There are a few good reasons to have another horse in the herd to ride. For one thing, you may want more experience on someone else. And for another, when it rains every day and all night long and so the ground is like a peat bog and your own brumby has fussy feet that get ouchie when they get too wet, having another horse to play around with is not such a bad idea. Especially when she's very darling.
Lately, while my own brumby has been busy nibbling grass and harboring no feelings of jealousy seeing me with another mare, I have been riding Sophie. Not big extravagant rides across the wilderness. Just a few rides here and there. Here we are on Thursday night, setting off for the ring.
The more Sophie can be ridden, the better a little pony she will be. She's been having a great time being at Bill's. The very good news, one that I welcomed with joy, is that the people who owned Sophie gave her to Bill!!! It's official: Bill is the proud owner of this pretty little pony.
Here we are one day in the barn with her:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsTL88Uqt_g&list=UUikRKbwgANX6JaUdTqoVnVg
Down in the ring, we practice on walking, trotting, whoa-ing and backing up. Here we are working on backing up. Bill tells me what to do and I do it. here he was telling me that I must remember to give her a release, a reward, when she takes steps back.
We also canter. Although I have canteered on Sophie before, on this particular evening, she decided she was going to test my boundaries, and see just what kind of rider I was going to be.
Here is how the lesson got started:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtvxPeGG6BY&feature=c4-overview&list=UUikRKbwgANX6JaUdTqoVnVg
The idea is to keep my bum glued to the saddle and disengage her hindquarters if she tries to get bucky, right? Yes, indeed. Finally at the end of the lesson, I got my pelvis into gear. To see more of the lesson, look here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEAQzCaDURg&feature=c4-overview&list=UUG3jtJrfqVJRK3xrNYENNow
Meanwhile on the way home:
Look at this cute guy I spied on the way home! He better get off the road and into the woods!
I am so thankful for my blogging award and I haven't even squeezed it into this post! Don't worry, I have not forgotten!
2 comments:
Good job wrangling that adorable pony mare!
Loved the video. You are so lucky to have a Bill in your horsey life!!
Once you were going with Sophie in the canter you two looked lovely.
My intro back into riding came on a 13h black pony mare named Ginger - Sophie reminds me so much of her. *smile*
Good for you--riding another horse is always good experience and I should do that more often! Hope that spiny fella doesn't pay a visit to the ponies! We've had to pull quills twice-ouch!
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