It's been about a week since I asked Theo to really collect and he's a much happier pony. He's working on his transitions, jumping small jumps, and going out for nice walks when the deer flies allow it. He's very content with all of this and has been a total cuddlebug.
Post ride and grooming content face
I'm also riding in a hackamore for about half my rides. It's a great change of pace and making me really focus on what my legs and seat are doing.
Ready to go out and try to outrun the deer flies
My hope is that if we practice doing transitions within gaits with the hackamore, I'll finally figure out just what my seat is supposed to be doing and I'll be able to go from medium to collected correctly. You know, without the bracing and falling on his shoulders and losing all impulsion. I'm getting glimpses that I'm figuring it out. He'll start to lift his shoulders and fill out his neck if I get it right. The hackamore gives me just about zero finesse with the hand and very little say on what he's doing with the front end so it's all seat and legs. It's good for me. Theo seems to appreciate the change of pace.
The biggest update from our week of easy work? I love love love his new boots from Ready to Ride. I had to wait a long time for them since they were a pre-order from New Zealand but totally worth it.
Rhinestones!!!
They fit well and are certainly eye catching. The fuzzy lining was approved by Theo and he didn't try to kick them off even once. The full size fit him just fine. They're not velcro, they're the jumper style tab closures so less adjustable. Theo's on the last hole right now and he's not huge so if your horse has massive canons, they may be too tight. The color is perfect on him, I'm completely in love. For the price, I'm not concerned with longevity very much (I think they were $67 for the set). Theo wears boots for a reason and they'll accumulate strikes quickly. As a set I got for fun and to make some people twitch? They are a solid win and I recommend them.
The saddle pad I got to match is nothing to write home about. Compared to my PS of Sweden collection, it's pretty meh. I'm concerned about how it will hold up in the wash and the embroidery of the logo is huge. No fancy wicking materials going on here, just a plain thin pad. The straps going to the D rings is a nice touch but the velcro was wide and getting it through the rings the first time was a total pain. It goes with the boots and it was cheap, I'll use it up. Or I'll donate it to the school, the kids will love it.
The saddle pad I got to match is nothing to write home about. Compared to my PS of Sweden collection, it's pretty meh. I'm concerned about how it will hold up in the wash and the embroidery of the logo is huge. No fancy wicking materials going on here, just a plain thin pad. The straps going to the D rings is a nice touch but the velcro was wide and getting it through the rings the first time was a total pain. It goes with the boots and it was cheap, I'll use it up. Or I'll donate it to the school, the kids will love it.
Vet appointment is Wednesday afternoon. I think Theo will be sticking with this plan of long low work and little jumps in the hackamore until I hear just what is up with him. He's happy with it, we're maintaining fitness, and it gets me my pony fix. Everyone wins.
Keeping my fingers, toes, and eyes crossed for the vet appointment on Wednesday! Until then, it seems like Theo is getting to do exactly what he wants to do ;-)
ReplyDeletehonestly most days the hackamore is my favorite of our bridle collection ;) sounds like theo is enjoying it too!
ReplyDeleteI'm oogling at the boots (and the price)
ReplyDeleteYeah if he strikes/hits then I'd be worried about longevity too. I prefer the hard plastic of the eskadrons though they aren't very pretty for horses that actually interfere.
ReplyDelete