On the road!

Marti Szczur

 Toby and I took off today for our adventure. 😀😀



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

April 14: A Bit about Bits

Marti Szczur
Image
Rainy morning, so we had a Theory Day, while Toby dried off in a stall with hay to munch. The theme was “bits.”   There are two types of bits … those used for direct contact or indirect contact.   A direct contact bit (e.g., a snaffle) is used for lateral flexion and power (which comes from horse taking the bit. Also allows for horse to become round in back and flex.) Considered “direct” because w hen you apply pressure to the reins of a snaffle bit, the horse feels the same amount of pressure in their mouth.     An indirect contact bit (e.g., curb bit in Western and in English double bridle) is designed to be used when you want to gain more vertical flexion, straightness and elevation. . Single curb bits are designed to be used for riding with one hand, not two hands, as they are not designed for lateral flexion movements. The curb bit is considered “indirect” because  it is a leverage bit , meaning that it multiplies the pressure applied by the rider. Unlike a...
Read more

May 1st: Last Day of Immersion

Marti Szczur
Image
Last lesson day of my HHHL immersion month was focused on reminders about my position (a never ending journey of learning, made even more challenging as my body parts age :-) and challenges of  beginning to improve lateral movements. Key to leg yields is having horse straight, as well as my body with quiet hands and legs. Look where on rail I want to end up, so I have a focus. And, softly direct with outside rein, while only correcting for straightness with inside rein, if needed. Hands together and use elbow and shoulders (torso) to control direction. It should be easy and fluid. Riiiiight. Shoulder-in was easier for us, and again, remember to keep my hands quiet. My torso is in same direction as Toby’s shoulder/head and leg aids are subtle.  Haunches-in is not easy for us. It was difficult for Toby to bend around my leg and place haunches in while bending. It was hard for me to keep my dang legs long. This will be an area for improvement. Luckily, the lesson was vi...
Read more

April 16 and 17: Liberty Morning, Dinner with the Villagers, and Practice, Practice, Practice

Marti Szczur
Image
 April 16 I love Liberty because it is the true test of the connection you have with your horse. No rope or halter, so your horse is either with you or not or somewhere in between. While Toby is fairly advanced in Liberty, I needed some help on improving my clarity of requests. I wanted him to make a small circle around me, as opposed to circling around the rail of the round pen. He wanted to please, but could not figure out what I wanted. Linda got in the round pen with me to help me understand how to communicate this to him.  Then, we got the ultimate treat of watching Linda play at Liberty with Jazz and Highland. Linda has such finesse with her body language. She barely moves to "dance" with her horses. They are so connected, and she is so clear with her request. Jazz is elegant and powerful. Highland is so exuberant and fun to watch.  A real treat today. The afternoon was special because my host/hostess, Bill and Claudia, had a pre-Easter dinner, with their "Villager...
Read more