Post by Melanie on Feb 25, 2005 12:54:27 GMT -5
***I will also be training Westy here by myself. He's my horse.
Training Session #1
I lead my new bay stallion out to the indoor and mount him. We start off at a brisk walk and after five minutes I ask for a trot. We do circles and figure eights and then I pop him over the little crossrail. He jumps it with ease. We do it a couple more times and then I take him over the vertical. He does that easily also. I ask him to walk and give him a break. I then ask him to canter and we do the crossrail and then the vertical. After that I canter him on the rail and do circles and figure eights. I slow him to a walk and study the course. The jumps are 4' - 5' and I knew he could jump those easily so I raised one jump to the height of 5'6. That would give him a little challenge. I get back on him and then start off at a canter. We head to the first jump smoothly. It was just a 4' vertical with fancy flowers. He jumped it like it was nothing. We head to the second jump, a brick wall and he hits it perfectly. We're sailing through the air and already thinking about the next jump. It's a brightly colored oxer, about 5'2. We get the strides down and he takes off for it perfectly. We finish the course in the same way and then I walk him out. I trotted him down to the cross country course. It was a beautiful day.
The cross country course that I wanted to do had fifteen jumps. They all were about 5'. We head towards the first jump and he takes it a little long and strains a little. He makes it and I help him towards the next jump. He takes it better and then were off towards the third. It's a hedge jump. He looks at it, but jumps it willingly and I know we will have to work on hedges. We take the next jump, a picnic table, and then he jumps the jump into the water. Ten jumps to go. He runs through the water easily and propels himself into the air over the rail. We land into the water again and then have to jump another rail to get out of it. He jumps it easily and then were off again. He's not sweating so I let him extend into a full gallop. We fly along the path and then see the next jump come into view. I slow him down to a collected canter and we get the right strides to take the jump. He does, and then we finish the course in an awesome time. He's sweating a little at the end and his breathing is a little hard but he did a great job. I cool him out for twenty minutes on the trail and then walk him back to the barn. I dismount and lead him in.
I take him to the crossties and exchange his bridle for a halter. I take off the rest of his tack and put it away in the tack room. I brush my stallion until he gleams and then pick out his feet. I put hoof oil on them and then I comb out his mane and tail til there are no more knots. Then I put his shoulder guard on and then his fleece and then his medium turnout. I feed him his grain first and then lead him out to his pasture. He'll have fun outside today. I open the gate and lead him through. I unclip his halter and he bucks and gallops away. I make sure he has plenty of water and hay and then walkback to the barn. I just have to put shavings in his new stall. I put five bags into it and then I fill his water buckets up with warm water. I organize everything on his door and side of the stall and then head out. I'll bring him in later.
Training Session #1
I lead my new bay stallion out to the indoor and mount him. We start off at a brisk walk and after five minutes I ask for a trot. We do circles and figure eights and then I pop him over the little crossrail. He jumps it with ease. We do it a couple more times and then I take him over the vertical. He does that easily also. I ask him to walk and give him a break. I then ask him to canter and we do the crossrail and then the vertical. After that I canter him on the rail and do circles and figure eights. I slow him to a walk and study the course. The jumps are 4' - 5' and I knew he could jump those easily so I raised one jump to the height of 5'6. That would give him a little challenge. I get back on him and then start off at a canter. We head to the first jump smoothly. It was just a 4' vertical with fancy flowers. He jumped it like it was nothing. We head to the second jump, a brick wall and he hits it perfectly. We're sailing through the air and already thinking about the next jump. It's a brightly colored oxer, about 5'2. We get the strides down and he takes off for it perfectly. We finish the course in the same way and then I walk him out. I trotted him down to the cross country course. It was a beautiful day.
The cross country course that I wanted to do had fifteen jumps. They all were about 5'. We head towards the first jump and he takes it a little long and strains a little. He makes it and I help him towards the next jump. He takes it better and then were off towards the third. It's a hedge jump. He looks at it, but jumps it willingly and I know we will have to work on hedges. We take the next jump, a picnic table, and then he jumps the jump into the water. Ten jumps to go. He runs through the water easily and propels himself into the air over the rail. We land into the water again and then have to jump another rail to get out of it. He jumps it easily and then were off again. He's not sweating so I let him extend into a full gallop. We fly along the path and then see the next jump come into view. I slow him down to a collected canter and we get the right strides to take the jump. He does, and then we finish the course in an awesome time. He's sweating a little at the end and his breathing is a little hard but he did a great job. I cool him out for twenty minutes on the trail and then walk him back to the barn. I dismount and lead him in.
I take him to the crossties and exchange his bridle for a halter. I take off the rest of his tack and put it away in the tack room. I brush my stallion until he gleams and then pick out his feet. I put hoof oil on them and then I comb out his mane and tail til there are no more knots. Then I put his shoulder guard on and then his fleece and then his medium turnout. I feed him his grain first and then lead him out to his pasture. He'll have fun outside today. I open the gate and lead him through. I unclip his halter and he bucks and gallops away. I make sure he has plenty of water and hay and then walkback to the barn. I just have to put shavings in his new stall. I put five bags into it and then I fill his water buckets up with warm water. I organize everything on his door and side of the stall and then head out. I'll bring him in later.