School Pony

Very good news: Fuego's got kids! Not horse kids, but student kids. One of them he's had for a while. She's super capable, and it took a moment, but they've clicked well. She hasn't been out to the barn in a few weeks, but in that time, he's also picked up another less experienced kid. I've watched them go a few times, and, y'all, this horse is an absolute saint. I'm hoping with some more time and work, he can consistently be used in up downer lessons. It gives him the chance to get out of the stall and get moving.

Haven't recorded my hacks lately, so here are some photos from a Chase Me Charlie that we did a while ago

The only downside to this is that he's gone full school pony. Y'all ever thought this horse would be a stick & spur ride? Yeah, me neither . . . I think once I've got a saddle that fits him properly, we'll need a couple Dressage lessons to address how behind the leg he is. I think it'll also help to install new buttons for both of us. I'm notoriously bad about not having great control over the shoulders. He's a good boy, and some days are better than others, but whenever he's not feeling it, or if he's spent a lot of time in "school pony" mode, it can be hard to get the right reaction.

I did make a slight change in our last hack. We haven't done extensions for a while, so I put them back into our warm-up. He always feels more forward in the Dressage ring. Maybe it's just my perception since the rings are massively different in size (the jumping ring is 2-3x larger). It's much easier to get him moving out, but then I don't feel that he sits up nearly as much. He opened up his working trot way more once we had the extensions, and the extensions felt pretty good considering, well, him.

The canter was meh. This is where I'm struggling with him the most and where I think having a kid sends mixed messages. The transition is kind of non-existent. It's been that way for a while now. I haven't put a crazy amount of work into fixing it, but even when I've done our tried and true exercises, he still resorts to a fast trot for several strides before actually cantering. He does the same thing with the kid, too, for obvious reasons. This is where I think I could benefit from installing more buttons on myself. We all know my balance through transitions isn't the best, but if he's already got something else working against him, it's up to me to get it together and be where he needs me. Additionally, there's also the aspect of not wanting to confuse him. This horse is smart. Too smart. He's got a great memory, and that is what has both benefited us and worked against us. He's doing what he thinks he should be doing based on what another rider is telling him. It's likely confusing when I show up and change things. Plus, when I get more assertive with my cue, he's legitimately taken aback and picks up an awful, hollow canter that takes an effort to put together.

I know most people would read this and think that the horse is just being "lazy," and maybe if he were a different animal, I'd point to his work ethic. But, hear me out on this one. Fuego is weird, and the only option that there has even been with him is to adapt to his weirdness. The trot was great. I decided to try a little bit of half halt before our leg yields, and it made a world of difference in his sensitivity. It's so so so nice when he's right there with me . . . probably why the canter thing is so frustrating right now haha. It's just another thing for us to work through.

Looking for a reason to give a fuck