Tales of a Baby Solo ; Catching Up After Absence.

Wow, has it truly been six weeks since I last posted on the blog?

I don’t really feel like a lot has happened since then but looking back at the last post, I was just beginning to do canter fences with Solo.

Mind you no major break throughs have occurred since that stage and none really should unless I pushed too much too fast but I feel like I have gained quite a bit of confidence in him and he himself since that point.

We really only ‘jump’ once a week and just a small ‘gym’ a few times  through. I don’t feel the need to drill anything with him. He needs a few repetitions and then he is game.

It was the same with Pal but she was different in the way that she would simply refuse initially and then make the same mistakes over and over in the same ride and yet be totally on the next ride and I would wonder why I stressed about the issue.

Solo is more the type that goes no matter what, yes he slows it down, often dropping back to a small trot or a walk and pops over (for new elements anyhow), no question if we are going over just a how smoothly. Then he follows that by trying a milion and one different things thereafter.

At first, I wasn’t overly pleased with all the ‘flailing’, then I thought about it and it hit me, ‘he is teaching himself…’

Pretty cool and he is nothing if not honest.

I have continued to build slowly on the exercises and so called gymnastics with a ton of pole work both with little fences and without. The fences have grown a bit (18’ to about 2-2’3), to encourage Solo to jump rather than take a big trot step, which he still tries most of the time unless we canter in. (Ironically, he is better balanced over poles and fences in the canter than trot).

I have also added in a second fence in a line, which ends up being a one stride line since we have little space. This makes it tight for baby horse to figure out but I keep it low and just encourage honesty for now.

When I do canter single fences, with placing poles on each side I occassionally get an astonishing jump. A real jump. One that even though low, actually lifts me into my position and I get this odd feeling that the horse has left underneath me, where did my head go?! Mind you it is still rare but it brings to a forefront what I impatiently wait for in the future.

Flat wise. I have been riding quite a bit of shoulder-fore to the left  since we are now able to turn in a balanced fashion and without our heads in the air this direction but we lose the right shoulder and often he feels stuck when I control the shoulder, he cannot figure out how to turn so I have to support with outside leg aids.

Also the energy that we lost when Solo started stretching down and lifting through the back, is building back. Whoo.

To the right, things continue to flow well, yet oppositely I must watch my outside rein to ensure we don’t hollow and get too much curve in the neck and barrel and then add little nudges with my inside leg to get that inside leg stepping up to help straighten us out.

Worm I tell you!

Lastly, canter has made tremendous improvements. So much so I am actually able to work on my position and leave him to canter on.

Solo really asks to stretch deep when in the canter though this makes it together, difficult and easier to ride. Both I think because he is carrying me with his back coming up but also because he gets much deeper and launches me in the suspension moment. If I can catch the rhythm, things become blissful…until he stumbles onto his face or I lose it.

Transitions still and will likely always need work. I have begun incorporating the TOH/TOF then strike off into trot to help develop him. It helps yet I have to watch the number I do because he gets a bit testy with too much repetition. I say it is a man thing. You have to make them think it was their idea…. *eye roll*

Anyhow, more for another day and hopefully a closer day than the time it has taken me to write this!