Sydney Can Stretch

5/25/2012

I really need to get some video or photos of Sydney under saddle. He is doing so much better these last six weeks or so. I rode last night and came home with a feeling of contentment and a sense of progress.

It seemed that as soon as I let go of my plan to start showing him this summer, the tension just melted out of both of us. I also decided not to sell him ... at least not this summer. That also helped us relax. If all we can do for the next however long is walk and trot, then that's what we'll do. I'd rather have a lot of safe and happy walk/trot than a little bit of Oh, crap! cantering.

So what have I been doing? Lots of walking and trotting while asking, asking, asking for a long and low neck. To the right, the side that bends reasonably well, he can stretch way down, and he does so with very little resistance. To the left, his stiff side, it's a whole other story. When we go left, I have to walk a fine line with the outside rein. If I let him have too much, the circle gets huge and he won't make the left turn. If I take hold of the outside rein with too much strength, I can feel him get tense. He doesn't like the feeling of too much contact. So I use a ton of outside leg and a medium amount of rein to ask him to turn. I also rock the inside rein to get his neck to let loose just a bit. I squeeze him forward and give him every opportunity to reach and stretch through the bend. When he does, I soften everything and praise him like he's just won Olympic gold.

It might be a slow pokey way of accomplishing long and low, but it's working. There's no bolting or rearing, and his ears stay soft and floppy. We might have to do this all summer. We might have to do this forever. I am pretty much okay with that as long as I feel safe and he seems happy. For now, it's a pleasant way to spend a half an hour.

Tina

5/25/2012 02:55:02 am

Hi Karen, Just a thought, and I'm sure this may have crossed your mind too, but have you had a thorough vet exam to see if he's hurting somewhere? Or has scars, not necessiarly visable, from a past injury? With that dramatic of a difference from side to side he could have an old injury that he's protecting somewhere. And even if there is no current pain, there could be the memory of past pain that might be causing this stiffness and resistence going to the left.

Karen

5/25/2012 11:52:08 am

He's been checked by the vet several times although I would love for him to see the chiropractor. Unfortunately, the guy I like won't come work on just one or two horses. That visit is still on the horizon. My trainer has checked him out as well and feels that he just hasn't been worked evenly. In the 11 months I've had him, his flexibility has improved tremendously. He can now almost touch his nose to his side on the right, and he's getting there on the left.

When my shoer first did him last summer, we were both dismayed at how painful the job was for Sydney. He was so stiff in his back, shoulders, and butt that holding his feet up for the farrier was difficult. I've done a ton of body work with him over the year and know that he is getting softer, but it's just taking a while.

Val

5/25/2012 11:46:09 pm

Awesome, Karen! This is great to hear.

I used to ride a TB/QH who could get very nervous due to rein contact. He could move beautifully and had lots of talent, but he would check out if he felt trapped by the reins. One thing that my trainer taught me to do was to keep softly squeezing the outside rein even in steady contact. The inside rein was already soft, but he could not even tolerate a strong, supportive outside rein at times. Gently sponging the rein kept him calm and allowed him to progress without tension. The movement of the rider's fingers was so tiny that his nose did not move in response. It was more a psychological comfort than anything else. I just remembered it when I read your post about the lovely, Sydney.

5/25/2012 11:57:53 pm

That's one of the things JL works with us on. Lots of pulsing or "sponging" on the rein - both sides! If he thinks I am going to "hold" him, he just gets more and more tense. We think it has a lot to do with her personality and time on the track.

When he "scoots" forward, like he's thinking of spooking or bolting, I have to use every ounce of will power to NOT grab the rein. Instead, I either give him more rein (very counter intuitive), or I pull him around to the side so that his feet can still move, but he can't pick up speed!

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Not-So-Speedy Dressage