Aruba got worked on a couple weeks ago, getting a massage and an adjustment. She needed it. And now I have a totally different horse. She is totally chillin' now. Completely relaxed, peceful, softer than ever and for a change-> comfortable. I had noticed a while back that when going to the right she wasn't oversteppng with the right hind at a walk and at the trot she wasn't even coming close.
A few text messages back and forth. Hit and miss on schedules. Having the money at the time, then something comes up and it's spent... I knew she needed it and it would help her, but things just didn't work and it didn't happen. I would run into Dana at driving events and club meetings and we would agree- "We need to do this!" and still we tried to figure things out...
I had brought Aruba back to doing long line work and noticed she started having bigger issues going to the left. She seemed tight, stiff and at times looked like she was off in the front, but there was nothing in her feet, nothing to show she should be lame and a few strides later looked fine. I rode her again in the dressage saddle and things were more than obvious, something was not right. Again she was off and on 'off' and not moving like she should. I got on and figured we would work on some stretching and softening work and see if things improved. We ended up going out around the block and just trying to let her relax.
When we got back, finished up and I pulled the saddle there was a big dry spot high up on her left shoulder. That hasn't happened before, so yeah there's deffinitely something going on. After another driving club meeting Dana and I agreed, she needed to come work on Aruba. As much as Aruba was on edge and not sure of things when I led her out of the stall? She was convinced this was for the better and totally relaxed when I put her back. Even Dana made the comment she is a completely different horse now. Yes, yes she is.
She started with the Magna Wave and got the muscles to relax as well as letting Aruba get used to having this weird white thing moving all over her making her muscles twitch. She was reactive in both knees and her left hip was giving her a lot of issues. When Dana pushed on one spot on her hip, you could see the muscles in her back tense up and react. With plenty of work with the magna wave, some red light therapy and time to wait for it, finally Aruba relaxed. Finally the muscle let loose and pushing on it now, there was no reaction in her back. The adjoininng muscles lay flat and unresponsive to the pressure.
Some stretching, a few more releases some of the bound up knots in her neck, back and hips, an adjustment of her spine thru the loins, another resulting in 3 loud pops in her neck and suddenly it was like a light had switched off. She put her head down and was at peace, completely relaxed, soft and quiet. It was as if she was transformed into a state of zen. Aruba stood there as calm as could be as if she could care less about anything and everything around her. I have honestly never seen her like this at all in the 5 1/2 years I've had her.
I had her turned out overnight before her therapy session but when I put her away, I put her in the stall so she could relax in the shade by herself and enjoy her new state of calm peace. Before puting her back, we stood there under the tree, taking it all in and for the first time, Aruba was not only standing near me half asleep at times, but she would reach out to me and nuzzle me, working her nose back and forth the way a horse does when they scratch an itchy spot for each other. She was expressing her thanks for her new found sense of AAAAAAaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh. I know how it feels.
Wednesday, July 22, 2015
Wednesday, June 24, 2015
Grounded
Aruba has been not only learning the very basics of jumping, but I have also satrted taking her out and around the block in the neighborhood. She's learning she can go places, see strange things and not only get thru it, but live to tell about it. I survived it too! :-)
She has been doing well enough, but a few weeks ago I thought I would revisit ground driving and long line work with her. It's always a good way to see what the horse is doing when you're going it alone, don't have anyone to take pic's/video or have that other pair of eyes on the ground to coach you and help you out.
The last few times we have done ground work, it has not been anywhere near great, let alone anything really noteworthy. I hoped to change that and get her moving like she should at the trot. This time around started out much like before, but eventually something clicked in my mares brain, something clicked between us and SWEET MAMA!!! she was moving like never before.
Aruba picked up a lose, swinging easy going trot and framed up nicely. I heaped on the praise and let her keep going as long as she could maintain it. She held her position and seemed to find it easier to work like she should. Eventually I would have to ask her to stop and reverse direction. When she did, again Aruba picked up the same easy going, lose, swinging trot and kept trucking around like it was nothing.
The next few times I've worked her in the lines, it has ben the same thing. Aruba has picked up the loose, swinging trot quicker and easier, holding it longer each time. She is balanced, correct and fun to watch. It's nice seeing her work like his, she's developing beautifully and yet I find myself almost dreading getting on her again. Why? Because I don't want to get in her way or otherwise screw her up. Which seems to be something a lot of us struggle with.
A couple of weeks ago I was able to get some video of her working in the lines. I had worked her then grabbed my cell phone for the camera. I had to hold the phone and the right line while I hopefully got good footage. It's ok, could always be better and I'm looking at alternatives to get good solid video of her moving. Because she is just awesome that way and really coming along nicely.
She has been doing well enough, but a few weeks ago I thought I would revisit ground driving and long line work with her. It's always a good way to see what the horse is doing when you're going it alone, don't have anyone to take pic's/video or have that other pair of eyes on the ground to coach you and help you out.
The last few times we have done ground work, it has not been anywhere near great, let alone anything really noteworthy. I hoped to change that and get her moving like she should at the trot. This time around started out much like before, but eventually something clicked in my mares brain, something clicked between us and SWEET MAMA!!! she was moving like never before.
Aruba picked up a lose, swinging easy going trot and framed up nicely. I heaped on the praise and let her keep going as long as she could maintain it. She held her position and seemed to find it easier to work like she should. Eventually I would have to ask her to stop and reverse direction. When she did, again Aruba picked up the same easy going, lose, swinging trot and kept trucking around like it was nothing.
The next few times I've worked her in the lines, it has ben the same thing. Aruba has picked up the loose, swinging trot quicker and easier, holding it longer each time. She is balanced, correct and fun to watch. It's nice seeing her work like his, she's developing beautifully and yet I find myself almost dreading getting on her again. Why? Because I don't want to get in her way or otherwise screw her up. Which seems to be something a lot of us struggle with.
A couple of weeks ago I was able to get some video of her working in the lines. I had worked her then grabbed my cell phone for the camera. I had to hold the phone and the right line while I hopefully got good footage. It's ok, could always be better and I'm looking at alternatives to get good solid video of her moving. Because she is just awesome that way and really coming along nicely.
Thursday, June 18, 2015
Baby X's
Aruba started working really, really well with the new saddle and it seems my riding has improved also too. The saddle was a good choice and I have zero buyers remorse. Things were going so well that I decided to throw out some ground poles and give it a shot, geting Aruba used to watching where her feet are, stretching out and down, using the poles to help teach her to lengthen or shorten her stride, depending on where/how we go thru them....
She soooo rocked it!!! I led her over the poles first, both directions, letting her stop and look at them. I wanted no surprises and certainly don't need to be taking a header off her when she's taller than I am. She looked at them, sniffed them and then could care less. I lunged her and let her walk and trot over them. Again both directions and she had no issue with them whatsoever. She was interested, but not freaked out or woried in the least so I got on.
We warmed up around the poles and finally started walking thru them, going between the poles. Again it was steady as she goes. This time we walked to the poles and I stopped her in front of them. She looked down, sniffed at them and let out a sigh. We stepped over the first one and stopped. No big deal. Stepped over the next one and stopped. Next one, stop, next one, stop and she acted like she was so impressed with her badass self. We started walking thru the poles, both direcions, between them, stopping, sometimes not stopping... She was awesome.
So we kicked it up a notch. We started trotting the poles. Meh, eyeroll, nothing spectacular there either. Aruba handled it like she's been doing it her whole life. She perked her ears up and went thru them interested and careful not to step on them, but no fuss, no muss. So what the hell... Let's push it a little further. I pulled a feed tub in and set up a small crossrail. As in--> small enough we walked over it with no problems.
So we went over the crossrail several times from both directions at a walk. I always made sure she was set up, before we got to the X, and if need be, I would ask her to stop, stand for a second or two before going over it. There was no reason to rush. After going over it several times from both directions at a walk, why not try it at a trot? Okay. This is when it got fun.
Aruba went over it at a trot a couple of times and never once tried to stop, refuse or duck out on me. Instead she perked her ears up as we made the corner coming into it. She looked up, almost lined herself up for it on her own and a few times she jumped it like it was something bigger than it was. Then after she jumped it, she scooted off in a canter for a few strides, doing the happy dance! She also threw in a few jiggy steps as if trying to crowhop on me. Yes she was certainly enjoying herself and showing off some too. All it took was a stern Hey! and she got herself under control again, but then we were around the pen and coming into the cossrail again... lol
The baby X was not big or intimidating in any way and it gave her the confidence to go over it and know she would be ok. We've done a few more 'courses' with a couple or a few baby X's set up and she really seems to enjoy herself. A few times she's gotten a little clumsy or maybe lazy and brought poles down, but she doesn't freak out over it because she knows it's not the end of the world. It's just annoying and when there's enough rails down, I will get off to reset things before we try again.
It's been a lot of fun getting her started with poles and baby X's. She's got a lot of jumpers in her pedigree so it's no wonder that it comes naturally for her. We do need to slow down and focus on the flat work before doing too much more, but this is a great start. Who knows how far we will go with it???
She soooo rocked it!!! I led her over the poles first, both directions, letting her stop and look at them. I wanted no surprises and certainly don't need to be taking a header off her when she's taller than I am. She looked at them, sniffed them and then could care less. I lunged her and let her walk and trot over them. Again both directions and she had no issue with them whatsoever. She was interested, but not freaked out or woried in the least so I got on.
We warmed up around the poles and finally started walking thru them, going between the poles. Again it was steady as she goes. This time we walked to the poles and I stopped her in front of them. She looked down, sniffed at them and let out a sigh. We stepped over the first one and stopped. No big deal. Stepped over the next one and stopped. Next one, stop, next one, stop and she acted like she was so impressed with her badass self. We started walking thru the poles, both direcions, between them, stopping, sometimes not stopping... She was awesome.
So we kicked it up a notch. We started trotting the poles. Meh, eyeroll, nothing spectacular there either. Aruba handled it like she's been doing it her whole life. She perked her ears up and went thru them interested and careful not to step on them, but no fuss, no muss. So what the hell... Let's push it a little further. I pulled a feed tub in and set up a small crossrail. As in--> small enough we walked over it with no problems.
So we went over the crossrail several times from both directions at a walk. I always made sure she was set up, before we got to the X, and if need be, I would ask her to stop, stand for a second or two before going over it. There was no reason to rush. After going over it several times from both directions at a walk, why not try it at a trot? Okay. This is when it got fun.
Aruba went over it at a trot a couple of times and never once tried to stop, refuse or duck out on me. Instead she perked her ears up as we made the corner coming into it. She looked up, almost lined herself up for it on her own and a few times she jumped it like it was something bigger than it was. Then after she jumped it, she scooted off in a canter for a few strides, doing the happy dance! She also threw in a few jiggy steps as if trying to crowhop on me. Yes she was certainly enjoying herself and showing off some too. All it took was a stern Hey! and she got herself under control again, but then we were around the pen and coming into the cossrail again... lol
The baby X was not big or intimidating in any way and it gave her the confidence to go over it and know she would be ok. We've done a few more 'courses' with a couple or a few baby X's set up and she really seems to enjoy herself. A few times she's gotten a little clumsy or maybe lazy and brought poles down, but she doesn't freak out over it because she knows it's not the end of the world. It's just annoying and when there's enough rails down, I will get off to reset things before we try again.
It's been a lot of fun getting her started with poles and baby X's. She's got a lot of jumpers in her pedigree so it's no wonder that it comes naturally for her. We do need to slow down and focus on the flat work before doing too much more, but this is a great start. Who knows how far we will go with it???
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