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Post by Yip on Sept 24, 2015 15:26:21 GMT -5
But, I'm having other fun with Cookie.
I have given up cantering on her for now. In her sureity that her mom doesn't canter, all the asking & trying has created a couple bad habits in her. Like going into the long sides, haunches in, because she's anticipating my asking her for "something that couldn't possibly be canter because my mom doesn't canter so I'll try everything else even slightly related." We've worked hard to overcome that habit, and I'm not going there again since it was so frustrating, & she'll be used for more lessons. She's of value to the BO now, so I can't mess her up again. BO has a sense of humor though, & says it will teach students to ride, not just sit there. I really got into a wonderful barn this time.
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Post by Idaho Linda on Sept 24, 2015 17:31:27 GMT -5
Ya know, Cookie could give driving lessons and attract a whole new clientele to the barn. There are lots of people--including me--who would like to learn to drive. There would be starter lessons on putting on the harness, lessons on adjusting the harness and shafts, getting the right kind and size of wheels ground driving, and then finally driving.
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Post by ride4fun on Sept 24, 2015 23:06:31 GMT -5
Sounds like a lot of fun in your horse life right now, especially with the new addition.
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Post by TarNOLE on Sept 25, 2015 9:13:52 GMT -5
I am so grateful to owners who shared their horses as lesson horses while I was growing up. It gave me the opportunity to ride so many different horses with all of their quirks. The BO is right, Cookie's reluctance to pick up a canter will help riders learn more than they would on a pushbutton mount. In high school I had an arrangement at one barn with Tess's owner when she moved from the old lesson barn to the new but was unsure of putting Tess back in the lesson program - basically an informal free lease - so I alternated lessons on Tess and the others in the group. In turn, Tess got more work than her owner was able to give her and improved her balance and responsiveness. Definitely a win-win for us both. My instructor also allowed me 'free' time to work some of the younger lesson horses who needed more time under saddle.
Cheers, K
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Post by Yip on Sept 26, 2015 13:29:49 GMT -5
Linda, I fully agree, it's another way to use her talents. Aside form 2 minis, Cookie is the only harness horse at the stable. If I run across an e/e training cart in Cookie's size, I'll buy it. Cookie & I miss driving anyway. I'm sure she'd be elated to pull again. She was born to be a roadster pony.
ride4fun, it sure is different! It's time consuming & difficult negotiating 2 at the stable. I did it easily "at home" but my gates, etc. were much easier to handle. Camden helprd brush and rode both horses today. She counted "two" and already remembers Flickas name. I wonder what they'll think at school if she says she rode two horses, Cookie and Flicka, Cooie is yellow and Flicka is pink...lol! Her credibility will end at pink!
tarNOLE, the children love Cookie and she loves them. The thing is, she does canter whgn they ask, from walk and from working trot. When I ask from the walk, she goes forward haunches in...because "mom doesn't canter.". If trotting, she just trots faster and doesn't depart. It's nothing I'm doing or not doing, it's her preconceived notion. I'm going to let it rest and go back to it later. I can only imagine how happy you were to help keep people's horses exercised! Did your sisters ride too?
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Post by TarNOLE on Sept 28, 2015 8:48:08 GMT -5
My sisters both know how to ride, but neither pursued it the way I did. Beth was trail riding with me one day early in my working relationship with Tess and told me that she could see exactly where Tess had been because of the furrow she was making while dragging her feet. Tess was half Clydesdale and at the time heavily on the forehand. With work she became a much more balanced ride and more fun for her owner too.
Cheers, K
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