It ain't half hot

Wolfie is finding the hot weather we've had over the last week hard going. He came into his stable this morning and went straight to bed.

He thought about getting up and stretched his legs out but then changed his mind and had another 40 winks with his legs out in front of him.

"In training one always wants to go too fast. To arrive quickly, do not hurry, but be firmly assured of each step. Demand often; be content with little; reward a lot." - F de Kerbrech 1891

Stages of Progression: The time to understand The time to learn The time to do or execute The time to perfect ""I have time" should be the guiding word especially of dressage riders during the entire course of training and remind him of the fact that the goal of the classical art of riding is to be obtained only by the gradual increase of demands." Colonel Alois Podhajsky Wolfie does very little work in the school. The other day I tallied up his time spent in the school since I backed him. Including, long reining, ground work and work under saddle, he was at under 7 hours. The majority of Wolfie's schooling is done outside on hacks. It's easier to 'school' him on hacks as he's in front of my leg and when he is out enjoying himself, asking him to move over, soften, is never a chore to him. If you watched him opening and closing a gate, you would see his abilty to step over and under, turn on the forehand and baby rein back steps. Our school is not very big and he finds the surface hard going. He also does not see the point in trotting around endlessly in circles and sepentines. When I do take him into the school, I tend to 'think' that I must have him listening to me straight away. Wolfie is a fidget and out hacking, if he fidgets or spooks, I find the best distraction is to keep his feet moving and put him to work.This works out hacking but is not necessarily what he needs in the school. This week when I took him into the school, I allowed him to spend the first 10 minutes walking around on a loose rein, looking around at whatever he wanted. He does need a good 20 minute warm up. I gradually started asking him to soften and begin to listen, it happened so gradually it was as if he had just been waiting. There was no me saying "wolfie listen", he just was. He has a busy mind and I am working on asking him to relax his mind as well as his head, neck and back. He's not built to work typically long and low, but he is beginning to offer a stretch. I have focused a lot on my own position and seat aids this week also. He has a big head and neck and is built on his forehand and is still very unbalanced. At the moment he needs his head and neck to balance, particularly in trot. He will occasionally overbend and drop behind the contact. This is an easy movement for him. When I work with him doing his carrot stretches or you scratch him, you can see how easy it is for him to bend his neck into all manner of positions. I must be quicker in activating the appropriate hind leg when he drops behind the vertical and ideally catch it before it happens. He is still very green, but when I get it right, even if it is just for 2 or 3 strides at the moment, he feels amazing. It gives you fire in your belly and makes you want to run to the yard with your saddle. We are just working on suppleness and balance and will continue with short schooling sessions and transitions, transitions, transitions. We have all the time in the world. I was disappointed that Badminton was cancelled this year. Badminton and Burghley are the two events I love to watch every year. As the build up to the Olympics continues, I am getting quite excited. I would have loved to have got tickets to go to any one of the equestrian events, but the cross country day would have been my first choice. I don't actually know of anyone that did manage to get tickets to any events. The wait continues for the short lists for the teams to be announced. Caroline Powell's Lenamore is now up for selection for New Zealand. At 19 years old, he was going to run Badminton again this year. I remember watching him on television over the cross country last year. He made it look easy and like he was loving every single minute of it. He is a very charasmatic little horse. Disappointingly Mark Todd's Land Vision, last years Badminton winner will not be competing due to being out with a tendon injury. And the pair everyone will be watching. Boyd Martin and Neville Bardos for the USA. The big orange horse with an even bigger attitude who has cheated death and has given everyone a little hope that miracles do happen. I watched Boyd and Neville competing at Burghley last year where they finished 7th. For anyone who hasn't heard Boyd and Nevilles story check out the interview on NBC Rock Centre. Apparently they have now sold the rights to a movie. It's a heart warming story and emphasises the strength and depth of a relationship that can exist between a horse and rider.

Be careful what you ask for and Airs above the ground

I was hacking Wolfie last week. We came off the old railway line to pass through a road between some houses to get onto the main road on our way home. A skip had been put in the middle of the road, not allowing much room on either side to get past. It was full of branches and garden waste sticking out the edges. I asked Wolfie to walk a little closer to it, I wasn't intending on trying to make him pass it, but just get a little closer. He started backing up at speed, the way he does before he abruptly spins and takes off. I shouted quite gruffly at him to stand.......and stand he did, so suddenly that I nearly went right over the front of his shoulder. I certainly got what I asked for. Yesterday, Wolfie and I trailered up to Mugdock Country Park. We were up and away before the birds were up as I wanted to get there before it got busy and with it being a bank holiday weekend, the place would have been mobbed with dog walkers, cyclists and families. Wolfie loaded brilliantly. He didn't travel great though, I heard him thudding around a bit and he was pretty sweated up when we got there. I had travelled him in his Thermatex rug, as I'm so paranoid about him getting a chill, but it was too warm for a knitted rug, so that didn't help. He also hates the travelling boots. I'm not sure whether to try bandaging him or travelling him without anything on his legs. I'm going to get one of the old string vest type sweat rugs and throw a fleece or something in the car which I can put on him when we get there if needed. I also think he fully expected to be going back to be incarcerated in the vet school. He seemed quite surprised when I unloaded him that he wasn't in the Weipers Centre car park. My trailer came with a full length breast bar. I'm going to get a full length breeching bar and remove the partition. Cross tie him and travel him without the partition. I think that would give him more room to balance himself. He's a broad little horse and there isn't much room between him and the partition and the side of the trailer. He was very excited and when I unloaded him about twelve Highland cows appeared over at the fence, staring at him through their big fringes. He hasn't really seen many cows and he's never seen a Highland cow. Tied to the trailer, he had grown to about 19hh. I quickly tacked him up. I was in a bit of a cafuffle trying to make sure I'd locked everything up, had the keys etc. That's where it would be really handy if someone else was with me.

I'd planned to ride a route around one of the main bridle paths that takes you around the loch in a loop. I think we were half way around the route before I even got my other foot in the stirrup. My plan was just to let him walk it out and let him settle. However, we completed the loop, which is over 2 miles and he was still powering on. He was clearly loving every minute of it. I decided to walk around again, just to try and have him settle and start listening to me. I was asking for half halts, but he ended up getting completely frustrated at me as he obviously wanted to continue his top speed power walk. When I asked him to soften and listen he eventually started tossing his head, cantering on the spot, bucking and then performing capriole... beautifully executed and controlled. There is a huge canter field up there, but there was no chance yesterday I was letting his feet hit grass. On one hand, it might just have got it out of his sytem and calmed him down, but I don't know the tracks or the terrain and I have a feeling he would have just went for it. I think we could have hacked around those bridle paths at that speed for most of the day, so once he was walking calmly (still trucking on though), I called it a day and we went back to the trailer. I was paranoid about getting him loaded before the car park got busy. It was a beautiful morning and the paths around there are great and the scenery is stunning. I did have my camera with me as I'd planned to take some pictures of our hack, but there was no way I was taking my hands off the reins to get my camera out my pocket and if I had managed, they would have just been a blur with the speed we were going. He loaded brilliantly again, bit sweated up when we got home and seemed delighted that he was home. Part of the problem is that he's not used to going places and coming home. He either goes to the vet school and has to stay there or he changes yards. All in all, I was really pleased. The more we do it, the better and more settled he will become. I doubt he will ever be the sort of robotic horse that you can just take anywhere, will just stand all day tied to the trailer and not bat an eye lid at anything going on, that's just not his temperament. He can be a handful but I wouldn't change a single part of him.

The first time Wolfie has ever seen the Welsh flag

Happy belated Easter from wee Bob

What makes a great horse?.......Heart

Check this little guy out, flying the flag for all natives out there. He's a 14.3hh Connemara gelding competing in advanced eventing. Courtney Sendak and Wil'YaLoveMe http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJDePKdqYP4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLyXEjv3T-I http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GATEhJ2sqDo

Could Wolfie be a War Horse?

My friend at the stables gave me a link to a You Tube clip of a Kelly Marks demonstration on making your horse braver, de-sensitising them to variuos objects. The full episode was shown on Horse & Country TV but I don't have that.

I have always tried to install confidence in Wolfie, to make him bold and think he is the bravest horse when facing every day obstacles. I think a lot of the time we just accept that our horses don't like something and leave it at that and never try an improve things or work through them. The infamous phrases of 'he / she doesn't load, clip, hose etc' which follow a horse throughout it's life. Or one of my biggest bug bears, not standing at mounting blocks and just wandering off when you have one foot in the stirrup. To which you are told 'he always does that'. I think of the issues Wolfie and I have worked through and overcome and how much easier and more pleasant it makes things in general. I also think it's kinder for him that he feels more confident in himself and me and not worried and anxious. Now I want to work with him to really make him the bravest horse, So..........it's Challenge Wolfie.

We started on Sunday with the tarpaulin and the umbrella. We have done a lot of work previously with both, whilst they are on the ground. He will now confidently walk over and stand on the tarpaulin and will walk past the umbrella. However, if I pick either of them up, even the tarpaulin folded into a small square, to Wolfie they become completely different objects and very frightening. It's really the noise of the tarp and any flapping. The umbrella also makes a noise if the wind catches it, but it's the action of it being lifted up and held higher. So the goal is that Wolfie will eventually allow me to open the tarpaulin and lie it over him and he will let me sit on him holding the umbrella.

We made good progress on Sunday. I began by walking Wolfie over the tarpaulin on the ground, opening it out and gradually making it bigger. He then stood next to me whilst I folded it back up again. We worked on him just standing next to me whilst I held the tarpaulin folded up. I then gradually worked on him allowing me to rub a piece of tarpaulin all over his body working from both sides. He eventally allowed me to place the folded tarpaulin onto his back and then again opened out one fold. It was very difficult for him and he was very unsure. He didn't want this rustling, noisy object on or near ghim but he eventually stood and by the end he was relaxed, was standing on a loose rein with his head lowered licking and chewing. I didn't attempt to open the trapaulin out any further as it was quite windy. I will now allow him to process what we worked on and we will continue again. It is so interesting to watch. Every part of Wolfie's gut instinct and sense of survival was telling him to get the hell out of there and away from the tarpaulin, and at the start he would have ran for the hills, but as he gradually realised that it wasn't going to hurt him, he chose to stay. He was really trying and it was a big ask for him. There's one thing Wolfie likes and that's praise and fuss, so he looked quite pleased with himself afterwards. He eventually managed to stand next to me whilst I held the umbrella and I stood with him whilst the yard owner walked arund with it and opened and closed it a few times (whilst humming the singing in the rain tune;-)). He is still very warey of it, but again a good step forward and I was very pleased with him.

I'm going to make a flag and I'd also like to get a bunch of balloons. I want to get hold of someone on a bike with a bell. I'm thinking of other things I can use to 'Challenge Wolfie' so if anyone has any ideas, please let me know.

Wolfie crossing the 'scarey' bridge.

"To balance him and make him lighter, the rider will dedicate much practice, but the results are so alluring that it is well worthwhile that the rider endeavours to obtain them".

Wolfie and I have kept busy over the last month and I have managed to work him consistently at least 4 or 5 times a week. During the week, it has been mostly schooling as I haven't had enough daylight after work to hack. Our outdoor school doesn't have great drainage and it has taken a complete hammering over the winter with the wind and the rain. It's very deep in parts and has been virtually impossible to ride in parts. Wolfie is not a fan of that surface at the best of times, but we have perservered where we can and it has been re-spread and harrowed now, so hopefully with that and a good few days of dry weather to dry it out, it will be better.

Just after my last post, where I was singing Wolfie's praises about how good he had been, we had a few hold onto your hat rides. Bolting up and down hills, broncoing. Sometimes I wonder what the people who live in the farmhouses think we are doing. I hope they aren't watching but it is hard to be inconspicuous especially when I'm normally wearing a high viz pink jacket. It was mostly freshness, seasonal and the feeling of soft grass under his feet.

Last Sunday I hacked him down onto the line. He boldly marched across the bridge (the one he has issues with). The line runs next to the Glazert river. I've always wanted to be able to find a safe spot to get Wolfie down into the river, so on the way home from hacking I can stand him in the cold water for 15 to 20 minutes. Be good for his legs. The banking has always been too steep though. Anyway, we wandered through the forest, bending in and out of the trees to see if we could find anywhere to get down into the river. There was a fallen tree, stopping us getting any further, so we stopped and I was just looking along the river edge. I was just about to turn him to go back the way we came when he just launched himself off the embankment straight into the middle of the river with an almighty splash. We were both soaked from head to toe. He seemed very pleased with himself, playing with the water with his nose and splashing around. I didn't know how we were going to get back out and if I got off, the water would have been over the top of my wellies. There really wasn't an option but to get out, the way we had got in. He jumped back up the bank, no questions asked. At least I know he won't have too much problem with water jumps.

Yesterday, we hacked down the line again. As we approached the scarey bridge, both Wolfie and I spotted a boy just below and next to it fishing. I asked the boy if he would stand still while Wolfie crossed the bridge, which he did and Wolfie was fine. We walked along the river edge again and found a less steep place where we got down into the river without flying through the air and getting soaked. Wolfie splashed around again and then thought he might just have a roll. He was all set for walking up the river, but as I couldn't see the bottom and how rocky it was, I didn't want to chance it. we hacked up to the castle and checked out a couple of tracks we used to ride along. There are trees down everywhere. Need to get up with a saw and try and move some of them. Wolfie is an adventurer and there is nothing he likes better than finding new paths and exploring. I lost track of time and before I realised it, the light was starting to fade. We hacked home quickly. Wolfie felt like he hadn't even been out, but I was tired, I'm certainly not riding fit. I had such a good time, he was really responsive. With the clocks changing and spring coming I'm really looking forward to riding this summer.

With the few days of good weather we have had, Wolfie got turned out without his rug for the first time in..............well months.

I always feel really happy for them when they get to roll without their rugs on. Although, nos so happy when I have to brush all the mud off.

Wolfie has also reached another milestone in having someone else ride him. I feel that it is good for him to have someone else ride him. It's a big step for him as he is so attached to me. My friend at the stables had a little sit on him last week. He was really confused as he normally has me riding him or it's me working him from the ground. This time, I was on the ground but there was someone else on him. He didn't know who he should be listening to, me, or the 'other' rider. He was very good, but stuck next to me like glue and looked very confused. We have tried it another twice since and will continue to build it up gradually until they both gain a more confidence in each other. Wolfie is still looking to me for direction. Part of me thinks it would be better if I was out of sight, but I don't think that would help his confidence, so I think the plan is to stay and get gradually further away each time.

I'm hoping to get Wolfie moved onto his summer grazing this weekend. His weight is fantastic just now and he's beginning to develop muscle through work. I don't want a repeat performance of last year with his weight ballooning.