Cob Jockey

 

On Saturday, Mary and Annie came down for their weekly visit. Mary asked what I worked on the night before with CGP so she could tailor his jumping work to help my Dressage work. I said CGP said the biggest thing we had to work on was increased collection and engagement.

#momlife

She set up an exercise that when eventually built out was placing pole, crossrail, one stride, Swedish oxer, one stride, Swedish oxer, placing pole. Her justification for this was that with two oxers in a row, that would force him to sit back and really use his hind end between the fences in a way that one oxer sandwiched by verticals would not.

Everybody's jumping!

Through the course of doing this exercise, she figured out a couple of key things. First, he is really committed to doing what he wants to do naturally, which is to go through the line crooked and drifting and tipping his wither to one side, just like he does on the flat. "I mean, I thought the Swedish oxer would encourage him to jump the easiest part of the jump, which is the middle, but he was like thanks but no, I'd rather jump the high part crooked," she said, surprised.

"I don't think he thinks that way," I said. "He ALWAYS makes it over, even if the jump is higher than he thought or he gets a bad spot or he spooks at it. I'm not sure level of effort crosses his mind, at least with the fences set to this height, where even the high end is something he knows he's capable of."

Jumping the high part crooked - Mary riding passively

I encourage you guys to click through to view the GIFs in gallery view and watch the previous GIF and the next one side by side to see a subtle but clear example of this, and of our other big revelation (more to Mary than to me) which is that Connor needs an active ride through the exercise in order to improve.

Mary said, "I set this exercise up in such a way that I thought the exercise would teach him the right way to go through it, but I think he really needs me to show him how to do it right." I said, "Well, he's not an eventer anymore, he's spent the last six years being told where every footfall should go in a Dressage court, he's used to being micromanaged now. And plus, this horse has always been a follower, he's most confident when he's got a strong leader dishing out orders."

Huge difference from the previous attempt (which is the previous GIF) - Mary riding actively. We ended on this one.

After Mary jumped Connor, Annie rode Connor, then Mary taught a barnmate an impromptu (unpaid!) lesson over the same gymnastic line, then Annie rode her favorite geriatric retired Quarter Horse Zippy:

Moving better than ever after getting his shoes pulled and an injection of some kind

And we finished the day with some Meatloaf jumping, doing PM barn chores and playing in the big field.

Insert Lion King quote here

Couldn't ask for a more perfect first day of Spring!

Connor and I had a terrible, horrible, no good very bad lesson on Tuesday.  We found out at the very end of the lesson it was due to an adjustment I made to his bridle that he did NOT like - once I figured it out and put it back he was back to his old self.

One way or another - after his regularly scheduled off day on Wednesday I figured I owed him one on Thursday.  We hit the green, green grass in a t-shirt and summer tights and enjoyed the first really warm springlike day I think we've had so far:

We wandered the farm.

We did two hill climbs on the really long steep hill in the turnout pasture.

Tough to properly photograph, but this is a legit incline for Indiana and I'm thankful to have it for strength training.

We also went out to the big field behind the barn and trotted and cantered.  He was SO relaxed.  Normally he's antsy and pacey and nervous when we're out there.

He also killed it on Equisense metrics - 15.5 is his highest ever canter elevation score by quite a bit.



Afterward, I stripped his tack and took him out to groom him while he grazed on the lawn - something I'm sure he appreciated since his grazing muzzle got put back on this week!

Astute readers will realize that is not Connor's halter on his head.  It's a long story involving his grazing muzzle, TOTD taking a month and counting to get a purchase to me, and me not wanting to walk to my trailer to get a spare out :D

Finally, I got totally sidetracked staring at his practically iridescent coat in the sun. This is nothing but nutrition - he hasn't had a bath in a month and he's been pretty neglected for the last 10 days.


Happy Friday!

Remember how completely brown this field was a month ago?

Happy ponies in the warmth.

Look, one month of mane regrowth!  We're getting there.

It's cold, there's snow on the ground (again), and I had to skip my lesson this week, but that means Connor got another trainer ride.  I am so fortunate to have a trainer so good with him that I can feel a large and immediate difference the next time I get on, even after just one ride.  It's like she installs a pony software patch or something. :-)  Humor me, I'm at my IT job for another ten minutes on a Friday afternoon!

Come on, warm weather!

Happy weekend, and just think: we are one week closer to green fields, green trees, and SPRING!