Cavalli Connections » The lifelong pursuit of classical riding.

Thoroughbred Week Part 1

So they say, be careful what you wish for…and I wanted more horses to ride so that I can get better, and upon returning to Arizona last week that’s exactly what I got.

This week is officially Crazy Thoroughbred Week at Cavalli Connections.  The older sister of the little girl who rides Trixie asked me to ride her OTTB 3-4 times this week while she’s out of town at a college equestrian camp, and another friend has asked me to ride her thoroughbred 3-4 times a week indefinitely.  The first one I have ridden sporadically, when they need someone to ride him and/or when they’re out of town.  The latter I had never ridden…until Tuesday night.

Now, I have unofficially labeled myself as a pony specialist because that’s where I’m most comfortable.  Throw me on anything 13-14.2 and I’m good to go.  But that’s exactly why I need to ride the bigger horses.  To step out of my comfort zone and improve.

In these cases, it’s not just the size!  What really scares me is that these two thoroughbreds have been trained incorrectly non-classically and it’s a little unnerving to me to be on top a 1200 pound animal that doesn’t get what I’m trying to say most of the time.  That’s why it’s not really an issue for me to ride Wilt, even though he’s big.  I feel like my 4 weeks of being home and riding him had really put me in the mode for the bigger movement, but they’ve also really spoiled me…

Enter thoroughbred #1.  Ryan is a 16 year old OTTB that is riddled with aches and pains and is mostly used for hunter jumper for his owner.  When I first met Ryan, I was told horror stories about him taking off, bucking, rearing, etc.  In the “winter” in Arizona he can be really high and there were a few times I rode him over the winter and he would do the whole shoot-out-from-under-me thing which put my heart in my throat.  But he came back and never did anything more than that with me.  As I observed him being ridden more and more, I realized why he is the way he is, and I worry a lot less since I ride very differently.  He’s also as sweet as they come and when my Mom came out to Arizona last year she rode him and said that he doesn’t have a mean bone in his body.  We’ve developed a little friendship since I see him all the time when I’m riding Trixie, etc. and I get the feeling he likes me.  I sneak him a massage every once in awhile if I have extra time when I’m done with Trixie.

On Tuesday morning we headed down to the arena for our first ride of the week.  Ryan is really funny in that if you sing/hum to him quietly he puts his head down right next to you and practically falls asleep.  So by the time we walk the quarter mile or so to the arena he is really relaxed.    He had been jumped both Saturday and Sunday so his owner could be extra prepared for her equestrian camp, so I expected him to be a little stiff.  And stiff he was.  I was working a heck of a lot harder than him trying to get him going forward and I felt like there was an anvil at the end of the reins.  I realized how stiff the right side of his body is; he listened to the weight aids (mostly) for turning right but whenever I stepped into my left stirrup to go left he said “nope, too hard”.

Yesterday was a big improvement.  He went forward more easily, tripped less, hung on my hands less, and was a little more right-on with what I asked.  I was able to do more circles, serpentines, etc. without feeling like I had to pull him around.  The thing I was most proud of was that he stretched down a little when I let him take the reins out of my hands.  He had gotten it a little the first day but when I asked on the second day it was like he remembered that it felt good to stretch his back and he gave me more.  That’s huge for him.

It’s nice to be able to ride him 4 days in a row.  (And in July I’ll be riding him while they’re out of town for 2.5 weeks of that month.)  One of the biggest frustrations for me is riding a horse every once in a while.  There’s just not a whole lot you can do to help them when you’re not working with them consistently!

Heading out today for ride #3 this morning on Ryan with high hopes.  Watch for my next entry on thoroughbred #2!