The Daffy Diaries

I hate this weather!!!

Ok, Daffy really feels well when it's cold and not so damp, but how are you supposed to do anything with all the snow/ice? We're so lucky to be on a yard where he can go out everyday - at least I know he's getting a leg stretch. I find myself completely dependent on the school now - we spent two years without a school to speak of, just hacking at weekends. I suppose the difference is that the regular little bits of work weren't quite so important then.

I managed to get a couple of photos on Saturday, think he's looking well!

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Spent half of yesterday up at Bishop Burton with the SJ team - the new arena is stunning! I'm 99% decided that we'll be going to camp there in summer (all the usual caveats - money, transport and soundness!), can't wait to ride in it!

In the mean time we've entered P10 and P14 on the 15th - that is going to be interesting! If I can get to the yard tonight I need to try and get his mane sort of clean, it feels really greasy, then plait it onto the right side.

We don't have a school! Well we do, just can't use it as it's being resurfaced.

Bit of a bummer when we have a few events lined up;

15th Feb - dressage (P10 and P14 possibly)
22nd Feb - dressage (Intro A, P1 and P10)
21st March - team dressage (P14)
13th April - gymkana wars!

None the less, they were never going to be boring whether I'd schooled him or not! We may not make it, will have to see how it all goes.

I had to buy some new knee boots yesterday (at £70! Ouch!) as his original Jeffries ones are in for repair (took 3 weeks last time) and the cheap spare pair, which were rubbish anyway, broke on Sunday. Every horse owner has a few things they're obsessed with, and knee boots for hacking became one of mine last year. At least this means I can continue doing things with him - work is pretty quiet and therefore flexible at the moment, so no problem starting late or finishing early to get some daylight.

We have physio tonight, obviously had to cancel the lesson, but I could do with a bit of a pep talk, and Amanda is the best person I know for that when it comes to Daffy!

Managed to ride today and yesterday - I wouldn't have said he was as good as he has been this winter, but they weren't bad days either.

I'm getting some nice trot work, although tonight he was really weighting the inside shoulder. He also started trying to snatch the reins from my hands when being allowed to stretch forward. I don't think he's ready to start working up yet, the lower work isn't consistant by any means, but I need to make sure I'm not working him onto his forehand and stop him from leaning. We're also just starting to think about shoulder in (or out, to make use of his counter flexing evasion) in trot, just a couple of strides at a time. He finds that much easier to bring his shoulders left, because he's not then having to engage his stiffer hind leg, so going to focus on getting the reliabilty on the left rein first.

The main reason for blogging tonight - when doing a search for Daffy's family, which I like to do regularly incase the internet has been updated, I came across some videos I thought I'd lost on an old computer. These are from 2005, just after his tack was stolen, and that was his first time in the double jointed pelham. It was 2006 when he really started evading the pelham, and October 2006 when the physio started to correct his neck/pelvis.

http://www.myguitarplayertv.com/Clip.aspx?key=AA0DEBBE27D42409

 http://www.myguitarplayertv.com/Clip.aspx?key=CC3AAA6CCE593099

http://www.myguitarplayertv.com/Clip.aspx?key=97F236E55A98D828

http://www.myguitarplayertv.com/Clip.aspx?key=542B8AAF41B6E487

http://www.myguitarplayertv.com/Clip.aspx?key=457053A8D7F81AD2

http://www.myguitarplayertv.com/Clip.aspx?key=D096873FD4A74F79

Check out the (really bad) lengthened trot! Ok the riding is dreadful and he isn't exactly soft or balanced in his way of going, but I know how easily I could fix it if that was what I had to work with at the moment. As it is, I'm not sure I'll ever see such paces from him again, I live in hope that he could return to that level of soundness!

Busy busy busy!

We went out in the trailer with Sarah and Billy on the 6th, off for a group ride with the Calderdale Saddle Club. Both boys loaded well (Billy is used to travelling alone, and Daffy isn't used to an Ifor W. trailer!) and we all had a fantastic time! Daffy was extremely well behaved, which boosted my confidence with cantering him in company, and now one of my new year resolutions is to go hunting next season. Huge thankyou to Sarah for taking us, hope we get to do more of the same soon!

The bad part of that day, was Daffy's chest flared up, it looked really red and raw. Had the vet out, who said fungal infection, shampoo every 3 days. The lumps went very quickly, but it's still flaky, and there is some hairloss, some has grown back, black of course, so he looks a bit weird. Fingers crossed it's going - I ended up buying a new turnout (so his other rugs can be washed without him freezing), two anti rub bibs and some potions from Eqyss, totalling £120! Horses eh?

In terms of his soundness, we're still having good and bad days. He's now on CortaVet instead of CortaFlex, on the low maintenance dose. I've asked YO to double the dose (to maintenance level) when it's been raining, as I'm beginning to realise that the bad days relate directly to when it's wet.

We've had two lessons recently, the first was videoed, and I posted the videos on a forum for critique. After some useful comments (including up the stirrups a hole, check the position of his saddle, and he needs driving forward more) there were some comments made about Daffy's soundness (it wasn't a particularly good day, in hindsight) and the thread ended up being removed.

The second lesson was on a good day, and we were on our own in the school. Daffy was already much more forward, but we got some absolutely fantastic trot work out of him - next time we can have a lesson in day light, we'll try to catch that sort of work on camera. It was stretchy, babyish, but really what he needs right now. He wasn't particularly stiff that day, and asking him to go from working trot (5 on the scale) to 4.5 and 5.5 really helped to wake him up.

We're aiming for our first competition of the year on the 22nd Feb - Intro A, P1 and P10. We aren't cantering at the moment, and just want to test the water, so I'm not sure how it's going to go, but should be fun none the less.

Happy New Year!

I'm posting this simply to put down a few musings so I don't forget them before I ride again.

To soften the jaw; gentle asks with alternate hands in time with the respective foreleg leaving the floor. Timing is important because the "ask" is a request for Daffy to soften his jaw AND lighten in front, and the shoulders cannot be influenced when their feet are on the floor.

Improving the canter - currently Daffy's canter is rushed because he is on his forehand, he is falling in through the inside shoulder, and his hind end is not engaged. I need to slow the canter first and foremost, engage the hind end and then lift the shoulders, all of which should correct the falling in. To slow the canter - use of the core muscles to control my pelvic circles during canter; if I go slow and deliberate Daffy will hopefully pay attention. In conjunction with this, half halts with the outside rein and seat as the outside foreleg leaves the floor, which should also lift his shoulders. Using my inside calf as his inside leg leaves the floor will help to engage his back end. I need to sit tall and straight to stop him falling in.

A lot to remember when I'm up there, but I hope to get a chance to try this on Saturday. He is having tomorrow off as I think he's a bit tired from a lot of work recently.

So another year almost gone, and here's looking forward to a good 2009!

Things have improved in leaps and bounds since my last post, literally at one point. We managed to get our lesson in with Amanda, and we decided that because he is looking and generally feeling a lot better, we'd see about some real work. Daffy wasn't too impressed at being told to go forward with my spurs and self preservation kicked in with the canter work so we stopped after two circles on each rein, but we got some very nice trot work.

On the whole he's been a lot better to work since that lesson, I've not needed to take such a "move or die" approach since. I'm starting to build together a toolkit of exercises to work on, see http://www.enlightenedequitation.com/ee/boards/index.php/topic,32656.0.html and I have another lesson tomorrow.

We've been on two really long hacks (well, 2-2.5hours), last weekend and today, as well as lots of shorter ones. I've been on the lookout for different places to go, and Daffy has been enjoying himself. I realised that him being out in the field before being worked makes such a difference, so we're doing our best to arrange that now. A friend we rode out with today said how bright and happy he looks - she's known him since January and thinks he's looking the best he has all year.

I agree, but Dad reckons he looks like an RSPCA advert with his ribs showing! The show photos are from November, and the others are from Christmas day when they all came to see him. He's had some protein lumps and an allergic reaction on his chest, but those seem to have pretty much gone now he's on some different haylage.

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So I spent the week before last mostly longreining. He continued to stay reasonably forward, but the sessions were short, and perhaps not enough, as he has definate hollows behind his shoulders now, not caused by the saddle, he's just dropped off, and he's not carrying excess weight to give the illusion of muscle.

Had the saddle fitter out yesterday, and it was a whole size too wide - thank god I bought an adjustable saddle! Some alterations to both the tree and the flocking, and we're good again. Whether or not he'll regain that muscle is debateable, but I have a new drive to work him.

The weekend of the 29th/30th, we went out for a group hack on the Saturday. It was foggy, so we went up the hill, and he was a little slow to begin with, but then got more forward, and we spent a fairly large amount of time jogging up on the track around the playing fields. Due to it being all wet, we didn't risk a canter, or even a trot up there, but had a couple on the roads, so it's good to know I can do a little without him going lame if I ever need to. Trying to keep it to a minimum now though.

Last week I was off work, and the weather was awful! Typical, and to top it off I had a cold. We spent a fair amount of time in the school in the longlines/inhand, but as it was icy (solid and slippy) we couldn't do much.

He got new shoes on, on Thursday. Farrier is happy with his progress, but agrees that he is quite stiff in his left hind when asked to bring it forward. I'm going to have the vet look at him again this month, worth keeping an eye on even if we don't do anything about it.

Amanda couldn't come for our lesson, she was snowed in! We went for another group hack at the weekend, and that was nice. I'm going to try and make it a regular thing, as once he got going he was fab.

I decided yesterday that if it was too hard in the school to push him on, I would use the double bridle and collect him up. Waste of time really - he just resists it completely, so we're sticking with the snaffle. He's drifting, a lot - I'm constantly on the outside rein with him, but he will at least trot (not bad, just heavy on his forehand, but forward enough), and attempt a few strides of canter. Leg yield on the left rein is really getting good, and his shoulder in on that rein isn't bad now either, better if done as counter shoulder in on the right rein.

Going to text Amanda and see about getting that lesson in before Christmas, and maybe one a week for now, if I can afford it, I'm feeling a little bit lost with him at the moment. The show in February is looking less likely - just not sure I can improve him that much in less than two months. Regardless, he's being clipped again on Wednesday, promise I'll get photos!

It worked - Daffy is now more forward in the school. Still not right, but a significant improvement. He's also a bit easier to push on out hacking, although still stopping regularly.

I rode on Monday, then lunged with two reins on Tuesday and longreined Thursday and Friday. He's actually moving forward now, could really do with some more cones to add a bit of focus though. On Friday he was just starting to work rounder rather than stretching out or down, but I'll keep the lines low for now. Just working in walk, I think I would have my work cut out trotting him.

Yesterday we went out for a bit of a hack - he was tripping over things quite a bit going down the hill, but then when we got back I noticed hollows behind his shoulders again, which filled in after about 5 minutes, so I'm going to get his saddle looked at. Suspect it may want some flocking putting in at the front, I can tip it forward from the ground with a hand on the pommel if it isn't girthed; perhaps it crept forward with the hill being so steep.

Daffy wanted to go into the school today, so we did. It was the longest session we've had in a while, started with lateral flexions, then some circles, a bit of leg yield, then some trot. Tried a little canter but a novice rider was using the other end of the school for the lesson and I didn't want to run him down the outside and interrupt, so we more or less left it. Then we did lots of transitions, he was sharper off the leg afterwards, even though I was then asking for really slow walk and trot. I think I will get the wip wop out for our next schooling session, he responds better to it than a whip.

As is a recurring theme lately, Daffy didn't want to go back into the barn. Eventually he relented, but I refilled my pockets and took him back out in the headcollar/line to have a play. His leg yield on the left rein was better than the right today, as is his opening of the right shoulder. We have a lesson/physio a week on Thursday and he will be checked over, but I suspect he might have shifted his over-compensating again.

Horses!

So... showing.

Decided to go for it on Tuesday, cue fantic buying of new show jodhpurs (must give Dad his belt back, they kept falling down) and lots of "oh god look how muddy he is, fingers crossed he's not this bad on Saturday" etc. Plus lots more on do we or don't we go hors concours? and what class do I put him in?, bearing in mind we were eligible for 3 M&M ridden classes.

After getting slightly lost on the way there, we started with M&M large breeds inhand, because we were early (or rather, they were about two hours behind what I expected) which was quite useful as he's not been in an indoor for years. Came last, judge said before we did our individual that he was more of a ridden pony for him, fair enough. Daffy was a bugger in the line up, kept throwing his head about, but have a couple of half decent pictures.

Then a long long time, plus 30minutes, no plus 20minutes, plus 5, plus 4, plus 5 minutes later, we were in the novice ridden M&M class, chosen so I could use the snaffle, and because it was first of the three. During the warmup he actually cantered, his trot was kind of hoppy, but we got some walk-canter. The canter wasn't pretty to start with however, and it, and everything else, deteriorated even further once we got into the ring. It was like being back in time 4 years when I first started showing him - nose in air, no flexion, motorbiking and generally crap, only this time he was a hell of a lot stronger. We came last, another fair placing, although I had hoped he would pull it together a bit and we'd actually place.

Nevermind - I went to get him going forward and we certainly achieved that. Next time it will be double bridle (with laced top reins, not plain) and grippier gloves. Have everything crossed that in the school tomorrow he will be more forward, think I will lunge with two lines to start working on lifting his forehand.

Tuesday went quite well. Daffy has gone from over compensating with his off side to over compensating with his near side, which meant that the saddle was slipping right quite a bit as his muscles on that side are not only slightly smaller, they aren't as toned.

We had our lesson, the focus was on correct bend, with three exercises in particular.

1 - walking straight, or on a shallow curve, flex left for a couple of strides, then right for a couple of strides, left/right etc. This was just to loosen him up a bit.

2 - start on a 10m circle, with inside flexion, and leg yield out. On the right rein he did well, on the left he struggled and I had to give him his head so he could stretch down in order to leg yield and maintain the flexion.

3 - in trot, rather than trying to trot a 20m circle, trot a diamond, so you have four quick bouts of inside flexion rather than trying to maintain it around a complete circle.

Throughout the lesson Daffy was working through, a very novicey outline, but it shows we haven't gone back as far as I thought we might. We then managed a few strides of canter - I need to just run him into it in order to rebuild his confidence. At the minute he obviously has quite a bit of remembered pain and although he wants to canter, he's not sure about it.

I've had conjunctivitis so not done much since, but on Friday we got a couple of really good leg yield strides on the right rein, I could really feel the cross.

Still not sure about showing next weekend, Amanda says to go for it as it will hopefully get him thinking forward, I'm thinking of all the hassle of getting ready, loading and waiting around once there!