Next Stop PBRA?

I started riding Griffin in August 2009. Soon after, I started cantering him and jumped him a couple times. He tended to rush into a canter but I could slow him down and get a bit of good cantering in. As 2010 came upon us he would suddenly blast into a canter, bucking or kicking, in Joanna's outdoor sand arena. He was leery of the RV and the monsters in the woods. In the WP outdoor arena he would be very concerned about monsters in the woods. He was on edge a lot. The last time I jumped with him was March 7th. He started with an absolutely awesome jump! Each addition jump got more exciting and he rushed. Finally he rushed and then as we were turning to the right to go back around he gave several smaller then a HUGE buck! That was it. I trotted him around the jumps a bunch and got him to calm down.

The next week we tried the endurance saddle. Was his back hurting? It felt wrong. The treeless saddle is much more secure. We unattached the pads from the saddle, readjusting everything and it seems to fit well now. Then, April 18, we were having a wonderful calm ride at Joanna's. Suddenly, out of absolutely nowhere, he did a blast into a canter in the sand arena. When I asked for a trot, or was it a canter, he just did a crazy canter around and around without stopping. I couldn't get him to calm down for quite a while.

I went to just trotting and walking and staying in either the covered arena or the outdoor arena. He was getting real edgy feeling like he would blast off to the moon at times. (I didn't realize but Kathi wasn't riding him very hard and he wasn't getting supplemental teenaged rides either.) April 30th, just after I got on, and before I tightened the girth, he spooked at a goblin near the big tree between the arenas. He was crazy. He avoided the tree and would go near it. He felt like a bomb about to go off. I could only handle 20 minutes of it and took him back to the barn nearly crying. I felt like quitting. It was not fun anymore and seemed riding Griffin seemed pretty dangerous.

Finally, on Sunday, May 9th Kathi started giving him 2 scoops of Allay, a nutritional supplement of magnesium, calcium, yeast and licorice. He immediately calmed down. The edginess was gone! On Tuesday, he was almost sluggish but very calm. I suggested that we back off on the amount. On Thursday I cantered him many times in each direction with no bolting, kicking or bucking! It was a miracle! He was better than ever. The next six days I rode him we cantered at least a couple times in each direction with no bolting, bucking or kicking. It was awesome! We started going large because I felt so comfortable with his cantering. He was getting very good at working hard after cantering and staying focused too.

On May 27th we rode and cantered twice each way. The last time, and the second to the right, he started bucking to the right. It wasn't so bad! I rode it well and even kept him kinda on a circle. Way to go Mary! I worked with him on bending to the right for at least 10 minutes after and kept him working and going at a good pace. Because of timing and another lesson with Jane in the same arena I did not canter him again that night.

Afterward I felt high! I rode the bucks pretty well! I kept my wits and wasn't really that scared anymore! Sit back and pull his head up. Jane complemented me. What an awesome stage in my riding! I think Griffin has taken me to a new level!

Working on cantering

On Thursday I cantered with Griffin at least a few times very calmly. The last time, going to the right, I didn't have him bending properly and he almost immediately started bucking.

Sooooo, today I told Joanna what had happened. She had me work on keeping him out to the wall especially in the corners.

Then we worked on leg yielding. Problem: Griffin bulges to the right. Meaning his middle bulges out on the right side even when going to the right. He doesn't want to move his back leg under himself and tends to throw his shoulder out. (I am not as clear on those points.) He is bending his entire neck instead of his entire body.

Solution: He needs to bend his entire body to the right. She had me just turn his head in but keep his neck straight. Then during leg yielding I need to keep my outside rein (to keep his neck straight) and my outside leg to catch him or, better, to push him toward it. Then Joanna showed me that I need to make his inside rear leg cross in front of the other. Meanwhile, his outside leg needs to move forward and not sideways.

We practiced lots of leg yielding. Neck straight. Oh yeah, and sit back! I felt like I was leaning back behind the vertical when I was in the correct position. I am also learning to keep him going by squeezing my legs when I am in the sit portion of posting. That keeps my legs more calm too. Leg yield while in sitting trot. Hold my hands up and steady.

As I got to the end of the leg yield just as I hit the wall (at the end of the arena) she asked me to keep going exactly like I was and ask him to canter. It was smooth and calm. Very nice canter!

Of course by the time I did this we had been in the arena for over an hour. We were sweaty and in the endorphin induced stage after you get tired where you just keep going. Grif had asked if I wanted to get off at the mounting block before but was going nicely.

He cantered very nicely today! I stayed calm and Griffin stayed calm. Sweet!