The late second year summary

Like everything else right now, the second year summary is a little late. I should have written it in september, like last year.

This is a copy of the first year summary:

• Crispin now knows that haltering is a fun thing and is very easy to catch no matter if he's out on pasture or just in the paddock. (Something I couldn't dream of doing before he came to Münster.)
• He leads like a true gentleman (walk or trot, halt, over poles, little jumps, tarp, bridges, in the ring or on the trails). He stops and leg yields in hand too and will do a TOF and TOH.
• He loads (well, Christina achived that but I haven't undone the training ;-) )
• He lunges (walk and trot, canter on the lunge doesn't work as well yet).
• He knows bit and bridle, saddle pad and surcingle and blanketing.
• He ties well and stands very well when tied. 
• He stands for farrier and vet and for grooming (of course).

It's weird. Even though I feel like we accomplished quite a bit during the last 12 months it seems there is hardly anything to add to last years list.

Second year's training:

• I backed Crispin
• He knows how to walk, trot, halt under saddle
• His brakes are pretty solid
• Steering is pretty solid at the walk but needs work at the trot
• We did a short trail ride (the plan is to do a lot more of those in the future)
• We did canter a couple of times (on the track at the old barn) 
• Lunging has become much better. Canter is still his biggest issue, he always offers but still can't hold it up on a circle. But I'm sure he'll come around to it once he's ballanced enough to canter under saddle.
• He knows the horse walker at the new barn.

What we really need at this point is practice. I have to get on him on a regular basis and I need to get to know him as a riding horse. In the past there have been weeks between rides and it always felt a little like the first ride, with very little room for actual progress.

Whenever I did ride Crispin he has been very good, but even though I was always being very cautious. I just don't feel like I know him yet. I'm always staying way inside our comfort zone. I know this will have to change eventually but I'm not quite ready for that yet.

October pictures

They are a week early. He's actually turning 4 and 1/2 next week. But since I forgot the to take pictures in july and had the camera out at the barn I took them today.

Crispin at 4.5 y/o. I think he's gorgeous!

I was surprised to see that he's butt high again. He must have grown again just recently, because he wasn't a few weeks back, when I last checked.

He is a little rounder than I would like him to be, but I'm sure he'll loose the extra weight soon. Pasture season is almost over and we also got cleared for riding again by the osteopath last saturday.

Just for comparison: this is what he looked like last year (with that awful bandage)