The Joy of Horses

This is Gypsy two winters ago after a clip job. She looks thrilled!

I rode Jippers (Gypsy) again yesterday. This is probably the 10-15th time she’s had a rider on her back. She’s a 15 year old ex-broodmare with a left over baby belly and not too much athleticism. Anyway, I feel like it’s important to get her a nice foundation under saddle, so that she is saleable to a great home. Because of her age, I’m not sure that she’s going to be a national caliber show horse or anything, but she’ll do great in smaller breed shows and open. She’s super flashy and brave too, so she’d make an excellent trail companion. She’s got a thicker bone and a more traditional Morgan look, so I appreciate that as well. Her current owner is really realllllly feeling the effects of this economy. She has 1 boarder left in her barn (with 40 stalls and about 15 of them empty). She (the barn owner – to be known as B.O.) owns about 16 horses and desperately needs to downsize – desperately!

Digress, Digress, Digressing I am. So – I love Jippers! She’s been coming along wonderfully to date – she’s soft mouthed so with a snaffle and light contact she sets her head, and she’s smart + willing – how great is that? I wonder sometimes if perhaps she did have a rider on her back long ago, but her owner says she bought her when she was 3, so perhaps not. So, since Jipper’s trot is coming along so nicely, I have been stepping it up a notch and working on her canter (big sigh). She really is getting the concept, but she’s just not super comfortable to relax into a slower pace just yet. At this point, I kiss and cue for the canter – Jippers knows what I’m wanting, so she speeds into a super warp speed trot and then to a zoomy canter. It’s more of a canter/gallop, and her steering just kind of goes out the door. She’s understanding of her leads, so that’s good. Now, I’m just working on getting her more comfortable at this gait so that she will relax, slow and I can start getting some kind of nice frame on her. Yesterday her steering was much better at the canter. At the walk and trot she’s awesome, she’s learning leg yields and she is just flat out amazing. She really astounds me daily on how responsive she is. Gosh, I don’t know why she wasn’t saddle trained as a younger girl – she’s like riding a couch – so smooth and comfy.

I also can’t point out enough how important it is to lunge train a horse extensively before riding. I had Jippers walking, trotting, cantering and stopping on the line with verbal cues in both directions. I even had her backing before ever mounting her. It sure makes saddle training easier when the horse already knows the verbal commands. Now I’m just getting her used to my leg and seat aids so that I can gradually remove the verbal cues. I get the feeling that bellowing WALK, TROT, CANTER and BACK in the show ring has potential for embarrassment.

Even though I’ve been riding since before I could walk, I still have so much to learn. I really really don’t pretend to be anywhere near an expert and I love constructive criticism as it’s only apt to make me a better person/rider if I chose to heed it. So, for the 2-3 people who actually read this, I really do love advice J. Do any of you have any tips on getting a nice smooth canter out of an un-athletic old girl (the horse, not me)?