Puzzling Pony

As advised, I gave Quadi a spin on the lunge in the Pessoa.

He was most willing today and first off I warmed him up on both reins without any attachments. As I predicted and as ever I guess, he tried to bend to the outside and was loading the inside shoulder. i didn't want to interfere too much before he was warmed up but I did take a feel in the lunge line every time he looked to the outside, coupled with using the handle-end of the whip pressed where my leg would be if I were riding. So I had to be quite close to him, and work as hard as he was on co-ordination! His carriage was nice though.

Then I hooked him in to the ropes and pulleys. I had it on the baby settings and left the reins pretty loose, but did have the inside rein shorter. So it didn't really come into play unless he threw his head up or to the outside. He did back off of it and was curling behind, but not vastly and it wasn't holding him tight like this.

On the left rein he was managing to curl behind in order that he could also bend out, yet he was light and uphill and responsive. The evasion was harder to correct in walk but more noticeable in trot. On the right he was also as light and contained and despite this being his weaker rein he didn't try to bend out so much.

When he bent to the inside in trot I praised immediately and asked him back to walk. So we had lots of transitions which really worked well, plus I didn't want to push him into maintaining the bend. On a couple of occasions on the right rein he needed a couple of revolutions to balance into walk. Once again I did have to correct the bend with rein plus a feel of the whip handle on his side, but he responded well to this. I paid close attention to his back and hind end, he was trying hard to work up into his back, which is good because I know he can reach well under himself even with a hollow back.

Strides were even and rhythmical, transitions were uphill, no really bum moments...he never seemed sour or sore. I didn't ask him to canter, I'll do that tomorrow maybe, I didn't want to spoil what we'd done. I felt he looked better than when he started, his back was more level and he looked 'engaged'.

I'll set up the pony pole physio gym tomorrow, and use the Pessoa again. It occurred to me as I was working him today that Perry had shown me flexion and in-hand work to do with him. I really ought to do that before every session (naughty me for letting that lapse), and I guess we'll have to do some form of pony pilates (pole work or carrot stretches) every day. I will get at least one more ride in this week and see if I get the same reaction. I also really need to investigate two-rein lunging!

Puzzled! He's such a tricky horse, poor chap is stuck with bumbling me *lol*

I'm not as sore as I thought I would be today, but a hot bath is on the cards tonight. It's really pleasing to see our very lovely winter hay all neatly stored :)