Post by yanny on Mar 14, 2015 15:21:27 GMT -1
Poor Cal, ever since I hacked him out on his own and crazy Cuba burst through the fence through fear of being alone he's not been ridden 
initially we bought him for my boyfriend James to ride but after falling off due to slippery mud he's lost his confidence on him (and Cal being over excited at first about hacking out doesn't help).
However he's been having private lessons at a riding school and has come on so much, he's gained a lot of confidence from riding on the school plodders and I suggested we hack out together today (I promised I'd get on Cal while he has his little excitable dance at first) and so it was!
At first admittedly I thought it wasn't going to happen today. It was quite windy and Cal was seriously on his toes; he was just so excited, he wouldn't stand to be tacked up, bolted off at one point and circled round and round while I put his saddle on.
After getting Cuba ready as well we led them out of the gate and I thought it'd be best if James just got on Cal first. It took about ten minutes as the cheeky little sod walked round in circles, backwards, forwards, and nipped me while I tried to hold him still!!! For a change Cuba was the sensible one; standing like a dream while the cheeky Dales danced about while his poor, nervous rider attempted to hop on!
Eventually James got on and Cal began his cheeky semi-napping (trying to spin round to run back to the field). Trying to stay calm I just shouted; "steer him this way hard and KICK!!!" And "you're the boss remember that; make him go THIS WAY!"
Luckily Cal does seem to listen to James better than me (I think it's the added weight and strength of a man on him) and he soon went forward. I got on confused Cuba and we were off. Cal was absolutely on it today. He was marching forward, head on the bit, neck arched like a stallion, looking like a medieval charger hacking down the road. I had to trot to catch up a couple of times!
Apart from one spook at a crumpled up old road sign, Cal was a dream. We went for a trot together down a bridleway and Cal even broke into canter (James hasn't even learnt to canter but he was amazed by how comfy it was; he didn't even notice it was a canter!) and we saw two deer running through a field near to us and James got Cal to walk through some puddles and lead past a couple of spooky things (Cuba had one or two "arab moments" as my instructor calls them!)
We were out hacking for nearly two hours and both horses loved it. I think James will be aching tomorrow but he loved it too. I'm so proud of Cal for being kind and well-behaved on such a long hack with a novice rider
despite his cheeky excitable ways he really is a good boy, and he got a big hug from James afterwards!
initially we bought him for my boyfriend James to ride but after falling off due to slippery mud he's lost his confidence on him (and Cal being over excited at first about hacking out doesn't help).However he's been having private lessons at a riding school and has come on so much, he's gained a lot of confidence from riding on the school plodders and I suggested we hack out together today (I promised I'd get on Cal while he has his little excitable dance at first) and so it was!
At first admittedly I thought it wasn't going to happen today. It was quite windy and Cal was seriously on his toes; he was just so excited, he wouldn't stand to be tacked up, bolted off at one point and circled round and round while I put his saddle on.
After getting Cuba ready as well we led them out of the gate and I thought it'd be best if James just got on Cal first. It took about ten minutes as the cheeky little sod walked round in circles, backwards, forwards, and nipped me while I tried to hold him still!!! For a change Cuba was the sensible one; standing like a dream while the cheeky Dales danced about while his poor, nervous rider attempted to hop on!
Eventually James got on and Cal began his cheeky semi-napping (trying to spin round to run back to the field). Trying to stay calm I just shouted; "steer him this way hard and KICK!!!" And "you're the boss remember that; make him go THIS WAY!"
Luckily Cal does seem to listen to James better than me (I think it's the added weight and strength of a man on him) and he soon went forward. I got on confused Cuba and we were off. Cal was absolutely on it today. He was marching forward, head on the bit, neck arched like a stallion, looking like a medieval charger hacking down the road. I had to trot to catch up a couple of times!
Apart from one spook at a crumpled up old road sign, Cal was a dream. We went for a trot together down a bridleway and Cal even broke into canter (James hasn't even learnt to canter but he was amazed by how comfy it was; he didn't even notice it was a canter!) and we saw two deer running through a field near to us and James got Cal to walk through some puddles and lead past a couple of spooky things (Cuba had one or two "arab moments" as my instructor calls them!)
We were out hacking for nearly two hours and both horses loved it. I think James will be aching tomorrow but he loved it too. I'm so proud of Cal for being kind and well-behaved on such a long hack with a novice rider
despite his cheeky excitable ways he really is a good boy, and he got a big hug from James afterwards! 
It's never easy when you've had a confidence blip but I expect you were the most nervous, hoping all would go well. Great that he had his first canter and enjoyed it. Hopefully he will continue to build on it.
best of all ~ the smile 
not so hard to handle
