(no subject)
So today's Truby adventure, much like last week's Truby adventure completely and utterly SUCKED. Last week I didn't ride, and thought that was a pretty good choice. Just lounged and ended on a nice stretchy note. This week I rode and wished I hadn't.
She seemed a little short in her stride and very stiff. Very willing on fall on her forehand and drive herself nose first into the ground. I thought it would help to be on her, do some stretching and help keep her up at the same time.
Yeah...
So halfway through our lounging warm up she had a shit fit for no apparent reason, took off cantering and eventually I let her go and she went bucking and running across the arena. I walked to the other end and sat on the bench for a few minutes before walking over to collect her. I was pretty ticked. Afterwards she seemed even more off and stiff.
*note: she was NOT lame or moving painfully.
After getting her smoothed out a bit I got on. Tried some stretching at the walk. It went "ok". Got some neck stretching and lowering of her head, but not the curve through her body and not her yielding away from my leg. Going to the right it was worse. The right is her stiff side, but the easiest for her to bend and stretch. YES I KNOW. It doesn't make sense. But it is.
After some walk, we went up to a trot. Quick, driving into the ground on the forehand crap. No stretching. No stepping away from my leg. I had no rein to guide her, and enough leg to direct her, but not enough for her to bend. She was stiff, bent to the outside and STIFF. Eventually we got a little bit better going left. Some overbending. But not yielding and bending through the body. She'd bring her head in, soften her neck and drop down a bit, but nothing with her body. No step away from my inside leg and start to lift into the outside rein like we've been having. Just a board stiff horse with a soft neck.
Going right was a disaster. This ended our ride. She wouldn't turn her head. She would turn her neck, she definitely wouldn't step away from my leg. I tried bumping her side instead of pressing against her. Nothing. I tried opening my hand and bringing the rein waaaaay out to the side. Nothing. I tried bringing it straight up. Nothing. I tried holding it hard until she gave, I tried giving it before she gave to encourage her. Nothing. I gave up on anything and just rode her without doing anything. Quick trot driving her forehand into the dirt. Started adding inside leg to try and get some yield in the corners. No response. Brought her back to the walk to attempt the overbending. Quickly became so frustrated I got off. Tried moving her butt away from me on the ground. Nothing but a hyped up horse.
By this time I was pissed off. Truby was over reacting and getting worked up. Pulled off her tack, hosed her off and put in the field before I did something really bad.
PROBLEM. I get frustrated and angry too easily.
PROBLEM. Truby will get high and very reactive, very easily. She can't have an emotional rider or a heavy handed ride. She'll go straight up or run. And her mind will shut down and she'll explode. (not that she won't tolerate aids or anything. I mean no jerking, no kicking, no HARD aids. Firm, solid leg aid? Sure, no problem. A kick or use your heel to jab her? Problem.)
When things are good, or at least Truby is responsive, I can stay calm and keep my riding light. Truby has been very responsive and picked up things quickly. Today we didn't work on anything new, and she's been doing well with the overbending/stretching exercises. To the point where I can raise my inside rein a tiny bit and press on my inside leg and she'll drop her head, round her back and has started to step into my outside leg and even up into the outside rein! She really seems to enjoy this and goes very nicely.
Today was like riding a giant brick.
PROBLEM: Saddle fit. I don't have a saddle that fits her. With the new ThinLine pad she's gone MUCH better. She needs a regular tree, but mine fits her withers, but not her sides. She's got fat deposits over her shoulders. Now I'm using a saddle that is broad enough to fit her body, but the tree is too wide. Since switching from the correct wither fit but pinching body saddle to the too wide tree but fits body saddle her stride and way of going have improved about 400%. The Thinline pad helps another 300%. But I can't seem to find a perfect fit, so part of our problem is our saddle.
Truby has already lost a bunch of extra weight and started getting some muscle. Her pasture doesn't have alot of grass but it's not bare. There's no point in spending hundreds of dollars on a saddle until her body condition improves and stabilizes. Plus I don't think they make a saddle that would fit her perfectly.
I could lounge her without tack until she is back in shape, then get a well fitting saddle. I could continue playing around with padding on the wide tree and keep riding. Or I could find a trainer that can put 3 nice gaits, steering and bend on her.
I, as well, need to lose a bunch of weight. I need to make the effort to work (in some fashion) Truby 3x a week, and add consistency to MY workouts. That will help both of us. I need to continue to pay AS MUCH attention to my body and position when I ride as I do to Truby. I've been working hard on this. Making sure I'm correct when I'm asking her to do stuff.
I haven't ridden for real in 7+ years. My timing, my position, my skills and my knowledge are pretty dusty. This adds to my difficulties.
The goal is to have 3 solid gaits, steering and brakes. I want Truby to be supple, have correct movement and carriage. Plus I want her to be happy and eager to be ridden.
Brakes are good. Walk and trot are pretty good. We started with canter a few weeks ago, but haven't had the good ride to work with it since. Steering is questionable. Truby definitely wants a full corridor of aids (both legs, both hands and seat!) but she wants them correctly, not forced on her. She's starting to move well and she had been pretty relaxed and happy under saddle.
Today we had none of those things. I have doubted my ability to train her properly since I decided to REALLY get her going under saddle at the beginning of the summer. I strongly doubt my ability to find a trainer that I can afford that will train her the way I want her to be trained.