Responsibility

I've been working to get more consistency from Victor from each ride to the next and in different settings.  I haven't felt like I could, in a fair manner, demand his attention until today!  

On Sunday, the front paddock was available so I took Victor there to encourage him to use his hind end differently.  The hill in the paddock accomplishes this for me and my job is simply to keep Victor's attention on the exercises.  

About hill work:

Walking or trotting up hills is ideal for strengthening the lower leg, and the thigh and gaskin of the hind leg. A gallop uphill works the muscles in the rump. This should not be overdone, however, and should be attempted only after the horse is already quite fit.

When trying to improve a horse's coordination and strength for handling uneven ground or inconsistent footing during strenuous performance, do some traveling across the sides of hills as well as up and down them. Side work can do a great deal to improve a horse's coordination and balance, and is one of the best exercises you can give a horse in preparation for many types of athletic competition.

When going around the face of a steep hill, especially if the footing is a bit uneven or loose, the horse must develop more dexterity and coordination, picking up each leg and moving it around the other, perhaps having to scramble a bit if its feet are sliding. This improves agility and teaches the horse to balance itself to its best advantage. An agile horse is less apt to strain a leg or fall down when footing is unpredictable.

I would categorize Sunday as a difficult session.  Victor knows how to throw his weight around and in every "corner" he would fixate on something in the distance, throw his haunches the inside, throw his shoulders to the outside, and completely tune out my seat.  I really want him to soften and melt into each turn and so I have to very tactfully remove any tension from his body.  This took some time.  

First, I start at the walk, asking for leg yields up and down the hill.  Each turn must be balanced between my leg and hand with no bulging or barging.  The moment he attention ranges out, I ask for more sideways motion creating a Law: If you are not paying attention, the work gets more difficult.

The reason I love hill work is because Lack Of Balance corrects itself.  The angles exacerbate the feeling of unbalance even if he only throws his balance slightly.  He immediately feels the discomfort of being out of balance (trust me I feel it too!) and corrects that unpleasant feeling on HIS OWN!  I can actually relax the reins at the moment when the balance is at it's worst (the moment when my body is telling me to cling to him and control him... i must relax and allow him to take responsibility) and suddenly he carries himself.

Cut to Tuesday, Laura joined me today and by chance the front paddock was available again!  She helped me continue with Victor's lesson in taking responsibility for his own balance.  After a little warm up and lots of transitions, we began again with leg yield on the hill.  After a bit, I finally felt Victor release his back under my seat so that I could finally engage my sit bones with his motion.  This is the feeling we need all the time!  It also lead to more correct leg yields though he can continue to improve his sideways reach with both hind legs ( inside hind leg needs to cross more, outside hind legs need to step out more).  

In today's workout, I focused on asking Victor to stay right underneath me with his balance - front to back and side to side.  He was right where I left him the day before and I felt my sit bones engage and swing with him immediately!   As soon as I begin to turn him, he wants to bulge and barge and so we got VERY strict on "if I feel like I can't half halt him with me seat... that is the time to stop him with my seat." We worked to do leg yield on the circle - I loved the change I felt in him!!!  He was waiting for me and then when I began to give the rein, he continued to wait right under my seat but his neck softened and stretched beautifully!!  We even accomplished trot canter transitions with this new soft neck and waiting balance!! That was the most amazing sensation.  Still could work on increasing the number of trot canter transitions in quick succession.... i could use a little more half halt in that gait.

The last two exercises I want to note are a triangle canter pattern to increase collection and the first spanking I had to give Victor.  The two resulted in the most focused and challenging exercise that we have ever created together. 

Firstly, the trot was feeling more than lovely and I was getting increased softness in the corners.  Until some bird just could not be ignored... Come on Victor... a little tiny bird is the reason you toss your haunches in and shorten your neck?  My answer was No.  I pulled my inside shoulder back and put my inside leg on him and released the tension in the reins... since he was distracted he missed my cue and very quickly, I did my best to swing his large tush around stop the motion in his outside shoulder.  I spanked him with my whip and demanded a response.  The moment his ear turned to me, the reprimand disappeared and I navigated back to ride the corner again.  I envisioned him melting into the shape of the turn and HE did!  I trusted him to learn from the reprimand and the result was spectacular.

Then we finished up the session with Canter work on diagonals (with 10 meter trot circles at x) and then on to the canter triangle.  The idea is that higher angled turn should feel like a canter pirouette and then he moves on to a straight line.  I'm so completely pleased to feel a new left lead canter.  He has really increased his strength on the left lead since the horse show!  The exercise was easier for him to the left!!  Going right, his tendency to drop his right back was very evident and I was really struggling to feel my right sit bone on his back.  More work to do here but still, he was waiting for me, listening to my leg, and trying the exercise.

Then, we accomplished a corner that was soft bending and waiting, my inside shoulder was able to position his hind leg and my left rein was able to invisibly guide the turn to the right while Victor kept his back up and engaged.... I know it seems like a small victory but for Victor, I'm so proud of the responsibility he exhibited for his own balance.  We are on our way!