Braid jobs

Here are some photos that show Russell braided for show. Maybe you can click to biggify to see his braids more clearly.

Boy, I miss that horse!

As I mentioned in the comments to my last post, I've pulled manes short, left them long, and cut them halfway. For me, a little longer is easier. I braid locks, put a rubber mane band at the bottom, then fold them up in half and half again, and wrap another band around the short, now fat braid. Relatively easy in, easy out, and easy to repair a braid if one gets messy. (I leave braids in if I am showing on Friday and Sunday; it's never caused any noticeable damage to my horses manes.)

The boy with the bowl cut

You can call him Moe.

I know. It's hideous. But I had to do something before our first show at the end of April. I have never been happy with any French braid I've tried; I don't think the lattice braid flatters any horse, and Larry's mane is too thin and fine to pull. So out came the scissors for the bob job.

Cutting Larry's mane was not on my agenda today. We are in the midst of a very wet weather pattern, so when it stopped raining mid-morning, I sprinted for the barn to get in a ride. But I'd barely started brushing Larry when the rain began to fall again, so I focused on giving him a thorough grooming, followed by some tummy-tucking, back-lifting exercises from the ground. Since it was still raining, I turned to his mane.

Then, glory be, the rain stopped! I quickly tacked him up and we got in a good 25 minutes before the clouds opened up again.

Here he is in the second bridle Theresa gifted to me. With its brass buckles it looks very nice with the Aurigan KK bit, and the whole assembly looks dandy on Moe Larry.

Things to remember

I had my third lesson with Julie today, and it started out wonderfully. Julie noticed how nicely Larry went to work from the git-go. Issues came up in the canter work; he didn't want to bend on the circle, didn't want to round over his topline - and when he did round, he'd break to the trot. And one time, when I felt him start to fall out of the canter and tapped him with the whip, he threw in a hissy-fit buck! Julie is certain it is a strength issue, and will only get better as Larry gets stronger with correct work. He did give me some successful canter work before we ended with some lovely work at the trot, so overall it was a very satisfying lesson.

I have a lesson journal, but decided to type my notes-to-self here. Mostly it is the act of writing/typing them out that helps stick them in my mind anyway. I'll include some explanatory notes in parentheses after some of my notes; feel free to ask about any of them or comment.

~~~~~~~~~~~ NOTES ~~~~~~~~~~~

Stay with his mouth (Larry wants to curl behind the vertical or play giraffe sometimes, and I need to keep contact with his mouth whatever he does. The curling is a tough problem to fix, but after three lessons I'm already seeing a lot of progress, thanks to Julie encouraging me to shorten my reins and take more contact. He won't be able to work correctly on a longer rein until he gets stronger.)

Ask for the stretch (Given all that I said in the prior paragraph, I still need to encourage Larry to open his neck and stretch out in front of the withers, while not letting him curl or dive.)

Transitions, transitions, transitions (Walk-trot, trot-walk, trot-canter, canter-trot, walk-halt - in all of them work to keep proper contact, thinking forward, round, and properly bent on the circle. A slight leg-yield to the outside is often beneficial. If the transition isn't satisfactory, bring him back and do it again. Good transitions can only happen from good gaits. Don't let the energy die in the downward transitions.)

Keep right leg ON and put weight in right stirrup (Going right is Larry's "problem direction," and as a result, I tend to use my lower calf a lot which draws my leg up. I need to use my upper calf more, and remember to keep weight in my right stirrup.)

When changing direction through a half-figure-eight at the trot, control his haunches with my inside and outside legs

Always post on diagonal trot lengthenings

Working on a trot circle, alternate posting with a few steps sitting

Tuck my seat a bit and "sit on my pockets" (a challenge with my "bubble-butt"!)

Stay on the second track when cantering down the long sides; circle if he falls apart

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Remember my "perfect bit" post? Well, look what came back to me! My friend Debbie has also been taking lessons with Julie, and had Julie school her mare one day. Julie's description of Debbie's mare in this lovely, but thick, bit? "Wet cement." So today after Debbie and I had back-to-back lessons, Julie suggested we swap bits, thinking that Debbie's mare may be lighter with the thinner mouthpiece I got from Laura and Larry may prefer the thicker mouthpiece of Debbie's bit. We'll see (I'm crossing my fingers!).

Giant strides

After working so hard yesterday, I wasn't sure how Larry would act during our lesson today. Would he be tired and cranky? Sore and sullen? No - he was even BETTER than yesterday - and even ended up with a foamy mouth for the first time!
(Photo was taken after "the itchiest horse in the world" rubbed his face all over his leg.)

I'm so glad I followed Julie's suggestion to ride with her two days back to back; it really solidified what I need to work on with Larry. I wasn't sure I'd make it today when I woke up to this,
but the roads were just wet. Hopefully, the weather will be better next week for our last ride!

Here is the video that Julie shot today:



Be kind; we've come a long way in just a month!

A good tired

Larry and I had our first lesson with Julie today, and she quickly had us both working our best to date. Julie is always so positive and encouraging, so I knew she'd say nice things about Larry, but I thought she was also quick to perceive what we need to work on. We go back for a second lesson tomorrow, and I'll see if she can get some video of us.