Clip, clop, clip...

[catjac1975]

Ok, came back from my second lesson!

Ended up with a rounder mare, slow going like my guy, not gaited. We were practicing the sitting trot then some posting trot. Ton different to practice on a moving horse than one that isn't! Really wish I could get my gelding to trot, but yesterday, we decided to walk in a new area. The back gait to the narrow pasture, he refused 3x and finally went through the fourth time around. The white lattice seemed to put him on alert, but not enough to wiggle, refuse, bolt, etc, so I was super happy with that. We walked out, around the yard and back in and them back out, no issues. I may try and ask him to trot this week...maybe...we'll see.

Anyway, back to my lesson. Super hard to sit the trot and now posting the trot seems tricky as well...since I need to put weight down through my heel. Still was fun.

Lessons will be on Tuesdays, thought, 22nd she's busy. I'll worry about that next week.

What kind of saddle do you use? A deep western type saddle with comfortable stirrups make the trot easier to sit. My old timers refuse to go through gates when I have not ridden in a while-it never ends. When they keep refusing I get off and make them go where they do not want to. Then I get on again. No matter how annoyed you get never end the ride with a win for them. I keep telling them the ride would have been over a long time ago...I guess they don't speak English.

 

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Which ever english saddle fits the horse I'm riding. They are so much softer.
Western saddles, most are just rocks with stirrups attached....lol. At least, all that I've come across so far, unless they are a specific padded one or trail saddle.
The western I have, hoping it fits my gelding when he thins down, it is for trail and is padded.
Treeless on my gelding.
Yea, I don't let him refuse too much. Just figure out another way to ask or try something else and come back to what he wouldn't do and repeat until he goes through. I can't jump down and walk him through, he will lead anywhere and I can't get back up on him after without my 5gal bucket. It's just new to him for me to be on him while telling him where to go, so he gets unsure about it here n there.

 

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Rode the gelding for 45min today, tried to get a trot, but soon became obvious that I have to work more on lunging and asking walk to trot, trot to walk and then attempt it. Or find someone to lunge him while I sit on him, but don't have any horse friends, so I guess I'll just work on the line for now.

Tried to get him close enough to the gate to undo it, but it didn't work out. If it swung the other way, would of been able to do it. But how it is now, there's only 4ft from latch to corner of fence on an incline and that's too hard for him for now.

Will try riding him in the bigger sheep pasture tomorrow. Gentler slops, a large rock to cross, between a few trees, might be nice practice.


Did hard tying today with the minis.

Silver mini was flawless, even though she likes to rear with pressure, but with tying, no issue at all! Calm and still the whole time.

Pinto mini, she pulled, wiggled, pawed, chewed the lead and showed a lot of annoyance. But she eventually stopped and stood mostly still.

I had left them in the same sheep pasture I was in with the gelding, on the fence by the gate, so out of the way, but still easy to get to if something went wrong.

An hour later, they are both just calmly waiting.

Pinto had on her lunging girth to get used to it as well, she gets nippy when you press her sides.

 

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pictures
Minis waiting on the right.

Trying to get closer to the pole.

Starting to ask him to stop.

Asked for the stop, he stops right away. Lift legs off him, drop reins and say "hoe".

I like to touch half way up his neck right before dismounting, also acts like a signal to him

He's just too cute!

 

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Trotting with the pinto mini

Big fluffies back in their pasture with the ewes.

 

[Smart Red]

I love photos of your day with the family pets. Keep them coming!

 

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Bigger sheep pasture ride today, dogs followed us. Sheep were offended by us, lol.
He trotted a little, I posted, he was like "what the turtles are you doing?? Do you want me to slow back down? Ok, I will." Lol, didn't want him to slow, but that's ok.
Put the horses in the ram pasture so they can nibble the grass the sheep didn't get to.
We walked all over the place, behind the two trees on the left, over the large rock several times in the center and in the low spot on the right. Mostly just let him walk where he wanted.
Can't wait until I can trail ride him! It was fun and even when he was a little weird when he saw the minis on the right, he still kept on. Over the rock he was fine, up and down the steep hills no issues, under the trees and their mini dry creek also totally fine. Dogs and sheep running around, all dany!

In a few pictures, a 10mo white ewe lamb is jumping around, sort of can see it in the pics.
Other pics, horse & I are way in the back and a bit hard to seen.

 

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Few more pics.

 

[Smart Red]

So who is the photographer with nothing to do but follow you and your ride about? I like the new lens being used. Great shots!

 

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It's only me and my cameras, DH isn't outdoorsy or anything like that. And his pics would end up blurry, too...hah.

All the pictures on Page 10 are video stills from my knock-off gopro.
It's a Lightdow.