After much study and having endured the trials of civil service testing, I managed to make it out to the stables late last Saturday and get a little riding in. Since I'd started Max back on his glucousimine supplement (I use Hylasport), he seems to have gotten better and he didn't give me any problems about trotting or cantering.
We didn't really do a lot and the ride went well. We practiced some release exercises which are intended as a means of getting and holding the horse's attention. I also practiced some walk/canter transitions. We still have a ways to go on those but it's a start.
Sunday saw us taking a group lesson instead of the usual one-on-one lesson and it was an interesting change due to a scheduling snafu. I was with four other horses in the arena and it was a good test of Max's ability to pay attention, in spite of all the other horses and potential distractions. Although Max was a but more keyed up (to be expected around other horses), he actually settled down and got down to business. He even cantered with the rest of the horses (there were a couple of Friesians and boy, does the earth MOVE when they canter! Talk about your thundering hooves!).
I had to check him periodically in order to keep a horse length interval betweeen myself and the horse in front of me but overall, it was a good experience for Max.
We didn't really do a lot and the ride went well. We practiced some release exercises which are intended as a means of getting and holding the horse's attention. I also practiced some walk/canter transitions. We still have a ways to go on those but it's a start.
Sunday saw us taking a group lesson instead of the usual one-on-one lesson and it was an interesting change due to a scheduling snafu. I was with four other horses in the arena and it was a good test of Max's ability to pay attention, in spite of all the other horses and potential distractions. Although Max was a but more keyed up (to be expected around other horses), he actually settled down and got down to business. He even cantered with the rest of the horses (there were a couple of Friesians and boy, does the earth MOVE when they canter! Talk about your thundering hooves!).
I had to check him periodically in order to keep a horse length interval betweeen myself and the horse in front of me but overall, it was a good experience for Max.
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