Today I rode a 5-year-old that was very green. More green than any horse I have ever ridden (I know, that’s not saying much). Our lesson group was so crowded because of the extreme temperatures the day before that he was the only pony left. They put him on a lead rope and a working student had to jog along side my as we worked on trotting in a straight line. A lot of head-tossing happened. We went over a cross rail a few times. I got taken of the lead rope to go over the cross rail by myself and went into a trot that turned into a bolt and bucking that probably only lasted 20 seconds but was very exciting. Finally was able to walk the pony to the jump, go over it and bring him back to a very sloppy halt. I learned a lot about liiiight aids. Tiny pulses for half halts. Tiny squeezes from quiet legs.
I have a new-found respect for people who train young horses. This guy was small - I wasn’t that scared because just weren’t that far from the ground. But apparently I missed the training session where he tripped and fell with my instructor on him. He’s been better about picking up his feet ever since. Phew.
I have a new-found respect for people who train young horses. This guy was small - I wasn’t that scared because just weren’t that far from the ground. But apparently I missed the training session where he tripped and fell with my instructor on him. He’s been better about picking up his feet ever since. Phew.
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