Year end summary of 2013

It's been such a long time since I updated so this is a sort of 2013 year-end summary. Summer was hot, autumn was wet. Lucie's osteoarthritis is still making her lame but I ride Fina and lead Lucie so we all go out together. We have had some enjoyable rides this autumn.



The vet came in December to do vaccinations and took another X-ray of Lucie's damaged hock to see if there's any progress. Fusion is gradually taking place but she's still lame and unrideable. So no good news there. I had taken her off the Devil's Claw to give her a break from it but now I have put her back on the supplement containing it along with Glucosamine, HA etc. (PremierFlex Plus) which she was on before; I need to help the healing process and the DC is just an anti-inflammatory and pain-killer. I'm also going to get the éthiopathe/ostéo out for a visit to check her over.

It's always interesting to observe the differences between the two mares: Lucie is constantly aware of me, and alert to anything moving within her vision. She has a very large bubble of awareness. If I am with her, she defers to me unless something is really worrying her. I believe she watches for me from the field, certainly she looks up at any movement from the house and I could almost think she sees me (movement) at the window even when they're in the bottom field which is about 250m from the house. The other day I was watching them go through the narrow opening into the bottom field. Ideally they like me to go with them (one big difference since sorting out our leadership issues is that Lucie follows behind me and no longer tries to rush past me; and Fina takes her place at the rear) but if they have to make their own way, down one field to pass through the gate into the other where the grass is, Lucie will move forwards straight and boldly, stopping occasionally to look ahead; if startled, her reaction would be to gallop through the tight space as fast as she can. Fina takes a slower, zig-zag route; if startled, her first reaction is to stop or turns aside.

The weather is still bad and the ground very wet.

The other day I did some driving from different zones with Fina, using targets and touching obstacles for purpose. I was really pleased with her willingless and responses. Fina can be cautious about trying things & needs quiet support to give her confidence; you have to take things slowly with her, she's more sensitive than she appears. She's starting to respond better to my energy & read the body language and we're getting a better connection when I'm in the saddle.

It's been a while since I videoed anything and we've made big steps, even since September when some Brittany friends were here. The back-up, the send and the circles are sorted and Fina stays out on the circle until I change direction or ask her in; I want to do more work in trot next, and eventually canter. She goes sideways, yields smoothly in all directions and all zones, with touch or rhythmic pressure. We can tick off all the "can you" in self-assessment Parelli level 1, on 12' line, and are working through the L2 challenges, moving onto the 22' line, and liberty.

After working more on the disengagement and asking for more flexion, more often, with relaxation, and more effort and response in the hind and fore yields, I'm liking the improved attitude and responsiveness ("I can do that" instead of "who, me?" or "must I?" or "maybe tomorrow"). On the ground, I now only have to look at her HQs to move them, and the FQ yields nicely too, freely without resistance. I need to work on carrying the response and connection into the saddle; I'm using disengagement more in the saddle too; but riding, I feel less connection and more resistance than on the ground so trying for more mental and physical suppleness.

I don't spend as much time as I would like playing with Fina and teaching her, and taking two horses out at once has its disadvantages and reduces the training I can do on the trail. Lucie's lameness does slow us down but I love having them out together and they both need exercise and deserve attention. I should really work on being able to take one out of the field at a time but I don't have time and energy for that right now. I leave Lucie at the tie-up where she can see us if I'm playing with Fina in the field and she stands happily and watches. Then I'll do a bit with her so she doesn't feel left out.

Once you get Fina interested, she doesn't put up blocks and pull faces like Lucie; what I teach her one day, she'll offer the next, and we always seem to move forward and build on each session. I aim to do 3 things well in each session. After Lucie, always questioning, challenging me, over-reacting and throwing her toys out of the pram, working with Fina is a real pleasure!
There are still some areas I don't feel Fina is confident about and one has been the giving of feet but recently she started giving the feet with relaxation and confidence, and I am getting the sort of softness I was looking for from her, which I get from Lucie. Partly this comes from familiarity and confidence, their reading of me as much as what and how I'm asking, but I do think that it's related to her trust in me and there are still a few blocks with that. The other area I am thinking of is her attitude to the saddle; I would like to see her touch it and be confident around it but she has a reserve there, even if we play Touch it.

When I'm playing on the ground with Fina, I love the way she learns, slowly and steadily. Looking forward to moving forward with her in 2014.