pounds! BAH!
Regarding longlining, we do a lot of it at the barn where I'm apprenticed because we train horses to drive. I started out trot trot trotting behind horses before someone advised me that trotting is something I might prefer to do on a circle. It does have some of the disadvantages of lounging, obviously, but there is one exercise you have to do on a circle anyway. Its a think we do to help teach a horse to balance themselves well, bend, and its good practice steering. You have them on your circle at a walk or a trot, make sure you have some excess rein, and then you point them out of the circle and do a change of direction with a half circle (and then back to the big circle, now in the other direction. You can do it on a small enough half circle that you dont really have to move much to do it.
Also, if you like ground driving, and since the VLC seems pretty calm about most things, you might think about teaching him to pull a tire. It needs a little more equipment (like, a tire, and a few other things) but it 1) tires them out and 2) forces them to work off their hind end. I'm going to ask on Friday what the minimum necessary equipment is, I think you'd just need a breast strap with two traces, a single tree (very very easy to make) and some bailing twine. We have lots of extra stuff hanging off the horse to get them used to it, but it doesn't really do anything that I know of.
We have a training tire and also tire filled with cement and with a seat on it for the drafts and the more advanced/fit horses. Cant you just picture yourself riding around the arena on a tire? Good fun, for driver and onlookers.
You can longe them wile ground driving.
I do a lot of ground driving considering I drive A LOT. Just use the reins to direct them. You can do things like direction changes on the long lines going through cones/weaving in and out is something I find helps SOOO much with steering. I think it's because you have something to focus on and theres something physical there for the horse to have to walk around.
The VLC would totally pull a tire. Really, nothing bothers him. We introduced him to a tarp yesterday and he was completely unfazed by it.
Fugly, my buckskin sounds remarkably like the VLC, except he would ahve to be called the ArHG (average height gelding)( he's an appy, so I get to add the small letters, right?). He has pulled a log! But only in the woods to get it off the path a bit. but it's an incredibly useful skill, even if you don't actually drive him anywhere. And you can imagine how cool I looked with my average fella helping us drag a downed tree off the trail. Pretty cool!
Cause being cool is what it's all about, right?
Wow, I'd have not recognized Class until you mentioned it was her. You have her going nice and forward at the working trot and she looks 'on the bit'. She looks very cute in h/j!
Sounds like me, 5 ft 1, and 120 lbs, lol. But I don't think I could be sacked around like that, I am a little musclebound bitty :).
She is a very cute horse, at least from the back... and seems to have nice movement. You two look great together and she just doesn't look that small.
I just bet she will be a star in someones barn, and hopefully soon so she can catch up on all the one on one time every horse deserves.
I can just see her all braided up with ribbons and a little girl smiling 'til she could bust.
Love the color on Class!
OT (sort of) But I'm so excited that I had to tell!!!!
I have an 18 yr old Smooth Town son, with some minor stifle weakness. He had some weight issues when I got him (got him in trade for an NFR Bronc). He's all put back together now.
I just found out that he spent 4 years being shown in dressage! All I have to do is rehab the stifle and back to the ring we go!
LMAO You guys are hilarious :P. Cathy you look great. The pony your on is a cutie to!
Congrats guys! I cant wait to share my horsey show pics... (only a few more days... Im counting sleeps like a little kid!!!)
Good job Cathy, to bad you couldn't take VLC. I want to see him out to!!
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