Jingle 'n Jangle =], My training log for Knight (& Candy too)

[A.Knights.Tale]

Welp, this is gonna be my training/riding log for my ponehs. So...I didn't do any riding today (I'm on the verge of getting sick lol). I rode Knight yesterday in the pasture. Worked on walk/trot transitions and added the canter. Did some circles and serpentines. Working on reaching for the bit.

I'll add some pictures soon hopefully but not right now.

Oh yeah I lunged Candy at a brisk walk for about 10 minutes also.

Jingle 'n Jangle && Candy

[A.Knights.Tale]

Well today was the first I got to ride my horses for awhile because of the rain and mud! After school I went out and decided to take Candy for awhile. So, I tacked her up and we headed out! I rode her for about an hour, and we had fun! Haha coming up our road on the way home an Amish guy passed in a buggy and she was "Weee I wanna race!" and she started trotting! So I just let her. It gave her butt a good workout cause it was a fairly steep, long hill. And she was in Sulky-racing trot mode because of the horse and because we were headed back to Knight!

When we got back it was starting to get dark, so I left Candy tied up outside the pasture to a tree while I grabbed my training leadrope and dressage whip. We worked on moving his shoulder away from me and getting out of my space, and he finally trotted along beside me willingly! He was a good boy.

I ran in the house and grabbed them each half a carrot and 3 sugar cubes! They get spoiled! And then I cut Candy's mane (oh my! ) It's a wee bit short, but in a couple days it will look nicer. I promised Knight I'll never touch his mane haha! It's way to pretty, plus he'd look horrible with it short. Then I trimmed Candy's whiskers! Now she's adorable! Speaking of which, I need to get Knight used to those so I can trim his whiskers.

Maybe tomorrow I'll get pictures of Candy's mane! Well, at least it's even. That used to be my problem!

Jingle 'n Jangle && Candy

[A.Knights.Tale]

Wednesday I rode both Candy and Knight. First, I groomed them, then I put Knight in the stall, tacked up Candy and took her for a ride. We did quite a bit of trotting and she was great! When I got back it was getting dark but I still rode Knight. I left Candy tied to the tree outside the pasture and tacked Knight up. He was sooo good for the first time! He was in the stall and I didn't even tie him up and he stood there! And then when I bridled him he actually accepted the bit right away! I normally have to stick 2 or 3 fingers in his mouth till he opens! But he was such a good boy. And then I rode him for a bout 25 minutes, and it was dark. He was great. No spooking. I walked/trotted him and worked alittle more on getting him to reach for the bit and extend his trot rather than just do a pony jog!

Thursday I rode both of them again. In the morning I went up to my Nana's and helped her clean the house and got home a 2:00 and mom didn't make me do any school so I got a head start on riding. I decided to ride Knight first so I wouldn't be rushing or it be dark. I wanted to give him a good training session. So I groomed both of them, tied Candy up outside the pasture, tacked Knight up, and got to work. He was great with the bit again! Anyways, I rode him for a half hour working even more on walk/trot transitions (which by the way he is getting great at that! If I cluck, he will go for the most part). We also worked alot more on him reaching for the bit and extending his trot and being more energetic. He was great! He was reaching for the bit all by himself. I ended by stopping him and asking him to lower and relax his head, and he dropped it halfway to the ground for me. He is doing so great! He is an amazing learner and I think in no time we will be getting blues! He's so sweet and tries so hard to be a good pony! I hope this summer we will be ready for at least dressage and show jumping, and maybe some cross-country. I'm excited! I have a lesson on him this week. Hopefully Kendle has us doing some jumping again.

Today I didn't get to ride either of them since Friday's I work and have a lesson at Deana's stable. So I got there at 1:50 and did 8 stalls in 1 1/2 hours (and believe me, I have to sift through the stalls and clean/fill two water buckets per stall so that is good time). And since I was done so early Deana had me exercise Tessa. I rode her once in a lesson and she had no forward motion whatsoever. She was completely green, and I had to use spurs on her. Even then she was difficult to get to move forward. Well, Deana has been training and riding her alot lately, and she is now completely opposite! Today she was so excited and frisky. That's probably partly to weather since it was nice a cool out, but it had mostly to do with training. When we were trotting she was like "woohoo I wanna canter!" Haha! And then when I cantered her she was practically galloping so I had to do a lot of half-halting. But I gave her a good workout and we had fun. Then I had my lesson on Raffe (the crazy Arab!). He was actually pretty good today. We were indoors since by the time I got him ready it was dark. I had a group lesson with three college kids. We mostly did w/t/c, jumpseat, and a small crossrail. Then she had me jumping 2'. He was great! No crowhopping. Last time I jumped him he threw me 5 times because of crowhopping after the jump or jumping with a very round back. So today was great.

Jingle 'n Jangle && Candy

[A.Knights.Tale]

First thing Saturday morning I went to train a bratty little adorable Shetland pony named Milky Way [[read about it here http://horselover.net/forum/about22936.html ]].

In the afternoon I went out to work with my horses. First I worked with Knight on the ground. I did shoulder over, crossing over his hindquarter, and did worked on getting him used to lungeing. I didn't lunge him though. I used my long training rope and had my dressage whip, and I stood to the side and back close to his hips and made him walk around me. I kinda walked with him. I just want him to get completely used to the idea of lungeing since he's a bit rusty. He did a great job!

Then I did the same things with Candy, but she doesn't crowd me. I just did that since I never taught her to get out of my personal space that way. And then I hopped on her bareback and worked on getting her to reach for the bit...she was kinda confused but I want to work on that so maybe I could use her for dressage. And then I took her out for a bareback hack which was fun. On the way back to the pasture I cantered her and she was so excited she tossed her head! I got a little off balance, and then it felt like she had all her weight on her forelegs. I don't know why...that was the first I've cantered her for a few weeks so maybe she was a bit off? She seems fine now and her old bowed tendons aren't bothering her. I just think it's cause I hadn't cantered her for awhile.

Well, it's raining today so I won't be able to ride. Hopefully it will be dry enough tomorrow or Tuesday so that there isn't too big of a break between riding them.

Jingle 'n Jangle && Candy

[A.Knights.Tale]

Okay here are some pictures finally!

Captions above pics!!

Candy's new haircut!




Haha weird picture...Candy didn't like me sitting the camera on her butt!


This is the day after I cut her mane. I had just gotten back from riding her.


Knight and Daisy May!


"Supper yet???"






"Fine...I'll just have to find the grain myself...hey, what's that?"


Knight is such a goof. The one day he actually got the lid off! But of course his neck is too short for him to reach lol!