Ch.ch.ch.changes .....

Just look at how much she's changed!

March 2007

July 2007

We changed from the way she was worked in the past (forwards, forwards, forwards - balance through movement) more to the French Classical school which works more slowly (balance before movement).

She hasn't found it easy to work more slowly but you can see that it's paying off :)

How could I forget the new advanced moves that she's patented!!!!

Now first a disclaimer ... these are advanced moves and shouldn't be attempted unless your horse is ready for them and you are qualified to teach them. No responsibility will be taken for any hurties or ouchies caused by attempting these moves.

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YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

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EAT GRASS to TROT transition

One fluid movement from eating the grass to trot. There should be no walk steps inbetween. The frame should be maintained. The horse should not lose balance and fall on their nose

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EATING GRASS TROT

An advanced version of the free trot on a long rein. The horse should maintain impulsion, stretch down long and low and should eat a mouthful of grass at each stride. They should not lift their heads between each mouthful and should not lose their balance and fall on their nose

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MUNCHING FROM THE HEDGE LATERALS

Whilst walking or trotting forwards with purpose the horse should bend through the body, take a mouthful of hedge and then return to walking/trotting straight. This movement should be fluid with no hesitation throughout the bend.

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Saff is a work in progress for these highly advanced movements but she was giving them a damn good go yesterday :)

Audition for the Spanish Riding School

Despite how chilled she looks in these photos it just disproves the old adage that the camera never lies .....

When we got to the yard today the school was booked out for a private lesson for an hour so we decided to long rein her around the field.

Saff was fairly good but was rather overexcited. She did some pretty good beginnings of piaffe, passage and levade with a bit of terre-a-terre and a mini capriole (I've seen her do better on the lunge).

She was about 18 hh today, beautifully arched neck and very stallionesque.

I think that we made it round the field quicker than anyone else in the history of going around the field :)

Apart from one spot (which she's bizarrely taken an intense dislike to) she was just very exhuberent and full of the joys of the first warm day in a long time.

The levade is definitely going to be a possiblity judging by today's performance! She just gets more and more collected and then levades.

She's a LOT more athletic than she appears when you see her on the yard and we can see the horse that she can be with more training. Even when she's overexcited she's not trying to run off and doesn't pull on the lines. Strange horse.

Spanish Walk Update

She's getting the height

and now the extension

Saffy's self service approach to clicker training!

Clicker Training

Saffy being Saffy she's taken clicker training and added her own, very unique twist to it!

She does the move, we click and Saffy treats herself to the trees and bushes at the side of the school!

We decided today that she's not an ISH, she's a IDxTBxHamster. There's no way on earth that she can pack that much food into her mouth AND the pelham unless she's got cheek pouches! I've never known a horse like it. She ALWAYS grabs something to eat and wraps it around her bit ... it's not like she's going to starve in the hour that we're in the school.

She is progressing really nicely, though, and did a beautiful slow trot today Not bad for a ned that thinks that her place in life is bombing across a cross country course!

More piccies ...long reining and ridden