Sunday, January 07, 2007

she's a c**

Tonight I thought I'd try ordinary lunging . the thinking being that if she's going right with two lines, she should with one .

Not.

had to get someone to help put the side reins on, she still wouldn't do what i wanted, so i set her left, and she started backing up and thinking about going up. Bollocks....

so i went back, got hte other rein, and took her back round and got her going right with two reins. which she did nicely ...

ggrrhh..

and my foot is killing me. that arena is too deep really, and i can't wear my ariat boots as i end up with a boot full of arena ..

i shall save up and have her seen by richard maxwell .. she needs that sort of specialist assistance, as clearly do it.

but the weather is good (about 11 or so degrees), got the apple tree pruned and all the prunings shredded, so that's a job jobbed. think we might take one central branch out next weekend as well, couldn't quite make my mind up about it today ...

3 comments:

Jean said...

The double rein gives you a lot more control than you realize. The key is, on the lines as well as in riding, the support of the outside rein.

If you long line her on a circle, you can minimize the walking in the deep sand. Wonder if the footing is affecting Molly as well? Might be a bit more difficult for her to find her balance if the footing kind of gives way under her because of the depth.

Just remember, "Things take time." Progress in small steps can create big changes later on.

My apple trees are elderly and mostly neglected. Sometimes I get lots of apples and sometimes not. I am frankly too lazy to do any kind of pruning. My hat's off to you, Ms. Ambitious.

Claire said...

jean, thanks.

I think I know that really (more control with two reins).

I don't think it is a balance issue. I think there is something that has happened in the past, or something anyway, that she really doesn't like about people going round to her right hand side and/or working to the right in that way.

She's fine to have me on her right in any other circumstance, stable, field, whatever, but as soon as we get into the arena for some work on the ground, it's a no no.

so I guess I'll be doing a lot of long lining/two rein lunging.

Not what I really wanted to teach myself, but hey .. one learns by doing, I always say!

I can't help but get mad, when I shouldn't, as she KNOWS she's winding me up

and you'll get a better crop of apples if you prune em (I've another two to do , but they won't take as much as they're new in) and a buddleia and a ceanothus as well...

i have several compost bins!

Jean said...

Personally, I learn things a lot better when I figure them out myself. Lockie Richards, a trainer from New Zealand, started me out with basic long lining over 20 years ago. From that point on, I just figured out the rest by myself.

As long as you can keep from getting the lines all tangled up, you'll be fine. Inside rein bends and lowers the head, outside rein gets them on the bit, balances, controls, etc.