Post by greydales on Nov 7, 2010 17:36:21 GMT -1
Well what a session 
. I got myself a pelham, and thought I had an elastic curb but didn't, so had to use the chain one. Today (being sunny and calm) I brought her in to try it out, the first time since going in the winter field she's been out away from her friends.
The moment she was through the gate Dancer started neighing and she got on her toes. She came up to the yard spooking at everything, although she wasn't too bad to tack up. She was still tense though when I took her into the school and was looking everywhere for monsters
. I walked her around for a bit and Dave was with me to help me mount. At the first attempt, Dancer started neighing again (she could hear him but couldn't see him), a horse passed by on the lane and it was all too much . She reared up, got away from me and bronced her way around the school with her leg through the curb rein , JUST what I didn't want to happen especially as it was a chain curb! Fortunately after one circuit she stopped by the fence and I managed to extricate her leg before any damage was done.
I made a second attempt to mount, this time got in the saddle but before I could take hold of my 'spooking' straps she reared again, then took off broncing again and unseated me. I knew I was beyond the point of no return but managed to hang onto her neck for a bit, slowing my departure through the air so I slid off onto my back rather than being catapulted . She is quite good though in that whenever I fall off she just stands and looks at me as if to say How did you get there?! 
I think she's getting very used to me hanging off her neck!! ;D I said to Dave I'm getting straight back on, which I did and got him to walk around with me. She was VERY explosive but I managed to stop her from doing any further broncing, and eventually I asked Dave to move away while I continued.
Happily she didn't do any more airs above the ground (although I think she wanted to) - the following vids are just to show my achievements, they are not a pretty picture! Neither of us are as relaxed as we were on the last day of the clinic, for obvious reasons!! Hence my reins are shorter than I'd like and I am using more pressure on the curb bit than I was at the clinic - it was more for self-preservation than anything else. Also my lower legs are moving far too much but that was the least of my worries lol
. She doesn't even look as tense as she felt, but believe me she was! I think she may also have been reacting to the chain as well, but as there were so many contributory factors it was hard to tell. It's actually rather a shame that Dave didn't get a vid of her throwing me off and tanking round the school, it would show you how she is at her worst!!
HOWEVER! I still think the pelham is a resounding success, I don't think I would have been able to get her head down in her snaffle a fraction of the time I did with the pelham, without a fight.
This first vid was just after I had remounted. She's not looking too bad here, considering!
Remy and pelham 1
This in trot - showing much more tension and resistance
Remy and pelham 2
Bit of walk and trot
Remy and pelham 3
Settling slighty but starting to curl up
Remy and pelham 4
A little more settled. Hopefully once she gets used to coming in she will relax a bit more and I can give her more rein - I don't want her to end up with the 'broken neck' as I can see could easily happen with her - she needs to stretch forwards and out. It's very tricky giving her too much rein though when she is in this mood, but to be honest even though she can be hugely reactive she also seems to settle fairly quickly once she is worked (at home anyway!). I'm also going to order an elastic curb, and it will be interesting to see what the difference (if any) is. But, I may have to be prudent and ride when someone is here, just in case ..
Remy and pelham 5
still she salivated nicely!! :db:
. I got myself a pelham, and thought I had an elastic curb but didn't, so had to use the chain one. Today (being sunny and calm) I brought her in to try it out, the first time since going in the winter field she's been out away from her friends.The moment she was through the gate Dancer started neighing and she got on her toes. She came up to the yard spooking at everything, although she wasn't too bad to tack up. She was still tense though when I took her into the school and was looking everywhere for monsters
. I walked her around for a bit and Dave was with me to help me mount. At the first attempt, Dancer started neighing again (she could hear him but couldn't see him), a horse passed by on the lane and it was all too much . She reared up, got away from me and bronced her way around the school with her leg through the curb rein , JUST what I didn't want to happen especially as it was a chain curb! Fortunately after one circuit she stopped by the fence and I managed to extricate her leg before any damage was done.I made a second attempt to mount, this time got in the saddle but before I could take hold of my 'spooking' straps she reared again, then took off broncing again and unseated me
. I knew I was beyond the point of no return but managed to hang onto her neck for a bit, slowing my departure through the air so I slid off onto my back rather than being catapulted . She is quite good though in that whenever I fall off she just stands and looks at me as if to say How did you get there?! I think she's getting very used to me hanging off her neck!! ;D I said to Dave I'm getting straight back on, which I did and got him to walk around with me. She was VERY explosive but I managed to stop her from doing any further broncing, and eventually I asked Dave to move away while I continued.Happily she didn't do any more airs above the ground (although I think she wanted to) - the following vids are just to show my achievements, they are not a pretty picture! Neither of us are as relaxed as we were on the last day of the clinic, for obvious reasons!! Hence my reins are shorter than I'd like and I am using more pressure on the curb bit than I was at the clinic - it was more for self-preservation than anything else. Also my lower legs are moving far too much but that was the least of my worries lol
. She doesn't even look as tense as she felt, but believe me she was! I think she may also have been reacting to the chain as well, but as there were so many contributory factors it was hard to tell. It's actually rather a shame that Dave didn't get a vid of her throwing me off and tanking round the school, it would show you how she is at her worst!! HOWEVER! I still think the pelham is a resounding success, I don't think I would have been able to get her head down in her snaffle a fraction of the time I did with the pelham, without a fight.
This first vid was just after I had remounted. She's not looking too bad here, considering!
Remy and pelham 1
This in trot - showing much more tension and resistance
Remy and pelham 2
Bit of walk and trot
Remy and pelham 3
Settling slighty but starting to curl up
Remy and pelham 4
A little more settled. Hopefully once she gets used to coming in she will relax a bit more and I can give her more rein - I don't want her to end up with the 'broken neck' as I can see could easily happen with her - she needs to stretch forwards and out. It's very tricky giving her too much rein though when she is in this mood, but to be honest even though she can be hugely reactive she also seems to settle fairly quickly once she is worked (at home anyway!). I'm also going to order an elastic curb, and it will be interesting to see what the difference (if any) is. But, I may have to be prudent and ride when someone is here, just in case ..
Remy and pelham 5
still she salivated nicely!! :db:
??
Ridgelane Duke 
Country Rose
There were a lot of contributory factors to her behaviour, mostly being away from the herd where she could hear them but not see them, then horses going by on the lane. She had not felt a chain curb, the one she had at the clinic was elastic, which I thought I had at home but didn't, as I said in my post.
