Lesson Time!

 After my last scheduled lesson got sent far off course due to Gwyn eating a bee (like... REALLY mare?!) I was finally back at it on Sunday! I had originally signed up for a Shawna Karrasch clinic this past weekend at Polestar but it was cancelled due to low sign ups. Like... booo, but also hey, money back! And not trailering in every day stress since I'm only 5 minutes down the road. 

We started with working on the ground and really getting Gwyn to stretch down and reach out. A lot of that is making sure I'm timing my cue when her inside hind is starting to swing forward. From there it's working on not nagging her. If she responds to the cue, stop asking as the release. Know where her sticky spots are though (arena entrance) and anticipate/watch the body language for signs she's going to start slowing and ask again. When she gets that floaty trot, it looks magical. 

Photo from a previous ride, I never have time to take pictures during lessons hahah

After doing some work on the long lines we switched to me on board. This lesson was all about me feeling the timing of Gwyn and feeling the feedback loop. So input from Gwyn to me and then me cued to Gwyn. It should be a cycle, but right now I'm a wall and I need to become not a blockade. So it was working on me while also fulfilling PT duties for Gwyn!

We started with me feeling how she was moving, was she straight, where was her front end, where was her hind end? And then asking for corrections, creating the feedback loop. Going to the right she loves to swing her haunches in, so a lot of what I needed to do was ask for her hind to step in and under her (outside leg keeping her forward). I want to feel like I'm funneling her body between my legs and hands. I'm also working on not leg cuing with my heel, which is a bad habit. It should also help reduce my knee pain. 

Going to the left she's crooked more in her shoulder and my focus was on asking her lift her inside shoulder and step over. We did a lot of square turns, and the combo I need to remember is that I want her rocking back onto her haunches (half halt) and lifting the shoulder up (outside leg cue). I have to think the haunches slow while the shoulders keep the same pace.  

What was absolutely neat was suddenly feel that stiffness and shoulder drop when we were near the end and she passed the arena exit and I just lost her for a moment. It's where she always runs out and where she spins out if spooking. Now I need to practice that half halt - outside leg cue. Because the mare will square turn without me in her face when I get that timing right. And of course, this is the basis for pirouette. Basics y'all. I'm actually loving working on these basics because I can see where the holes escalated and widened and I'm fixing and filling them in.

Some other things I'm planning to continue work on from the ground include a 'politeness' ground tying. This is specifically focused on the barn because Gwyn loves to LARP as a vacuum cleaner. Great when she's given permission to do so, less great when I'm trying to bridle her and all she wants to do is hoover wisps of hay. I had been trying to work on her head down cue for bridling and if I want to do it in the barn aisle, I was sweeping meticulously beforehand. Goal is that she will stand in the aisle, regardless of errant hay, and wait.

And of course, working on the head down cue. I've made sure to practice every time I put something on her face and she's gotten much better! Goal here is that she will drop her head to make haltering and bridling possible by my kids. They don't have an interest now, but if they ever do, it'll be nice to have that button preinstalled.

In Pony Club news, I have a date for my C-1 Horse Management rating so I've got studying to do and a record book to fully compile before the end of October!

August Vet Recheck

My lessons have been mainly working on long lining with Gwyn and really honing in on tools that will be able to translate to under saddle work eventually. 

She tries really hard but I do think that she's getting bored with the long lining. We did do the circle of death in the lesson, on long lines, which was REALLY hard! 

Most of this media is with Trainer C. She has better feel for things but I'm learning loads. And she's really praised me for how well I've gotten Gwyn working on long lines. 

I had a bit of a snafu this week though because I was supposed to have the Vet and Trimmer out at the same time so they could confer and make sure everything is copacetic biomechanically for Gwyn. But the day I had in my books got close and my trimmer pushed me to the afternoon, which I couldn't do because I had on site meetings for work. No worries though, I thought, the vet will be out. So I head to the barn and set up my cell phone as a mobile hotspot so I can attend the 2 hour block of meetings I had in the morning. Vet doesn't show, I call the clinic and they had me down for the NEXT DAY.

So I repeated the process the next day, but at least each time I got to start my day at the barn. 

OH NO. Horse snot across my arm and on my work shirt. How terrible. 

That's okay, we still took cute pictures while waiting for the vet. 

I trotted Gwyn for the vet, who was only slightly delayed thanks to a diaper blow out, which I fully sympathize with considering my car was the site of car sickness over the weekend. Ah. Parenting. Vet was SO pleased with how Gwyn looked. We are sitting right around 3 months after injection with PRP which is when you start seeing more improvement. 

We're now cleared for 15 minutes of tack walking, where she wants Gwyn really stretched and low and heavy in the bridle to help build up her topline. She asked about nutrition and recommended we add in a touch of protein to what I currently feed so now Gwyn is getting just a fractional flake of alfalfa and I'm sure is ecstatic. 

I'm thrilled I can get back on my horse, even if only for a little bit. Now comes the slow topline slog, but at least I can do some of it with a between the ears view!

Skijoring set is here!

Rough German translation of included instructions:

Danger! Our instructions are no substitute driving course! You will find just how to adjust what. These instructions apply to the exclusivity only for the original classic " PUR " - Line , who wants to have it even easier , so want more , abiding by the " PLUS " - execution.

Dear Customer/s
Some of this harness is now at first sight different than you are used to it. Conspicuous has this harness hardly buckles and loops , still can and must be set correctly. How to be a breastplate has, etc. should be known to you, I will not go into here at the point on. The how of adjusting, however, I would like to illustrate this:
The manufacturing material is an Air-Rope (hollow braid) of polyethylene with an enormous tear strength, which can be connected quickly and safely without knots. For entangling of the cable end as the end part is inserted about 20-30 cm from the outside in the pushed together, thereby expanding (schlauchige) interior of the cable. The rope braid now drawn together in the load, so the inserted end is held by the contact pressure.
All connections on dishes, head pieces and lines are more or less designed according to this principle. So if you want to change something, please see the corresponding compound carefully and you will succeed to extend the corresponding stripper or shorten. (Incidentally, if thereby should solve a final gluing, easy to turn back with a piece of tape.)
The connection points are, where necessary, provided with locking sleeves which prevent a displacement in the relaxed state.
To change the settings, push the locking sleeve over the insertion of time, readjust and tighten the sleeve again.
(page 2)
The line can like most Sieltec products (see previous page) in length be adjusted.
The longer, left leash secured knows both lines are also also for better verification white marks. To adjust the Cross Cap Simply beat one or more nodes in the on shortening linen. Do not worry, the knots are easily solved by use readily, but should always be removed! Attention, you can unintentionally brutal (Zufassen) with these lines as to a hard hand, please always give nice. Meanwhile, some joints are partially secured with sleeves, they are only pushing aside before the adjustment and take on again her place. 
The strands are adaptable and to handle their mounting on any (Ortscheit) arbitrarily. They can be, e.g. As simply hung over the (Ortscheit) or fasten with safety shackles (To see in the clips below, product information/instructions)
The (Oberblattstrupfen) (the connections between comb and cover strands in pairs dishes) are connected through a race to the strands and are among the small waist belt. The (Verschnallen) omitted here, is at best to "Move" and the train line corrects itself. The Marathon Harness with panic shackles are of annular configuration, these loops you just by the pedestrian spectacle.
Upon delivery of the buggy harnesses with breeching we attach the carabiner of the rear harness because of the clarity of the suspension rings or another. This must necessarily be fixed when tension on the scissors! Only then can they fulfill their purpose and do no harm. 
The lifting eyes can be adjusted in height: unfolding, pull out, reinsert, finish (See images below or in the product information/instructions)
END

Package arrived severely banged up. I had a moment of "what did I order?!" when it arrived since I needed to sign for it.

Thankfully the box being banged up had no impact on the actual product, due to its construction materials.

It's a simple breastcollar that I can use with my existing surcingle, bridle and driving lines for some simple harness work. The most we'll be doing is pulling things in the arena and pulling people around on a sled or skis in the snow. Skijoring!! They also make full harness sets in fun colors with this braided hollow rope. Adjustments appear easy and google translate helped me figure out how adjustments would work. I'm impressed with the quality of work. And it won't degrade from mildew or mold!

The original instructions

October 14, 2015 Video Blog 3

This video was all about ground driving!

I'm over a month late at this point, I know, I know. But eh. Things didn't work as well as I hoped, but I also didn't have as much time as I wanted to work with Gwyn. We have all winter though, so I did try and not rush myself or expect too much.

I'm researching an economical harness so we can make use of the new snow that is gracing the farm and I can teach Gwyn to pull something.  Because sitting in a sled behind her would TOTALLY still count for the distance derby. :D :D :D