Monday, April 12, 2010
Look mom, NO HANDS!
I was wearing a helmet, right? It really started out as an self-induced exercise in the round pen to start using the "scoop" of my seat to control the pace of Greta's canter, and not so much the reins. It has definitely helped! Even though Greta is in major heat right now (aren't they supposed to be about out of that when they're almost 13?) she's still been doing very well under saddle. There are just a few scary points around the stable now, like the shaded pen with two minis in it and the shop where the tractor and flatbed are kept. Just those two places... hmm. We just work on those places on the ground, and I have a feeling she'll be less attuned to them once she's out of heat. That's the way it usually goes haha! The big thing to remember during this time of the month is to stay calm and praise and encourage a lot. You're supposed to that anyway, but still....
Anyway, so the canter exercise moved the arena and I included more seat exercises both on a loose rein (and on the few occasion without hands) on "steering" with my seat and not necessarily with my hands. So far, it's been good!
And her trot looks so much better to me than even several weeks ago. She looked a bit downhill in this video though, maybe that's just me? Give me your thoughts, as always!
Oh, and because of the whole flaming heat situation we did not go the Wolfgang Clinic Sunday, because of her flightiness towards those scary minis and tractor, and how she was last time we went and she was in heat, it would NOT be logical to go. She'd be stressed out, so I'd be stressed out, and in turn we'd just get nothing accomplished! We'll go the next one, I suppose, so long as she's up to it! When you're with horses, it's hard to be on your time: you gotta be on "horse time" sometimes. I love that scaredycat mare too much to try and push something on her when she's not ready to handle and I'm not ready to handle her when she can't handle it!
Tell me your thoughts, give me your advice! You guys are awesome!
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"Even though Greta is in major heat right now (aren't they supposed to be about out of that when they're almost 13?)"
ReplyDeleteOh honey! If mare stopped cycling at age 12 I would SO be breeding my mare this year! Nope, they cycle until... well... they die, pretty much. They reach an age where they aren't able to conceive anymore, but they don't go through menopause like humans do. Some stop cycling when they are older.. some don't. I knew a mare that popped out a baby at age 28... yikes!!
OMG 28!!
ReplyDeleteOh, whew! I've always had it in the back of my head that something might be up because all of the mares at the stable that are around Greta's age hardly cycle at all, according to their owners. Of course, that's only about three or four, and they're all Quarter Horses lol.
She's really not that bad. I think a lot of it is the rider (hehe me) and as I improve she seems to improve. I like it. It's a challenge and it's very rewarding, more so than trucking around on a made horse, as nice as that may be. She can get some bad vibes. One lady at an old barn said Greta was the reason she hated mares. "They're all crazy just like her." (as you can CLEARLY see in the video).
Anyway, thanks for that. I feel better now lol.
Well at least Greta doesn't back up to anything with four legs and try to pee on everything that does or does not move when she's in heat.... unlike SOME mares I know! (are you listening Gogo? that means you.) She doesn't squeal, kick, get wild or any of the like... she just gets REALLY BIG CONCERNED EYES, and back up until she's sitting on whatever is closest to her. And then she pees. A lot. All over.
ReplyDeleteLMAO Gogo's just looking for love in all the wrong ways. Maybe she's just trying to get the attention of all the kinky horses?
ReplyDelete