Thursday, March 22, 2012

How much is too much?

So I just took Charlie for a light ride yesterday (W/T/C in each direction) and he was really forward.  How much is too much?  Since he felt balanced, I'm thinking we were good.  Although, I'm trying to figure out what I did to make him so eager to go forward since he's typically more likely to suck back when I ask him to go forward.  Maybe it had to do with flatting him in my jumping saddle.

Charlie was quite good and yesterday are days I really wish we had trails.  I think that's my only complaint about my current set-up - no trails.  But since it's just about perfect in every other way, I don't really mind.  I just wanted to ride for 15 - 20 min and to get him out and about.  Because he was so willing to go forward (something I've been struggling with), I called it quits at 15 min and headed out for a walk around the property.

A view from the back of the property taken earlier this year.

I really like how much white Charlie has on his face because I think it makes him super cute but it drives me nuts that his nose is always dirty!  And it doesn't help that he's not a huge fan of getting his face washed.  

Charlie and his dirty nose eating dinner last night.
Now as you can see by the last picture, Charlie is not truly perfect - he cribs.  He doesn't destroy anything because all he really wants to do is suck air so the worst he'll do is pull a board off the fence.  And because he's a chestnut thoroughbred, he's super sensitive and has to have his cribbing collar wrapped in fleece or it rubs him.  So besides bucking me off, kicking me, and cribbing, he's almost perfect!  :-)

Oh, almost forgot!  Here's the link for our show jumping round at Pine Top.  We had one major oops! fence which was my totally my fault - missed the distance.  But I'm pretty happy with the rest.  I really need to work on keeping my reins shorter and my elbows bent...there's always something!  And here's the link to the photos from HoofClix - still debating on whether to buy one or not.  Charlie totally rocked his saddle pad from Kate at The Adventures of Lucy on cross country - you can see it in some of the pictures from HoofClix.

4 comments:

  1. If he's balanced, go with it imho. I mean, within reason. No sense galloping around a white-knuckled kid on a pony, but really. Enjoy the moment.

    Off to look at pictures now...

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    1. Well, I *think* he's balanced. :-) That's the crux of the problem - I second guess what I'm feeling. Because he's soooooo loooong, I sometimes think I'm not connecting his frame enough. I think I'm just going to go with it and hope for the best. Although, I had an old boss who used to tell me that "hope is not a strategy." Typical military saying for you!

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  2. Based on what most people say about OTTBs coming off the track... forward isn't always installed. There's a woman over at http://dixierumble.wordpress.com/ who talks a lot about this (since she retrains them after let down for resale) and she can't seem to emphasis the idea of installing the forward button FIRST and then working on everything else. Unless Charlie is running away with you or bracing against the bit, it will make everything easier having him in front of your leg!

    He's just lovely, by the way!

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    1. Thanks for the link! I'll have to add that to my list of blogs. He most definitely isn't running away with me and he doesn't really brace (he's actually pretty soft in the jaw) so I guess I was doing something right for a change. I struggle with the forward into the contact thing. If we're jumping, I typically don't have a problem. I really think it's just me because when I do things correctly, Charlie seems perfectly happy to comply. *sigh* Like I've said before, it's kind of intimidating to have such a nice horse.

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