TwoDaysof Sunshine&AnotherBlackHorse. DQ question?

Consecutively, even! Wow. Actually felt not unpleasant being outside! 32 degrees Fahrly decent. Joanie always has a nice day. Dad was there for her until her last breath. Broke my tiny heart, how sweetly he took care of her, through her battle. Always felt a strange twist in my heart, because of Mom, of course. Children of divorce. Well, children of any broken family, divorced or no. ANYway.

No more melancholia today, not with the sunset painting a promise of more mildness tomorrow.

My Blaze puppy, looking woebegone in her getting her bath picture yesterday, is waiting on her cuddle time. Flip has settled down again, and needs a reminder escort for her outside duties. Or she cleans up. Eeeeewww. I've gotten some e-mails from other Kelpie owners about the very same issue, with various ideas and diagnosis offered. I'm of the opinion she has a screw loose:)

My horse musings are pretty quiet. Oh, wait, here's Andalusians of Grandeur for THE inspirational quote of the day.
AofG said:
"I have decided that when I get my weight and health issues sorted out and am finally ready to get back in the saddle, I will refrain from grabbing my horses' faces no matter what. So, the black twh filly will be ridden on a loose rein in wide open spaces till we both learn to balance. As for the Arab, I have to make it up to her for all those years of clinging with the hands, thumping with the legs, and ruthlessly flopping and wobbling with my seat causing further deterioration of the mouth. Yes, I can use the roundpen to get my confidence and stability back, but I yearn to go into a big open field and just let my horse move. I can start to focus on direction more once the horse's rhythm comes more naturally to me. I rode for years in an arena, and neither I nor my horse benefitted from it. If I have intent to go somewhere, that's where the wise Arab goes without fail."

Now, that's inspirational, kids.

It's one of the hardest, yet most exhilarating things to do on a horse. Let him be. Just, let him be a horse. Let him know you're honoured to be along.

Another Black Horse I rode, for a Farmer I'd had some prior history with, came to me as a spoiled, mouthy, over-flexed, chin-pinned to chest shit. He was four, I think when I started with him. Gawd, he was gorgeous. 16.2, Trakehner/TB cross. A Poster Child for Pretty. He was built so beautifully, the perfect wide forehead, perfect star, dish-faced, huge intelligent, bratty eyes. Oh, the initial ground work arguments we had! He bit me just about everywhere, for two days. I hurt my hand giving him a rap on his shoulder, and he finally quit. Timing was good, my aim was bad. OverHandfeeding from babyhood, bah! Oh, he's so cute! grrr.

Oh, they are the hardest to fix. The absolute worst. Give me a horse with his head stuck in the air, before a horse that's learned he can avoid everything with a tuck of his chin. It's shameful, what the wrong kind of early training can do to even the well-conformed, well-balanced horse. They aren't all built equally. But his early training sure didn't help him much. He could go anywhere, looking any direction at all. Bent like a goddamn pretzel. Of course, I'm up there saying "Helllo? Let's try straight? Just for a minute?" I just kept dropping his head, and moving him forward. Give him any type of rein pressure, and he disappeared, in front of you. Not good.

The only place I had to ride him was an open, very rolling, kinda junk infested field. We'd trailer once a month up to an arena, but otherwise I was schooling in all weathers and all footing. Within reason. I wasn't stupid by then. The horse hurt himself several times there. I tried, I did. I also had a full-time job by now, this is after I left teaching, after GoLightly. I wouldn't have been able to help this horse as well, without Lightly.

Anyway, I had a lesson with Mac Cone (amazing jumper rider, amazing guy) on this black horse, after I'd been working on him for about a month.
Mac Cone simply said "Just let him be a horse". The next weekend, we were Reserve Champions in the Green Hunters. (The horse had already shown 1 year of JUMPER when I started with him. Yeah, too young.)

Mac should have gotten the ride on this horse. He was that good a horse. But, the Farmer guy wanted the horse to do well without professional help. He turned down big offers for the horse, until I had to leave, as the Farmer wanted more than riding from me. I was also a little exhausted from trying to keep the fields safe enough to ride in. Yeah, I know, how do I find these people?? The horse ended up only suitable for dressage, and sold while still lame. He was a born jumper, wasted by too much, too soon.

The idea of curving a horse's body needs to be understood through his whole body, not just his NECK. Lengthwise and height-wise, the neck needs to follow the shape of the body. There is a sweet spot, just behind the poll, (approx. 4 inches) depends on the horse, that is where the crest of the neck should "flex". Can't remember the name of the muscle groups, darn it! A Dressage Queen would know. God love 'em. Christilot's clinic many years ago showed me that cool little "secret". Only it isn't a secret. The highest part of the crest of the neck, kinda "flips", as the correct bend is achieved.

Och, I'll look up the muscle names, but not now. Gotta get some sleep, and snuggle my puppy.
Anyway, the neck should "flip" ONLY there, any more and you're asking for a shoulder pooping out on you. I meant popping, but the other is funnier.
Overbending is an ugly thing for the horse. Rider thinks he's a superstar, the horse thinks, WTF, now where do I go? Oh, I can go ANYwhere! The channel, the touch, the timing. It's all gotta be there, be square.

Here's a cool old picture of a basket cradle collar. Just ahead of the collar, is the sweet spot, on the crest of the neck. (Is THAT what it's called??? HELP!)

Thanks, Andalusians. I love re-reading comments, and getting inspired, all over again! Didja try any of Christilot's exercises yet? Don't they burn? In a good way:) No Pain, No Gain. I still practice them, just in case a horse comes running up my driveway. You never know:)

To Natural, Balanced Happy Horses, enjoying their riders.
That's all that counts!