Four years already!

After a long, exciting but lovely trail ride on thursday, Crispin deserved a lazy day today. Then I checked the calender and realized it is our aniversary. On the 27th of september four years ago Christina droped Crispin off at the old barn. I can not belive it has been four years already! And not a single day of regret.

So, I decided it was a good time to try something new, something we haven't done before. Something that included lots of cookies and very little work for Crispin. I hopped on and rode Crispin without saddle or bridle (ok, I did cheat a little, I used the neck strap).

I even have a silly little clip to prove it:

What I like most about it is how completely unconcerned he is about the whole thing. This is the very same pony that just four years ago was very much a sceptic about anything! The backing up at the end was also a spur of the moment thing. I haven't really tried that under saddle yet and just wanted to see what happend if I just ask him for a couple of steps.

Boot camp for Crispin

Well, it’s probably not going to be half as bad as it sounds, but I think Crispin needs to graduate and go from “young horse” to “riding horse”. He needs to work a little more and in order to do that, we need to work on his strength and condition. Both will probably go hand in hand.

Over the summer he’s had an easy life, lots of excuses on my part not to ride plus a little injury that kept me from riding for 3 weeks. What I’m planning to do is just a little more of everything. In the past I did not ride the day before or after a lesson, I did not really ride more than two days in a row, and I have given him many “lazy” days with just some extra paddock time, 30 min in the hotwalker or just a little lunging on the rope halter.

The idea is to:

- ride more (and ask for more under saddle)
- start jumping under saddle
- go out more (on trail rides or to our little track)
- longline or ground drive
- free jump

...and try to go for a run myself on the days I do not ride.