I've got two five gallon buckets of water in the trailer, the hay bag stuffed with three kinds of hay. Electrolyte syringes are "chilling" in the fridge to go into the cooler. Don't have my tack loaded yet as I'm planning a short ride to loosen her up this afternoon as soon as the meatloaf is out of the oven, and the laundry is on hangers! Figure I should be able to curry off some serious hair today, we've been warm here for five full days....HEAVENLY.
Got her out for some hill intervals tonight, and worked on the canter a little. She had one buck in the middle of a cantering interval, but I shut her down and made her do it again. This horse is WAY FULL OF HERSELF. On the way home she wanted to jig so I used that to work on a sitting trot and we did! I kind of liked it :) But she had to walk the last mile and half home. At one point I think something bit her because she sucked in her air suddenly and went up like she rocket blasters on all four feet, was very strange, and over almost as quickly as it happened. Could be that hair shedding out and full of sweat got into a "pinch".
When I put her back in her paddock and she celebrates by cantering the perimeter it makes me feel pretty good that she's feeling alright. ~E.G
If she is bucking at the canter. It seriously could be saddle fit. Or just the way you are riding the canter, if she is a super sensitive horse. (I was reading your posts on Mel's blog) Some people just don't know how to "roll" with the canter and it can irritate the horse. ((how could you if you haven't practiced in a while?)) But when you were with me you cantered a couple times and I didn't see any bucking and you both looked happy. I think cantering up-hill is the best place to start if your worried about bucking. (it is very hard for a horse to buck going uphill)
ReplyDeleteBucking is for only a few reasons.
1: pain
2: one little buck out of excitement if horse hasn't been turned loose for a while
3: wanting to go slower or slow down (in which case you need to use more leg and push the horse forward more while keeping head from going down too low)
Doing a slow/collected canter is very hard for a horse with a rider on their back ((especially on a circle)). So your horse may need to go faster at a canter until she gets the muscular balance to do a slow canter undersaddle. Just do short spurts at first to build her strength in a straight line. On uphill stretches. I'd say don't worry about her heart rate at first. Just do half the hill at a canter and then work up to doing the full hill.
Hope you and Nicole have a good ride at Clark today!! Such nice weather!!
Michelle
queen of the canter/hand gallop/gallop!!
I am so excited for you. Best of luck!
ReplyDeleteMichelle - when you're moving down the trail at a canter/hand gallop/gallop - do your horses switch leads on their own around bends?
ReplyDeleteNot that I'm anywhere near ready to do half the cantering you do (I like it slooooow!)....just curious.