Riding – Page 23 – Virtual Brush Box

Pondering Wrist Position

A common riding admonition is to keep a straight line from elbow to bit. Okay. What is straight? If I look down at my hands while riding, A is the one that appears straight. B feels straight. The answer, at least for saddle seat, is C. (A if driving.) When I combine this wrist positionContinue reading “Pondering Wrist Position”

Pics Or It Didn’t Happen

I’m not ready to go public with video. Instead, as proof of concept, here is a still from one of them. Rodney and I have been doing short, quiet, walk sessions on a semi-regular basis. Yay! Rodney is wearing a synthetic schooling bridle because leather upsets him [Here We Stand]. Go figure. He’s wearing neonContinue reading “Pics Or It Didn’t Happen”

Clean Cups!

Part 1 of 3 “`I want a clean cup,’ interrupted the Hatter: `let’s all move one place on.’” Alice in Wonderland Milton is a different horse. Changing his feed has finally addressed the what-the-hell factor that has plagued us since the beginning. To quote Buffy Bourbon [again Patterns], emphasis mine: “My best guess for MiltonContinue reading “Clean Cups!”

Meanwhile Back at the Ranch, March 26, 2015

Milton Little to no attempt at progress during the week. Delays on weekend travel. Gloom. Rodney Warmer weather, consistent work, new stretching regimen -> walking like a champ. Cautious optimism.

Leg Lesson Repercussions

Practice two-point! Ride without stirrups! Sit the trot! Build balance and leg strength! Awesome exercises! Maybe not. Last week, I joined the group lesson for suit-level equitation riders. All the fancy riders were mounted on amenable lessons horses such as Freckles, Bingo, & Fido instead of their own enthusiastic equines. I rode Natalie. She enjoyedContinue reading “Leg Lesson Repercussions”

Spring Forward!

Milton is mobile! We went to Stepping Stone on Sunday! Test run of horse, truck, and trailer! Success! There and back again! Milton thinks the peacock is darn weird! Milton has a point! Rodney got ridden! Twice over the weekend! A handful of minutes at a walk! The ring was in a different place! HeContinue reading “Spring Forward!”

Bits From Hell

Saddle seat bits give me the creeping horrors. Performance horses show in standard double bridles. The length of the shanks on the curb bits are midway between dressage and western, putting them midway between the two in severity. The bits on the work bridles for suit (performance) horses and on the everyday bridles for lessonContinue reading “Bits From Hell”