2023 & 2024 Riding Journey

#18 Jumping Cordell

I was mildly surprised when my trainer said I was going to ride Cordell.  But I definitely wasn't upset about it.  Cordell is so sweet.  It's always good to get to ride him.

I didn't get to do any groundwork this time, instead my trainer had me do some work.  When I finished, there was still a little piece of the groundwork session left, and my trainer just let me stand and watch / listen. 

James worked with Mariah (though he didn't ride her, don't worry) and Friend with Riggs.  Vivie wasn't there for the groundwork lesson, but she did come for the riding lesson.  My trainer was working with Rugar.

My trainer said that with Rugar, if he starts off into a transition by planting his weight on his... I think it was his inside leg, then he's getting ready to lean and brace against the halter rope.  But if he will hold himself up, and put his weight where it needs to be, then he won't lean against the rope.  My trainer has tolerated him leaning against the halter before, but now she's working on clearing that up.  After that's done, she thinks there won't be much left to do in terms of groundwork for Rugar.

So, it's interesting that you can tell what a horse is fixing to do, or even has to do, by where it places its weight.  Balance is really important to horses.  You can change a horse's behavior simply by changing their balance.

James was working with the flag with Mariah.  He missed a chance to reward her for a nice halt, so then he had to go and try to get that nice halt again to reward her.  So not the worse crime in the world, but my trainer took the chance to give one of her mini collage lectures.

She said that people sometimes don't realize that when they don't change something to let a horse know they've done right, the horse won't know.  If you're trying to get a change of some sort from a horse, and they give you the change you ask for, you must change something to let them know that's what you want.  You can't keep doing the same thing, you can't keep repeating.

It's all too easy to be sloppy and not pay attention enough to notice when the horse makes that first change.  But if you don't reward that change in some way, how is the horse supposed to know that's what you want?  

If we can train ourselves, if we can be strict with ourselves and pay attention so that we nearly always reward the horse when they make that first change, then my trainer said you become the type of person where people are like "Well horses just like you." Of course they like you, because you let them know when they've done what you've wanted, and also when they haven't.  

You pay attention to them and show them that you are recognizing their effort.  You reward and encourage their 'try' and that matters a lot to them.  It makes them want to try even more for you.  They aren't living in unsureness, which a horse hates, because you are telling them if they're doing the right thing or not.

So, that was interesting.  I enjoyed listening to that.

I groomed off Cordell, tacked him up, and fought to keep him from eating the weeds in the outdoor while I tightened the girth.  Then I mounted and off we went.

Cordell was trying to swat at the pesky mosquitos.  It made him somewhat wiggly (he'd already been sprayed with fly spray, they were just that bad).  My trainer told me to really push him forward and let him know that he couldn't get squiggly like that.  Yes, the mosquitos are bad, but sometimes... You just have to ignore them.

The northeast corner and part of the east side was still under mud but it was drier.  My trainer told me as I was walking Cordell around to turn my toe in more than I would normally, so that my shin would be more against the saddle.  This is something that helps when riding Cordell, I think it help you grip him and stay upright.