After a good flat warm-up we started trotting jumps and he was really doing quite well. Then I had him canter one single jump. Cantering to the jump and then breaking to a halt about 8 strides away, turning him around and then cantering the jump the other way. After he did that decent we jumped a roll back. There was a lesson at the top half of the arena so we stayed towards the back. After doing that fairly well we did some diaginal lines and he was really listening and going nice and slow. I even tested him and we got 6 strides in a 5 stride line, I was thrilled that he was really coming back to me and shortening his stride when I asked. I put the roll back jumps up to 3ft and practiced just going back and forth over those working in both directions. I was really happy with the ride! When we were finished I could tell that he felt good too, his ears were up and he had a nice swing to his back andw as just looking around. I made sure to give him lots of praise.
Below are some pics. The first one is a pic of one of the new jumoes everyone has been painting, they look really spiffy!
I let Possum out loose to eat his grain and graze for a bit. Got a shot of his ugly appy eye hahaha.
This is a shot of the sun shining on him as he's grazing. It is so hard to keep him clean!
A close-up of him eating his dinner
Lastly a shot of all his muscles. He is quite fit and muscled. Look at that nice long appy tail, when I got him it was barely to his hocks and now it almost touches the ground. Also note that I do not touch his mane and that's all teh growth I can get. Luckily the barn owner is a whiz with braiding and make it look really nice for shows since I'm braiding challenged.
6 comments:
Now, you know I LOVE Appy mottling. I think he's very handsome. Poco's mane and tail are both thick, thick, thick. His mane grows slowly, but has gotten longer. Of course, it sticks out in every direction, but at least it's thick. I've sort of resigned myself to that.
Glad you had another good ride!
I'm totally envious of that tail!! Rusty's is growing, but it'll take 10 years to get that long! lol He doesn't have much of a mane either - I've given up there.
Possum is adorable! I can just feel how much you love him through those pictures. I have about a dozen or so of my horse doing just about the same things. Don't you feel like you could just watch him do nothing for hours? :)
Ah he just looks soooo good this summer Molly you've really done a great job with him.
I too am braiding challenged - it happens to the best of us. At least we can ride huh?! On top of that my back no longer allows me to stand like that for long periods of time and my shoulder (which has been giving me small fits since the accident won't stand for it either so I will either have to pay for it from now on or do some roaching...)
Sounds like it from Facebook that you are having a great summer - you sound confident and happy, I hope that is case its what we all want for you - thanks for leaving me comments! Chat at you later!
He looks like he is in awesome shape...muscles look good on a man and a horse:) The jumps look fancy too!
I am the damm farrier and molly is a taint and melissa says stuff about molly and brian cant stop me from writing this comment in stream of conciouness style as I have drunken a bunch of "hornitos" tequila and am posting this comment to the goddammed blog. so there!!!!!!
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