January: Lunging
I decided to take a page from SprinklerBandit’s book this month, and so we’ve mostly lunged.
hello gorgeous
Sometimes we have lunged in the daylight with color-coordinated outfits and side reins and fabulous boots. Sometimes we have lunged in the dark, with or without a headlamp. I don’t have photos of that, for obvious reasons. Photos this month were fairly lacking.
Fetti is on Previcox still. I need to get her out and moving regularly to keep her joints happy and to keep me in that routine.
There is debate about side reins and how beneficial they are. I am no training expert and certainly do not claim to know what I’m doing all the time. So I decided that I was looking to get two – no, three – things out of this experiment:
- Moving forward into the contact. I’m not always the best rider, but if I can set her up to be doing this on the longe, this will hopefully help us both to do it better once I start riding regularly again.
- Balanced canter. Fetti likes to balance off her nose and forehand rather than use her hindquarters. This is clearest in her upwards transitions, where her head launches her into the canter. I’m pretty sure that’s not how it’s supposed to work.
- Real Work / increased fitness. If this is replacing our six-mile rides, it’s important that she be putting some serious effort into it!
A blurry but reasonable-looking trot.
The side reins are on their shortest setting. They should be shorter though, I think? I’m not very good at this yet, and really no one else at the barn uses them so I can’t check in with anyone for help. I may need to buy new side reins. (Or see if the other pair I acquired goes shorter. Hmmmm.)
Side reins still loose. Super blurry photo, but you can see her nose-balancing here even within the canter.
Well this is not pretty, but for the sake of accuracy I am including it.
Zoom zoom, falling on the forehand and extended-y, side reins still flopping.
We’re going for walks around the barn too, and I’m getting on occasionally, but mostly this is what our month looked like. Lots of circles, lots of lunging. Lots of rain and mudslides. We need the rain, but I’m over it. Sigh.. spring is coming, spring is coming?
It’s been a rough month for other reasons, and my blogging mojo is still lacking. We’re still here, just quieter. Instagram is apparently the place to make sure I’m still patting pony noses regularly. Winter is always rough. Here’s hoping we get out of it soon!
If you’re wanting to teach ‘not putting head in the air’ but are happy for her to stretch down and out, I would suggest a chambon. I have used a chambon with 2 head-in-the-air arabs and it was great for teaching them to relax and stretch out and down. Another advantage is that there is no side-to-side restriction. Once they get used to doing things without their head in the air (or throwing it in transitions), if I want to teach going on a contact then I would think about side reins, which could be more suitable for that.
A chambon only applies pressure when the head is raised. It applies pressure to the bit and the poll. If you want to know more about modifications needed for a smaller equine (they only seem to be available in giant size), happy to help – been there, done that, figured what not to do the hard way!
Ooh, that’s a thought. I would like her going on a contact – but I think I need to prioritize correct movement first. It looks like we’ll be spending the next month going in more monotonous circles. Finding and ordering one to play with. I may be asking you more questions, thank you!!
Glad to help 🙂 Email or Facebook friend me if that’s easier.