Riding/Horses

Bareback Lesson. Nash Style

roamingridersite

After I put Gemmie up, it was time to introduce Trainer and Nash. I had hoped to get Wyatt on him in a real lesson, but my Smartpak order for a pony sized girth and bit got delayed due to the snow twice and still hadn’t arrived by Sunday. Instead I talked to her about my issues with lunging him since that is a task he will absolutely have to perform at our house and she was game to tackle it with me.

Wyatt grabbed Nashville for us and I’ll admit that I was a bit nervous about what Trainer would think. He was pretty much the opposite of what she had wanted me to get for Wyatt and I was really hoping she wouldn’t hate him right off the bat. I needn’t have worried though. She LOVED him. She couldn’t say enough good things about his conformation and then when she watched him move her face split into a massive grin. The boy is FANCY.

But he is also a bit naughty and likes to test the waters to see what he actually has to do (everything according to me) and what is only a mere suggestion (everything according to him). She plopped him on the lunge line and grabbed my dressage whip since my lunge whip is still MIA after a certain 5 year used it to fight aliens. It wasn’t the best set up but it got the job done.

I’m not used to seeing a horse go along without looking like a giraffe. What is this posture?!

He did the same to her, but she is better at it and eventually got him moving out way better than I ever did. Watching him trot made me wish I was riding him instead. He did test her quite a bit and her end analysis is that he was never properly trained to lunge, but he is also a bit naughty and stubborn. Go figure.

After about 10 minutes she had me hop on him bareback to act as a back up aid system. Every time he tried to whip into the center to face her and thus avoid work, I’d stop him with my outside rein. If he tried to halt randomly, my legs were there to keep him moving. When she tried to halt him on voice, I’d be there to halt him as a back up.

And guys??

While Nashville may be a bit hard headed on the lunge, under “saddle” he is AMAZING. All it took was a tiny motion of my butt backwards and a very slight tightening of my ring fingers on the reins and he stopped. Instantly. None of this petering out, tightening my core all the way, hauling on the resin, seriously I mean halt you darn mare, bull crap. I thought halt and he did. I thought walk and he did.

Cutest face. Ever. 

What he lacks in ground work he more than makes up for under saddle. I CAN NOT FREAKING WAIT UNTIL THE GIRTH SHOWS UP!!!

 

Published by roamingridersite

16 thoughts on “Bareback Lesson. Nash Style”

  2. ermagherd his little face tho!!! what excellent news that your trainer liked him too – and even better that he seemed to improve so much even in just one session!! that bodes well!!! 😀

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  4. So it sounds like you need to take Nash to some shows, ya know to make sure he’s safe off property for Wyatt? And by the 100th show you might let Wyatt ride him to, but after you’ve gotten a chance to test him 1 more time, ya know just in case? 😉 hahahaha he sounds like such a cool pony 😎

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    1. I talked to J about one of her pony clubbers showing him in the pony jumpers this year. Wyatt won’t use him to that level and as long as he stays at my place I don’t mind someone else keeping him trained up and exercised. We will see what comes of it

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  9. Its perfect that he is great under saddle since that is what Wyatt will be doing primarily with him. He will get there on lunging. You’ve already proven that you don’t give up when faced with a challenging horse. lol

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