I had the morning free today, got up early and went out to the barn. Sunny, light breeze, and the whole world smelled brand new and squeaky clean after yesterday's rain :)
Barokko was drinking at the lake when I got to the pasture - I was hoping to catch him sleeping ;)
I groomed him while he ate his breakfast, and undid his maintenance braids - I wanted to check if the hair had gotten wet inside the wraps (it hadn't).
I put in a quick French braid to keep the mane out of the way and then tacked up. I put on the dressage saddle for the first time in several weeks, and the cavesson with reins in the side rings.
I started out by warming him up in-hand, and then hopped on. Riding with the cavesson was really wierd, the sensation at the other end of the reins is completely different from a bit. I spent some time just trying out his reactions, and pretty quickly he relaxed and stretched FDO into my hand. For the first time ever I felt like Barokko had a long neck! :-O
Interestingly, he didn't invert a single time, didn't toss his head once. I wasn't able to keep him "on the bit" 100% of the time, but his evasions were much smaller than usual. I hope the arena has dried up enough tomorrow that I can try trotting/cantering (too slippery today).
After the ride I re-braided his mane, and lead him back to the pasture.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Sunday, May 25, 2008
I couldn't help laughing when I saw him like this yesterday, showing off his big belly :D
Luckily, I still have some of Coco's old girths, the shortest of them fits Barokko perfectly now ;)
We had a lesson today, working in-hand again we looked at cantering a bit, also shoulder-in and travers. He was very stable in the top line today. He seemed more comfortable working in the morning, most days the past week I've worked him in the afternoon where it's been warmer. I'll be more aware of putting his training early or late, see if that helps a bit on his forward button.
He doesn't cope too well with the heat, which I understand is a common problem for full Friesians, too. Big volume to surface area ratio (esp right now!!) + mostly black + lots of hair... I've made it a habit to cool his legs and neck with water before and after rides when temps get up around 25C+, which seems to help him a bit.
I had a chat with my trainer about his contact issues, turns out one of her own horses doesn't work on a snaffle bit, she's never been able to get him to accept it. She trained him in a cavesson until he was ready to be put in a curb, which he works well with, and she switches between the two. I'm going to try riding him in the cavesson when we do dressage (I'll keep the bit in his mouth for trail rides for now, but not ask him for contact unless he offers it himself), it'll be interesting to see how that works out, he's working very well in the cavesson in-hand.
She offered to take him in for full training when we're on summer vacation, which I've decided to do :) We went to see her barn today, he'll be outside 24/7, on grass during the day and a not-really grass paddock at night with lots of hay, and she'll work with him daily. I'm really looking forward to getting her impression of him after the 2 weeks :D
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
New Shoes and a Good Ride
The farrier came out this morning. This time Barokko was less worried about the smoke and noise, so he was able to hot set all 4 shoes. Hopefully, that'll help them stay on ;) And I just want to say, I LOVE my new farrier, it's not easy to find one that's technically good, a good horseman, friendly, smart, and last but in no way least - PUNCTUAL!! :D
After his pedicure I hopped on for a ride in the arena. We're both really out of shape and out of the dressage mind set, but I'm ready to get us back to work now, and today was the first serious attempt at a dressage ride since we moved to AG. It worked out pretty well, I just wanted to loosen him up a bit, get him more accepting of the bit again, and check that the buttons are still in place. His forward button needed a bit more pressure than normal, but it improved a bit throughout the ride. An interesting development is that he got mad if I used the whip! I just tapped him once, and he pinned his ears and threatened to buck. Hmmm...
He felt good physically, only issue was that he coughed a few times in the start of the ride. I sure hope his bouts with coughing through the winter haven't become more permanent. At least now he's on 24/7 pasture there's no problem with dust etc. I think I might put him on shavings when he comes in again in the fall...
Anyway, it felt good to really ride him again, rather than just puttering around. I'm already looking forward to riding again tomorrow :D
After his pedicure I hopped on for a ride in the arena. We're both really out of shape and out of the dressage mind set, but I'm ready to get us back to work now, and today was the first serious attempt at a dressage ride since we moved to AG. It worked out pretty well, I just wanted to loosen him up a bit, get him more accepting of the bit again, and check that the buttons are still in place. His forward button needed a bit more pressure than normal, but it improved a bit throughout the ride. An interesting development is that he got mad if I used the whip! I just tapped him once, and he pinned his ears and threatened to buck. Hmmm...
He felt good physically, only issue was that he coughed a few times in the start of the ride. I sure hope his bouts with coughing through the winter haven't become more permanent. At least now he's on 24/7 pasture there's no problem with dust etc. I think I might put him on shavings when he comes in again in the fall...
Anyway, it felt good to really ride him again, rather than just puttering around. I'm already looking forward to riding again tomorrow :D
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
A Quiet Week
Not much going on the past week, some in-hand work, but no riding because of his sore back. Thursday he no longer seemed sore, so after working him I walked him without a saddle to cool down, it was really nice to be on him bareback again, it's been waaay too long since I've done that. He wasn't bothered by me riding, and wasn't sore afterward.
Saterday I rode a 1.5 hour trail ride with two of the other boarders, lots of walk, some trot and one little canter, so nice and easy. Barokko was very good, no sillyness at all, just a steady-eddie kind of ride, just what I needed from him :D
Monday he had his first taste of rain, a couple of very wet spring showers during the afternoon, but he didn't shrink or anything, and was only slightly damp on one side when we went to get him about an hour after the rain let up. So I guess he's waterproof ;)
He has lost a shoe, though, right hind. Today is 6 weeks since he was shod, and the farrier is coming tomorrow. His hind sheos have felt a teeny-tiny bit not quite tight but not quite loose the past few days, but the fronts are rock solid - maybe that's due to the fronts being hot set while the hinds were cold set? If he's more calm about the smoke and noise he'll get the hinds hot set this time, too.
M jumped him yesterday. We worked with a pole - vertical - pole on the diagonal and then a pole - canter stride - oxer on the long side. The strides didn't always work out as I had planned, but he showed some good problem solving skills, and jumped safe and clear even when he had to adjust.
Saterday I rode a 1.5 hour trail ride with two of the other boarders, lots of walk, some trot and one little canter, so nice and easy. Barokko was very good, no sillyness at all, just a steady-eddie kind of ride, just what I needed from him :D
Monday he had his first taste of rain, a couple of very wet spring showers during the afternoon, but he didn't shrink or anything, and was only slightly damp on one side when we went to get him about an hour after the rain let up. So I guess he's waterproof ;)
He has lost a shoe, though, right hind. Today is 6 weeks since he was shod, and the farrier is coming tomorrow. His hind sheos have felt a teeny-tiny bit not quite tight but not quite loose the past few days, but the fronts are rock solid - maybe that's due to the fronts being hot set while the hinds were cold set? If he's more calm about the smoke and noise he'll get the hinds hot set this time, too.
M jumped him yesterday. We worked with a pole - vertical - pole on the diagonal and then a pole - canter stride - oxer on the long side. The strides didn't always work out as I had planned, but he showed some good problem solving skills, and jumped safe and clear even when he had to adjust.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Progress In-Hand
Had a good in-hand lesson yesterday, trainer was quite impressed by his progress which is always nice to hear ;)
We worked on getting him to relax forward-down-out, shoulder-in, and haunches-in. Practiced shifting my position and my grip on the longe to be able to make more flowing transitions between the exercises. Worked on giving more effective half-halts through the cavesson.
Found a sore/tense spot on his back, on the right side behind the saddle area. It doesn't seem riding related due to placement (and the fact that I don't ride very much :P ), but he has also been running around a lot more than usual these past few days, plus a new herd etc, so most likely it's a wrong step or overexertion (he was also really tired). He wasn't affected by it when I worked him in-hand, so I'll keep working with him, just stay off his back until it's gone.
Trainer will be coming out to work with him while we're on vacation which is awesome, I'd hate to lose 2 weeks of training now.
We worked on getting him to relax forward-down-out, shoulder-in, and haunches-in. Practiced shifting my position and my grip on the longe to be able to make more flowing transitions between the exercises. Worked on giving more effective half-halts through the cavesson.
Found a sore/tense spot on his back, on the right side behind the saddle area. It doesn't seem riding related due to placement (and the fact that I don't ride very much :P ), but he has also been running around a lot more than usual these past few days, plus a new herd etc, so most likely it's a wrong step or overexertion (he was also really tired). He wasn't affected by it when I worked him in-hand, so I'll keep working with him, just stay off his back until it's gone.
Trainer will be coming out to work with him while we're on vacation which is awesome, I'd hate to lose 2 weeks of training now.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
He Survived the Night!
:D
When I went to see him this morning, he and D (one of the geldings from outside) were grazing together at the top of the pasture and he had no particular inclination to come down to the gate when he saw me, so I went for a little walk ;) He was still damp on one side from lying in the dew-laden grass, so he hadn't been up for long.
I had brought his breakfast in a bucket, but after a few mouthfuls he realized he wasn't really all that hungry. D was, though, and the two of them ended up sharing Barokko's breakfast, most of the time trying to put both their muzzles into the bucket at the same time - maybe I need to get a bigger bucket :P
When I went to see him this morning, he and D (one of the geldings from outside) were grazing together at the top of the pasture and he had no particular inclination to come down to the gate when he saw me, so I went for a little walk ;) He was still damp on one side from lying in the dew-laden grass, so he hadn't been up for long.
I had brought his breakfast in a bucket, but after a few mouthfuls he realized he wasn't really all that hungry. D was, though, and the two of them ended up sharing Barokko's breakfast, most of the time trying to put both their muzzles into the bucket at the same time - maybe I need to get a bigger bucket :P
Friday, May 09, 2008
The Great Outdoors
I jumped him today, for the first time in ages. It was so much fun, he was eager and confident, super focussed on the task at hand :D
M had set up a gymnastic line for us, a trot pole into a bounce line consisting of 4 poles raised to ca 50 cm in one end (alternating left and right), and a 60cm vertical at the end. He's always tense in the A end of the arena, and I had a hard time getting him out to the rail there, but the line was along the long side between K & E, so I had to get him out there in order to set him up properly. The first approach was a bit messy, but as soon as I got him lined up he pulled toward the jump, judged the distances perfectly, and flew over in a steady rhythm.
The arena at AG isn't completely level, it slopes a bit downward toward C, so we were jumping downhill, which added to the sensation of him stretching his strides to reach the next jump ;)
We also did a combination, 2 uprights with one stride between them. I unfortunately misjudged his take-off in out first try, and knocked him in the mouth in the landing :( He was a little hesitant in the next few tries, but then we got properly through it a couple times after that.
Barokko's very willing with jumps, he's ready to give anything a go if you point him at it, it doesn't even occur to him to second guess the rider - if you point him at something it must be because it's OK, so off we go!
While M packed away the jumps I fed him dinner, and then we lead him over to the grass pasture. He was a little edgy when he realized we were going off property, alone, after dark, but as soon as I turned him loose he relaxed, and got down to business - eating! ;) He's spending his first night outdoors tonight, and barring any problems I plan on leaving him there 24/7 for the forseeable future.
M had set up a gymnastic line for us, a trot pole into a bounce line consisting of 4 poles raised to ca 50 cm in one end (alternating left and right), and a 60cm vertical at the end. He's always tense in the A end of the arena, and I had a hard time getting him out to the rail there, but the line was along the long side between K & E, so I had to get him out there in order to set him up properly. The first approach was a bit messy, but as soon as I got him lined up he pulled toward the jump, judged the distances perfectly, and flew over in a steady rhythm.
The arena at AG isn't completely level, it slopes a bit downward toward C, so we were jumping downhill, which added to the sensation of him stretching his strides to reach the next jump ;)
We also did a combination, 2 uprights with one stride between them. I unfortunately misjudged his take-off in out first try, and knocked him in the mouth in the landing :( He was a little hesitant in the next few tries, but then we got properly through it a couple times after that.
Barokko's very willing with jumps, he's ready to give anything a go if you point him at it, it doesn't even occur to him to second guess the rider - if you point him at something it must be because it's OK, so off we go!
While M packed away the jumps I fed him dinner, and then we lead him over to the grass pasture. He was a little edgy when he realized we were going off property, alone, after dark, but as soon as I turned him loose he relaxed, and got down to business - eating! ;) He's spending his first night outdoors tonight, and barring any problems I plan on leaving him there 24/7 for the forseeable future.
Thursday, May 08, 2008
New Friends
Barokko's ready for 24-7 pasture, I just need to be ready, too - wow, I can't even begin to imagine how parents feel the first time they send their kid off to summer camp ;)
Anyway, I've announced publicly that he'll go out Monday at the latest, I'm guessing he'd like to give me a good kick in the butt and just let him go :P
They'll be 7 horses together throughout the summer, 5 geldings and 2 mares. 2 of the geldings and one of the mares "moved in" today, the last two will be coming in a few weeks. This morning Barokko and his buddy T met their 3 new companions. One of the geldings is very careful and shy, Barokko wanted to be friends with him. The other is more forward, and he wanted to be friends with the mare, but T wouldn't let him ;) I watched them for the first hour they were together, and I think they'll be a good herd together. The pasture is plenty big with lots of grass, a big lake for water, trees for shade along one fence line + just across the street from the barn, so super easy when I want to ride. Also if we get a period of rain (which we will) I can bring him in at night.
I'm going to bring him in once daily regardless of whether I'm riding or not - for grooming, handling, getting away from buddies, and feeding (Suregrow, electrolytes, garlic, + oil for energy as necessary).
Anyway, I've announced publicly that he'll go out Monday at the latest, I'm guessing he'd like to give me a good kick in the butt and just let him go :P
They'll be 7 horses together throughout the summer, 5 geldings and 2 mares. 2 of the geldings and one of the mares "moved in" today, the last two will be coming in a few weeks. This morning Barokko and his buddy T met their 3 new companions. One of the geldings is very careful and shy, Barokko wanted to be friends with him. The other is more forward, and he wanted to be friends with the mare, but T wouldn't let him ;) I watched them for the first hour they were together, and I think they'll be a good herd together. The pasture is plenty big with lots of grass, a big lake for water, trees for shade along one fence line + just across the street from the barn, so super easy when I want to ride. Also if we get a period of rain (which we will) I can bring him in at night.
I'm going to bring him in once daily regardless of whether I'm riding or not - for grooming, handling, getting away from buddies, and feeding (Suregrow, electrolytes, garlic, + oil for energy as necessary).
Sunday, May 04, 2008
Dandelion Delight
Lousy pic from my cell phone, just wanted to show the pretty dandelions all over Barokko's pasture!
Not visible on the pic is the fact that his muzzle and front legs are bright yellow from grazing in them :)
Barokko's been testing limits a lot lately, being kind of a brat both on the ground and under saddle - teenage horses, gotta love 'em ;) I decided to set up a makeshift round pen and give him a little join up session. I used jump standards and poles to make the pen, and let him in. The poles were at a height of 110 cm, which I figured would be plenty high - well, it wasn't! First time I drove him away from me he went right over to the perimiter and jumped out, easy as nothing, and effortless and graceful free jump :P
I set the poles up to 130 cm and tried again ;) It took all of about 3 seconds before he lowered his head and started chewing. The first 2 times I invited him to join up he quickly got distracted, but after I'd sent him away the third time he became 100% focussed on me, following me around, paying close attention to my every move.
After a thorough grooming I turned him out for the day. When I went to get him in the afternoon, he stopped grazing the moment he spotted me. He came over to me and followed me around the pasture, again giving me his complete attention.
Barokko's not a dominant horse at all, he's friendly and sociable, easy to handle, and it's only because I've been lulled into complacency by his puppy dog nature that we've developed any kind of respect issues. My bad :/
Not visible on the pic is the fact that his muzzle and front legs are bright yellow from grazing in them :)
Barokko's been testing limits a lot lately, being kind of a brat both on the ground and under saddle - teenage horses, gotta love 'em ;) I decided to set up a makeshift round pen and give him a little join up session. I used jump standards and poles to make the pen, and let him in. The poles were at a height of 110 cm, which I figured would be plenty high - well, it wasn't! First time I drove him away from me he went right over to the perimiter and jumped out, easy as nothing, and effortless and graceful free jump :P
I set the poles up to 130 cm and tried again ;) It took all of about 3 seconds before he lowered his head and started chewing. The first 2 times I invited him to join up he quickly got distracted, but after I'd sent him away the third time he became 100% focussed on me, following me around, paying close attention to my every move.
After a thorough grooming I turned him out for the day. When I went to get him in the afternoon, he stopped grazing the moment he spotted me. He came over to me and followed me around the pasture, again giving me his complete attention.
Barokko's not a dominant horse at all, he's friendly and sociable, easy to handle, and it's only because I've been lulled into complacency by his puppy dog nature that we've developed any kind of respect issues. My bad :/
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