Max hacks, attacks tracks

Ouch. I'll run out of those rhyming titles one of these days, but that one is stretching it a bit!

Max the wonder horse is coming up all gold stars in these last hazy days of summer. I say "hazy", more like dreary, overcast, humid and still. Except today, which is fine, bright and HOT! Last blast of August, though September beckons, and September is a favourite month of mine, here in the UK. Tends to be rather perfect weather in September. Hope I haven't jinxed it by saying so.

I approached my YO about exercising Max to add to his exercise (I knew she'd be able to coax consistent good work out of him). I really need some professional guidance at this point. I've taken my young horse as far as I can on my own with schooling, through my own limited knowledge, book reading and instinct.

It's not long term, but with my back still playing up, I can't ride well, and I can't chase after Max with any energy, so he needs a bit of ooomph!

So it began, and I watched the first two sessions. I got Max ready, explained what was going to happen, told him it was no good getting up to his tricks because YO wouldn't stand for it ("It's for your own good, Max" ARGH!) and told him that offering up his nose for kisses would get him nowhere with YO, and I wouldn't rescue him unless he was really in trouble.

Off we went. Max's bridle with no reins, his saddle pad, and YO's "pessoa". This is gear that I will find hard to explain. It's a bit of a pulley system - goes round the back end with a pad to drive forward, and is tightened in areas to encourage correct head carriage. It doesn't cause pain or discomfort in the right hands, it doesn't force correct position, but encourages horse to find that position naturally. It's pressure and release again, which is the principal of the Dually halter, too. Horse is just more comfy when he goes into position, and when he doesn't, he deals out his own pressure.

Everything was set very loose on Max, because it's new and he hasn't the muscle built up (yet).

It was so amazing to watch the transformation in Max over the half hour plus I watched him. YO commenting the whole time, telling me what she was doing, what we were aiming for, giving occasional coos of admiration for the way Max moved. Also, gratifyingly, telling me occasionally that I'd been doing a good job - he's brilliant on voice commands, and his "stand" is correct and well done. "You've been working on this!" she said. "That's just how I like a horse to stand. Well done!"

It was also gratifying to see him play up and evade her with all the tricks he throws at me. YO, naturally, was much more adept at getting round him and gave me some fine tips on how I could get round him, too. Very simple, very subtle, no force and no aggression.

This is partly her years of experience and knowledge, and partly not having the emotional attachment to Max, I know. He can get round me because he is Max and I am me, and he knows.
In a way, it's like remembering back to when you were a kid and never back-talked your friends' parents when you were visiting them the way you would your parents. Or maybe you had an auntie that you just knew not to try it on with - you weren't scared of her or anything, but on best behaviour because that was what was expected. With your own parents, you could whinge and wheedle, cajole and keep going until you knew it was going one way or the other: the tight lipped response said, "Back down! Dive, dive, dive!" or the little smile, the particular laugh told you, "Hurrah! The prize, it cometh!"

Same with Max. He will fall into line if I'm firm enough, but he can often get round me by confusion, dismay, hiding in corners so he can pretend I don't see him, or just by making me laugh so much that I lose my focus and just want to give him the world on a plate. I really don't mind any of that; it's part of our relationship and I wouldn't swap it for anything.

But he doesn't sass his teacher in the classroom, the same way I didn't sass my teachers in school.

I'm delighted with how it's going. My boy, when he "gets" it, moves beautifully. Oh, he protested the first time all right, especially when he got tired. YO was gentle but firm, with lots of praise when he got it right.

She had a long lunging whip, and I remarked that I can never get the danged thing to "snap" the way she does - that crack gets him going all right, but the whip never touched him. It trailed along behind him, it occasionally snapped behind his bum to get his attention, but it never touched him. It was all voice and little noises to keep him going. She had a good work out, and she said so. He was resistant, which made her job harder, but she said a few goes and he'll understand and his movement will get better. Explained really well how we want him to round up through the back, that he was excellent at pushing from the hinds, but resistant to working from the front, but that will come in no time.

Max is a clever pony and picks up on things quite quickly. His sessions with YO have got him working well and without resistance, and the wonderful bonus for me is that working him loose or on the long-lines, he's much more willing to put his "work" hat on and just get to it.

And the hacking? Well that has come on tremendously, too. No plodding along as he did, but moving smartly when asked, much more attentive, much more confident. We did some hill work earlier in the week and had only one argument over direction. I wanted him to go right, he wanted to turn for home, so we did one slow circle, with very little pressure from me, and he decided right was OK after all and went off with vigour.

Trotted with energy when I asked, slowed back to walk with energy when I asked, and stood stock still for me when I asked.

He's looking very well at the moment, just a little bit of ridge on his crest that we want to get rid of. He'll always be cresty, that's part of his natural Fjord conformation, but the ridges, like little fat pads, are not good for his health, and carrying extra weight is not helping his stifle lock.

Am feeling optimistic that working like this, a little expert schooling, a bit of in hand and hacking work from me while I sort out my back for proper riding, and Max will be fit, healthy and we'll both be confident.

It's a good way to be going on after feeling stuck.