10/21/12 Elvis
Elvis threw a shoe last Sunday, so he didn't get ridden that day. The farrier came on Tuesday and did all the horses. It took the best part of the day. I worked Wednsday and Thursday. On Thursday and Friday we had a guy come in and dig out our manure pile and haul it away. He was working with a bobcat and a big truck in the corral where I pen the horses when I ride ... so I couldn't ride until he was done. And Friday morning I shot a staple gun staple through the tip of my ring finger on my left hand. So Friday and Saturday I was sort of out of commission. But today we got a ride in!
I worked him in dressage tack and lunged him first. He had some trouble holding the canter on the correct lead on the lunge line. There was a lot of breaking to the trot, cross-firing and counter canter. When I got on him, we did some bending at the walk and worked on turns on the haunches and turns on the forhand. At the trot we worked 20 meter circles and three loop serpentines with bending. At the canter, since he had had so much trouble on the lunge line, I did not do any 20 meter circles. I had him pick up the canter along the short end of the arena and then canter down the long side and transition to a trot at the other short end. I rode in a two-point. He always got the correct lead, and he was able to keep it along the long side. I was really pleased with him.
After the canter work we did some trotting leg yields along the long diagonal, some hault/rein backs, and a walk down the center line and halt at X. He was completely crooked down the center line and did not halt square, but he did halt with a normal amount of leg and bit contact... so we are making some progress. (When I got him, he would not stop unless I sat way back and threw my legs way forward... western style. I wasn't very good at it, so neither was he.)
A local barn has schooling shows once a month all winter. They are indoors and I think it might be a good way to get some riding in when the weather is bad, I think I am going to go and watch this weekend, as I don't know how dressed up, or turned out you have to get. I gave Elvis a bath and bleached his mane and tail when we were done. I sprayed winteregreen rubbing alchohol and water on his back, dressed his hoofs and put bit butter on his lips. I was trying to decide if I should take him this weekend. I think he's very cute when he's all cleaned up, but if he can't go straight down the center line, he's probably not ready, even for a Introductory Level test. He DOES love attention, though. And PJ was very jealous. She even broke the fence at one point, trying to get in on his bath.
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