The Elix Chronicles

Levi (Elix) had an easy week for this first week of the new year. I worked him only twice this week, which is pretty unusual for me, but he’s doing well so I’m not concerned.

On Monday we were planning on getting back to normal after the holidays, and we came outside in the morning to find at least a foot of heavy snow had fallen overnight. Which is not so much of a problem, we’re Northerners after all except that underneath the snow was water and slush, the whole mess of which kept jamming up and freezing solid in our snow blower! About then Alida called over and said that they were also having snow blower problems over at her place, and she wasn’t sure she could get back up her driveway, so she couldn’t come. Stefan cleared snow and I did chores rather than riding horses. It happens.

On Tuesday, the temperature had plummeted to -16°C (3°F). That is getting pretty close to my cut-off point for not being able to feel my hands when I ride. Given the invigoratingly frosty temps, and the fact that all my horses had had four days off in a row at this point, I decided to do a lungeing day and keep myself bundled up in long johns and ski-doo gloves.

Despite the cold and the number of days off, Levi was quite sane (actually, all of my horses were). When he is feeling fresh on the lunge line all he does is give his head a shake from side to side, and then he jumps up off the ground with all four legs, with a BOING! Picture a little lamb in spring and you’ve got the visual. Then he lands, and continues trotting on his circle as if to say “There. I got that out of my system”.

Lately Levi has seemed a little bit dubious about going by the arena door when I’m working him. He’s fine if I hand-walk him in that area though. He seems to be genuinely scared of the door when I’m not on the ground with him, but not terrified, nor unwilling to give it a try if I insist. Just dubious about it overall. I wondered if there was some strange wind noise out there that I couldn’t perceive, because one of the other horses was acting the same way. So on Tuesday I did a lot of my lungeing right down in that corner, and really insisted that he put aside his worries about the door and get to work for me. This was a good exercise, and I felt like we made a lot of progress.

On Wednesday, Alida was away for the day, so I was on my own and concentrated on getting the chores done and the horses had another day off.

By Thursday the temperature was back up to something more moderate, and I rode Levi. He went well. I focused mainly on the trot work and connecting him from inside leg to outside rein. I really like the suppleness he has in his neck and the spring he is developing in the trot as he learns how to use his back.

After I finished riding on Thursday, I was off to my coach’s place for a lesson on a different horse in the afternoon, and stayed over for another lesson on Friday morning. Hence the Friday off for Levi, and an easy week for him overall. It’s fine to give the horses an easy time, physically and mentally, every now and then. Next week we should be able to gradually pick the training pace back up.

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I thought I’d do a year in review summary for Levi (Elix) as we wrap up 2011 and head into a fresh New Year! Woot!

Levi arrived here October 27th, so he has been with us two months. On his first day here, my vet found a retained baby tooth lodged in his gums. After that was extracted, we gave Levi ten days to make sure his mouth was fully healed before we put on a bridle and started teaching him to lunge. Now, at the end of December, Levi is working nicely under saddle in walk, trot, and has started the canter on both reins. He is nice in the contact, and has learned the aids to go forward and come back, as well as steer. He is not worried by noises or new things in the arena (except he still gets a bit distracted by new people being in the arena).

Levi’s barn manners are pretty much impeccable. He always had a soft and willing temperament, and since being in our program he has learned patience, and now stands on the cross-ties in the morning for as long as it takes, without moving at all. He was easy to train because he really wants to please. He has such an adorable expression on his face when I come in the barn and he is standing there, tacked up and waiting patiently for me. He is not worried by anything happening in the barn and we can drop stuff, throw blankets around, sweep and shovel around his feet, and go past him with wheelbarrows or plastic bags of shavings, all without causing him any concern.

As we head into a New Year I am happy with the progress we have made so far, and am looking forward to the future with this horse.

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Today was the last ride of 2011 for Levi and me and it was another good one.

Yesterday, Elena came to visit, and it was the first time that she was in the arena while I was working Levi. He was a bit distracted by her being there, but he kept his focus pretty well on me. He no longer tries to stop when he is worried by a new person being in the arena, but I can feel the difference in his body. I decided that was not a good day to ask for the canter again, but instead we focused on the quality of the trot work.

But today there were no distractions, he warmed up well and was feeling good, so at the end of the ride I asked for canter, this time to the left. I rode it the same way as on Tuesday, on a 20 metre circle in the rising trot. I ride the trot more and more forward, then say the word “Canter!” and use an exaggerated version of the normal canter aid. He popped right into canter on the left lead and kept going nicely. His canter feels quite good, and he even stayed somewhat round and connected.

We don’t worry at all about the position of the head and neck at this stage, our priority is simply that the horse canters and goes forward with a good jump in the canter, but it was nice that Levi offered to do so while staying nice in the contact. After asking him with my voice to come back to trot, I gave him lots of praise and a sugar cube, and then we headed back to the barn.

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It’s been eleven days since I posted an update on Levi’s (Elix’s) training. Although it’s the holiday time of year, we have been able to keep working pretty steadily. Last week I worked with Levi four times, and this week I’ve ridden him twice already.

Today was a milestone because it was the first time I asked Levi to canter under saddle. It went really well! I’m pleased with him. He has progressed to the point that he understands and responds to my “go forward” aids pretty well, and I am able to ask him to go much more forward in the trot. His canter on the lunge line has also been improving, and as his understanding increases the quality of the canter on the lunge has improved because he is a lot more relaxed. And as his fitness improves the canter on the lunge has gotten better as well.

So today I decided all the building blocks were in place for the canter under saddle. I did our normal warmup in rising trot both ways. I wanted to ask for canter while going to the right, because his right canter looks better on the lunge. So from a rising trot on the 20 m circle going right I rode the trot more and more forward, and then as we were approaching the wall I said “Canter!” as I squeezed him and slid my inside hip forward and outside leg back. I think the outside leg going back kind of surprised him and he shot forward into canter (Yay!) He seemed worried that he shouldn’t be doing that, but I was thrilled and praised him “Good boy!” He immediately relaxed, and dropped back into trot.

No worries though, because we got it once so I knew the next time would be easier. I stayed in trot another time around the circle and then repeated the sequence above to ask for another canter depart. He picked up the canter and was a lot more confident that this was what I actually wanted him to do and I was able to keep him cantering all the way around. I then brought him back to trot with my voice and rode him over to the sugar box for a treat, making a big fuss over him the whole time. Then I got off and took him back to the barn. Often when introducing something new I will do it on only one side the first day and then finish for that day, to make a point! On another day we can try to the left as well.

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Levi (Elix) has had a good week. His energy level is good, and he is building his stamina as well as his understanding. I’m enjoying working with him. He has a nice stride for dressage and is nice in the contact. I know it’s early days but he shows a lot of promise.

This week I did three lungeing days so I could work on his canter. I want him to find his own balance better in the canter on the 20m circle before I complicate things with asking him to deal with cantering under the weight of a rider. Today, our third lungeing day this week, I found the canter was already improving.

On Wednesday I did not lunge though, I only rode him. For the first time ever, I actually had to slow him down a bit! When I asked for a trot he went forward with such enthusiasm he was actually giving me more than I wanted. So we had our first lesson in the half-halt With the young horse we influence them more with our body weight and position than the rein aids, so slowing down the posting and closing the upper leg a little will often have the desired effect, as it did with him. I was happy to have to slow him down a little, that is the first step in having him working on his own.

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