First week in outdoor ring with Catalina

Well it’s been a few days since I’ve written but I want to update everyone on Catalina’s first week outside.

She was very good. I rode her on Thursday in the outdoor for the first time and just gave her a relaxed good experience, not asking too much of her and finishing a bit earlier than normal to reward her for her good behavior.

On Friday I had a lesson with Carole. Catalina was a bit more nervous starting out as the dogs were running in and out of the Gazebo and there were a few people watching.
However I gave her a bit of time to look around and start to breath and when I got started on our first trot exercise she was all business.

We started out working on the big square and getting my outside rein more confirmed.  She loves the security of the outside rein and is accepting this very well.

Carole wants her to be “warmer on my legs” and so we worked on half halts through my square turns and then closing more leg on her as we went out straight.

Carole calls this “smothering the horse with your legs” It is not that your leg should be tight by any means or that you should constantly squeeze but you should have your legs wrapped around the horses belly and this helps to fill up the contact.

We also worked on our walk halts; again halting with the outside rein and allowing Catalina to fall in a little with the inside hind.

When halting a young horse it is important that they do not feel too confined so you should halt one hind leg and let the other fall out a bit. With a young horse you halt the outside rein as this should be the first thing to get really confirmed in a horse.  The outside rein will forever be your balancing and straightening rein.

Remember when we talk about the outside or inside rein we are really talking about the whole side of the horse’s body and all of its parts. The feeling on the rein is a result of how the horse is carrying his or her body.

I’m happy that Catalina is enjoying the outdoors. She got the weekend off to allow her muscles to rest and will start up again on Tuesday.