Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Sarah and Max

First Junior and I had a very good ride yesterday. I took the curb chain off completely and hung it in my tack box. We rode during a lesson so the poles were being used and we didn't get much work over them, but we trotted a bunch, working on rhythm and trying to remember all the things Monet told us. It was hard work. I was fatigued much sooner than I had been on previous rides and Junior was much sweatier that usual. It was hot yesterday anyway and he was actually a little sweaty on his neck from turnout before we started. I didn't get any sweat out of the croup, but I did get it out of the shoulders so we're not doing too badly. Money explained that the sweat areas indicate which areas of the horse are working most and which we would like to see. She clarified that we don't need to always work a horse to a full sweat, but that sweat in the right places means the body is moving how we want it to.

He is doing what I ask him and I am really encouraged by that. It's hard work but he does it. He's such a good boy!

Below is a video with three clips from Sunday's Dressage clinic with Monet. First, Sarah riding Max at the start of the lesson. He has been so unwilling to go forward that Monet started jogging with him and using a lunge whip. Next is the end of Monet's ride, and finally, the last bit of the lesson with Sarah riding.

Please ignore the commentary from the peanut gallery. I was going to delete the sound but I wanted Monet's comments to be there. It was such a change in him. Chloe rode him last night and it was great to see that he's still doing the good work!

3 comments:

  1. Interesting. I had never heard anyone talk about sweat patterns before. Was Max first trained as a western horse?

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  2. He was a halter baby and the girls bought him from a woman who rode him on trails and did only walk trot. They spent two years (like me) with an AQHA trainer so that's kind of like western but they rode him hunter under saddle. He was injured last October and he's had a slow recovery with a lot of stiffness and unwillingness to go forward which was difficult to diagnose as weakness vs. pain vs. poor attitude vs. anticipation of no-longer-existant pain.

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  3. I love how Monet is running around the arena with her!! My instructor used to make me cut the arena in half...

    What a huge difference there was in Max from beginning to end! He's definitely more engaged and they look much happier. :)

    I've never heard anything about sweat patterns before either... it's very interesting, though, and makes sense. I'm going to have to look into a bit more because Lilly only sweats on her shoulders and never on her hind end...

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