Riding Schools

Winter is that tough time of year when the wind often deflates all hopes of riding.  I can do cold, I can do snow, but wind is a totally different beast.  Over the past couple weeks we've been able to sneak rides in here and there, and despite irregular riding schedules I'm pleased with how the horses and riders are doing!

I've set up some tricky coursework in the arena, involving lots of turns both in the air over fences as well as on the flat.  I call this one the cloverleaf, since we ride that shape as we go over the jumps.  Silver and Gillian have gotten quite good at it, even getting accurate lines to the fences and correct leads after landing.

Carol and Ladd have been doing well, too.  Since they haul in for lessons they haven't had a chance to do as much of this exercise, but figuring out the turns and lines is the same skill whether you're doing it fast over big jumps or slowly over small ones.

Joan and Sam are getting along so well, and he has really improved her riding.  He's a very different type of horse than what she was accustomed to riding before she bought him, but we can't ask for a better mind than Sam's!  He also takes incredibly good care of Joan over fences.

Kim H and her mare, Rain, started work on this exercise this weekend too.

Raven loves her job, and so I switch it up for her when she needs to be challenged a little more.  We do the course faster, over slightly larger jumps. and add in some additional fences.  Last week I was able to snag some gigantic nutcracker soldiers at a craft store on clearance after the holiday, and since they are for indoor/outdoor use I set them up in the arena as jump decor!

Sara has been using Shambhu in a couple riding lessons and that is going really well.  It's nice to ride a different horse occasionally so that you can realize that you do have the skills and techniques needed to accomplish the task, and to fine tune your own horsemanship.  Then when you've been able to feel with your body how things are supposed to be, you're able to go back and recreate that sensation with your own horse.  There are lots of perks to riding a schoolmaster!

Ferriana is coming along nicely, and despite us doing a lot of long walks and hacking out in the fields, whenever we resume arena work it's like no time has passed.  She's smart enough to remember everything and pick up right where we left off.