Wednesday, December 17, 2014

simple amusements

Our no-saddle kick extended through the weekend, just to be completely safe and allow the welts to fully heal. So I bopped around the arena bareback again on Sunday. 

I was actually thisclose to skipping the ride all together, but it was a relatively nice day and Sundays are typically my only chance to ride in Isabel's home arena during daylight. So. Off we went to ride. 



Izzy was a tad sassy and we had more than a couple moments where her nose was straight up in the air and she was set completely against my hand. But other than that (and some random spooking bc apparently our arena in daylight has become so unfamiliar that it's the scariest place evar), it was a mostly fun ride and we even popped over a little X a couple times. 

After I hopped off tho, I decided to have a little fun with the pedestal that lives in our ring. In a recorded bio-mechanics session I watched earlier this fall (details here), Dr. Deb Bennett said that standing a horse on a pedestal was actually really beneficial for stretching out their toplines and feeling that lift in their shoulders and neck. 

Plus, I am amused by simple things. So. Obviously we had to try it out lol. 



It actually didn't take much effort to get Izzy up there - since it's pretty much the same as when I ask her to step up onto the trailer. She had to sniff and paw at it a little bit, but then stepped right up and just stood there for a couple minutes. Posing. Ya know, like she does. (clearly she didn't deign to look at the camera tho, lol). 

She was really stretching out through her spine too - so I think I'll repeat this little exercise a few times. Maybe during the dark too - as it might be a good low-pressure way to introduce trailer loading at nighttime. Eventually, I'd like to be able to get her up there while riding, bc how cool would that be?? lol



In any case, it was a pretty relaxing day that we wrapped up with some grass therapy and quality barn cat time. Can't beat that! 

26 comments:

  1. Interesting idea about the stretching... huh. I wonder if it really does translate to them under saddle...

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    1. i really have no idea if it'll translate. essentially i expect saddle time to be increasingly limited in upcoming months, so we'll be playing with ground work and other silly stuff to at least keep the brain installed lol

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  2. Sounds liek a wonderful afternoon to me!! And looks like you don't have any snow at all!!

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    1. so far we haven't had any accumulation. baltimore struggles more with ice than anything else, unfortunately...

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  3. Interesting about stretching the topline. Make me want a pedestal.

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    1. not sure if it'll actually do anything, tho i can't imagine a little low-stress stretching is ever a bad thing...

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  4. Yes she looks very proud of herself up there! Too cute!

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  5. Hope gem sneaky bumps buzz off soon and you can take advantage of saddle time before winter sets in in earnest.
    That step thing looks & sounds awesome! ☺
    Avez du fun working on that and eventually incorporating it under saddle. Hopefully stretchiness translates to ridden work later

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    1. thanks! i'd love for the stretchiness to translate ... but it's cool if it doesn't. play time can be its own reward :) re: the bumps healing - izzy is getting almost an entire week off for that very purpose, then i have TWO WEEKS vacation for all kinds of shenanigans!!! (weather: please cooperate!!)

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    2. Woohoo - keeping everything crossed for weather.
      Love it when vacation time and horsey time can overlap!!!

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  6. Very interesting that the pedestal helps stretch through their back! Now I want to get one to play with

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  7. I miss my pedestal! We had to leave it at the old house. I need to make a new one. She is so cute standing on it. :D

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    1. Definitely do! I remember seeing a pic of you sitting in chrome while he was on one and really wanted to try too!!

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    2. Aww you're sweet. Just remember if you do it bareback like I did be ready because you will slide backwards hehehehe!!!

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    3. Lol thanks for the heads up - I will stick with a saddle!

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