Lesson 15 - Thursday October 13 2011

We were learning to yield the hind end at a walk.

The hour was spent on one side, next time I am up will have to do the other side. Walk forward in a straight line and press our leg just behind the cinch for a count of 2. If he didn't move hind end then would pull the rein and get him to yield his hind until his hips moved over. Then walk back in the same direction you were going and start over.

He finally did a good one near the end of the hour and ended on that. Hope to do the left side tomorrow. Good thing I had the elastics on or the foot would have fallen out of the stirrups for sure. The elastics did stretch a lot, almost losing them.

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Comment by Coopersmom_1958 on October 23, 2011 at 4:37pm: I didn't get out to see Cooper on Thursday night, I was wiped out and not feeling well. Was off work Thursday & Friday feeling a little under the weather. We went to see Cooper on Saturday, I am glad we did, he is such good therapy.

We practiced all kinds of things from the last few lessons, maybe that is confusing him? He was speedy and would not slow down no matter what I was trying. We did circles in the corners, left circles, posting trot on the long side and sit jog on short, whoa and back up, did the zig-zagging exercise across the arena and also the serpentine exercise. We were in the arena for at least an hour and a half but he was taking forever to slow the jog down. I finally did get a little slower and we ended for the evening. He was pulling on the reins and I didn't have them very tight, I was trying to remember to loosen.

Headed home, we were coming back the next morning for lesson 16.

Comment by Coopersmom_1958 on October 19, 2011 at 10:04am: I got to leave early to do a bank deposit for work again today so was at the barn around 5:30 p.m. Cooper was in a dry paddock so it was nice not to have to wash mud from his legs. I let him loose in the indoor arena with the ball again but today he wasn't interested in it. He was acting up a little as other horses were in getting their grain and he wanted his too. I tacked him up and rode in the rope hackamore. At first he tested me, trying to do his own stuff, go his own way. But once he figured out I wasn't going to let him do that stuff he listened. We did all kinds of things. Practiced lesson 15 to give his hind end, not much movement there. Everything worked exactly as if I had a bit in his mouth, he was very good. We did square corners, some jog and whoa, shoulders over. We even did the shoulders over at a trot and he went diagonally across the arena, which my husband did not get much video of. There was a little piece where you can see some of it, I will put that together soon and post another Cooper video.

I am a little disappointed with the PC SMB boots that I have, one front boot strap has started to fall apart already. I purchased them a year ago but have only started using them consistently in the last 6 months. I emailed them 2 days before the expiry date so hopefully they honor the 1 year warranty.

Our Thursday lesson this week is moved to Sunday at 10 a.m. Oh Boy!! I am not a morning person, especially on Sundays!! Going to have to leave the house just after 7 to be there for around 7:45 a.m. as it takes me an hour at least to groom and tack up. I am not sure yet if I will be going this Thursday to practice or wait until Saturday.

Comment by Coopersmom_1958 on October 16, 2011 at 11:53pm: I didn't go see Cooper on Saturday as I had a headache and tummy troubles all day. I went for an eye exam on Friday and she put the stuff in that makes the pupils go big. I had to drive myself home as I couldn't get anyone to go with me and got a big headache from it. I wore sunglasses and a hat and had to look out of the corner of my eye to drive, good thing it wasn't that far to go to get home.

We went to see Cooper on Sunday and spent a few hours with him. I spent a long time grooming and tacked up and went in the indoor arena to do some ground work. We put the ball out in the arena and Cooper was very excited to play with it. I took him off the lead rope and he went right after the ball. I had never seen him so happy with it, bucking, kicking at it, running it around the arena. When I get a chance I will be posting it for everyone to see.

I practiced Lesson 15 exercise on the left side today and he finally gave me a yield without having to pull him around after about 40 minutes. We walked off after that and did some shoulder movement which he did very well.

Comment by Jackie Cochran on October 14, 2011 at 2:20pm: He may surprise you and do the other side quicker. Horses do seem to think things over between lessons, and since your teacher had you do only one side your horse can concentrate on thinking about just one thing.

Too bad you can't put a strip of velcro on the foot-bed of the stirrup and another strip on the sole of your boot.