Still here!

Wow, I had no intention of not blogging for this long.

Life totally got in the way. With the sunlight long days, I find my time at my desk after hours to be quite minimal.

No worries, Laz has been getting the equal amount of love and attention.

A couple weeks ago we had a nice lesson.

I wanted to work on our riding, out in the big pasture where he can get a bit silly and worried.

Of course, the evening (our lesson was at 7pm which was awesome) of our lesson he was 100% chill. Just a total gentleman.

Great for the ride, but it's hard to work on 'issues' when none arise ;)

Am I complaining? Not really

From time to time, I do mount up from the ground.

I do this probably 5 times a year, I want him to be cool about it for obvious reasons.

It's the classic, hop/hop/hop/groan and mount approach. It's very graceful.

Other than that, I use our two stack of crates to spare his back

I pre warmed him up in our main paddock/pasture

Yay for Spring!

Before heading into the larger pasture once my trainer arrived

 And worked down and all around the large pasture

 We worked on connection at the walk

 At the trot

 and having Laz respond to my body/leg/seat vs rein

 I rode him in my bitless. 

He's been yanking his head over being a bit defiant when I ask with my hands, so we are working on softening him again and not dictate direction. 

 I am working on using my body first, hands last..bad habit!

 Softening

 I adore my long rope reins, love the length and the heavy weight

 Laz got a lot of praises and rests for his efforts

 

 

We ended with some canter work and transitions

I have a bad habit of over riding him to bring up his energy and she reminded me to allow him to maintain his gait without me having to 'canter pump him'

Such a good boy

On one of our mid day work week walks. So shiny, and this was before his spring bath!

Happy ponies!

 Text pictures like this from my BO are awesome on days I don't get to see Laz.
What lucky ponies!

Laz also got trimmed this past week. He grew a ton in his fronts, but per usual not as much in hinds.

He was getting a bit sore right prior to his trim, and felt better after trim but I just feel his back is NQR. He is DUE for an adjustment, and our chiro isn't coming until the end of June...ugh.

His LF had slight swelling after our lesson...or was it after these shenanigans?

Either way, I gave him a week off of riding (we still took walks, etc) to see if it's better.
It is, but still slight swelling. I worry about the diagonal leg to his RH causing lameness, and in general any body deterioration due to his years of compromise.
He also came off the track with a huge old injury scar on his LF heel bulb so I often wonder if it doesn't flare up as an injury from time to time.
I rub surpass on it, and try not to panic

This is what Husbands do when they see 'another' horsie type box in the mail...they make it known, they know another horse item arrived ;)

Spring Lesson

Finally the weather (semi) cooperated so I could have my lesson that I've had to reschedule 3 times now.

I was so excited! 

2 hours of a private lesson with my trainer Meggie, who is kind, quiet and such a talent.

We started tacked up, and warmed up on the ground. I had Laz's BOT saddle pad on to help keep his back muscles warm and supple. It was a cool 32 degrees and windy on our lesson day but thankfully the pasture dried pretty quickly for decent footing.

Meggie had me work on having Laz stop on his circle with and without facing me. Without facing me helps him stay confident and not always looking to me for 'what's next'

Below I'm using my stick to yield his shoulder back onto circle. Pictures can't always translate, but the stick never touched him and is used slowly and as a request. Nothing vicious, or demanding.

What this picture does say is Laz has a big belly! Eeesh

Here he is stopped on his circle. He understood quickly and did great with it.

Lots of licking/chewing=processing and contentment

Mid snort, lots of releasing for Laz during our 2 hours :)

Yuck on the toe first...we need to hit our gravel/dirt roads for some hoof conditioning now that they are unfrozen

After about 15 minutes on the ground, I hopped up to ride in my bitless bridle

The 'issues' I hoped to work on were Laz's head tossing and 'feisty behavior' I've been experiencing on our last few rides out in the pasture and out on trails.

I put it all in quotes because I'm sure it's him trying to say "HEY STUPID!!! DO this or STOP doing that!" So, it's all part of figuring it out.

What I am not happy about, it I feel I'm causing him some discomfort in his bitless by over using reins and putting to much constant pressure on. Riding a flighty  head shaking horse that wants to run may lead to that poor riding skill ;/

So Meggie had me w/t/c with him to assess what I'm doing.

Aside from being super happy that I'm riding my horse and having my Mom there to document it all (Thanks Mom!)

Sweet Laz. So so tolerant.

Sweet Mason, followed us for almost the entire 2 hours.

 We warmed up tight. No, correction, I warmed up tight. Held my reins like a beginner. She urged me to 'loosen rein' 'loosen rein' 'loosen again' until we had this below on the buckle

Lots of releasing from Laz. 

Duh, me not nagging him or over asking or over reminding him, made for a happier mount.

I forget how long his neck is. On the buckle I still have contact. It's the 'fear' of when he 'acts' up that he leaves me feeling behind. Again, see a common theme. 

It's me. Not him.

Bare tootsies

Once Meggie reminded me of position, leg, LEG, USE YOUR SEAT, loose rein, turn shoulder, chin up (you know everything one forgets when out of working lessons) Laz was a happy, bouncy trotting boy. Walked, halted, cantered from a walk or trot and never 'acted' up. She thinks I ask him something, and then I don't release it. He gets annoyed by the ask and push and hold. Who wouldn't!?? 

Then, we tried something new. Something I requested. I had previously talked to Meggie about a bit option. I know..shocked?? I am as well. My Chiro mentioned that Laz's poll seemed sore and asked about my bitless. It made me think; if I'm using it incorrectly, then sure it would probably make him sore. I wanted to explore a bit as an option to give him a change of feeling, as well as having it as an option for our training, and trail riding, etc. Options people.

"Wazz a BiT?"

 

Meggie brought the 3 different bits that are for different type of horse personalities

We tried out one, he did very well, but she thinks the less ported one is a better option. We'll try that out next lesson in May

"Meggiezz u smelsss nicccce"

This was the cradle bridle/bit we rode in for anyone interested. I was surprised how well Laz did. He hasn't had a bit in his mouth for 4 years.

Bridle is UGLY, I hate the look of it, but it did seem to function well.

 Meggie left us her C2 or C3, I can't remember...but C1 she thinks could be the winner.

Holy $$$$ for Myler bits

How nice that she loaned me her bridle/bit--um very. I'm returning it April 6 at our next clinic (more on that to come--Laz and I are doing a clinic!!!!!!!!!)

Anyone know of a similar bit/bridle by another maker that isn't an arm and a leg?!

I'd like an option but seems SO costly....maybe it's worth it? I don't know yet.

Laz in the cradle bridle/bit combo

Look who's a Western pleasure fatty boom batty pony!? WTF?!

 

But, he had great slobber, chewed it a bit, never gaped (I have video but it's on my Mom's phone so I don't know how to upload to my youtube...darn) and we rode like super super soft and seemingly well connected.

No head snaking or acting up. He acted like he had a pacifier in his mouth!

We worked on w/t/c and transitions and he was great. Meggie commented on how soft and sensitive he is.

She wants me to use (as I feel comfortable) the bitless alternating it with bitted to give him options and get him used to it. This is from a trainer who rides in both, and bridle less so I trust her skills and training.

Look at his frame in a loopy loo rein--sorry for the blurry images but these are video stills

So much snorting and nose to the ground stretching in this bitted bridle.

Crazy...I was surprised

 A tired pony who did so very well

 

I seriously love my tolerant, smart OTTB

and my loyal riding buddy, Mason

 Mason passed OUT at while I watched "Desperate Housewives" (yes, I said it) later that night

What freaking fun we had!