Sammie Dancin'

I explained to my Riding Instructor (she comes to me every other week) about the situation I find myself in with Sammie about to go barefoot on his backs. She checked his shoes to make sure our efforts during the week hadn’t twisted his shoes and said she thought it would be a good idea to do some long reining practice if that was going to be the way forward with Sammie for the time being.

She's such a realistic and practical person and after hearing the whole story she made the point that he is now happier, healthier and has more muscular strength than he had before so that might just be the key to history repeating itself. She also said it might be a good idea just to get the vet out every couple of months or so just to check him over and put my mind at rest as she knows I'll be worrying like crazy and that could put me off working him.

Anyway enough of that... onto long lining, or long reining, which is what I think we were doing today. Well, my RI made me sick! I know Sammie's a good boy and we're not doing badly, but it was a whole new level watching what she can coax out of him with seeming ease. Sammie was as sharp as pin once she laid down the ground rules. He did his lovely trotting and then I mentioned that the canter (especially on the right) could be more problematical. "Ok", she said with a grin on her face. And Sammie literally just popped into canter. I couldn't even see what she did it was so smooth.

In fact all she did was get the trot right and then moved her inside hand forward with a click click sound to encourage him. I thought it just can't be that simple, but I managed it as well. Couldn't believe it. A lot of it is to do with keeping your horse's attention totally on you and RI had Sammie's attention hook, line and sinker. He was dancin'!

Oh and to bring him back to walk she just whistled very softly (makes you breathe out) and to stop completely it was two low whistles. She also reminded me about positioning of my own body, which had gone a bit off the boil as well.

She kept making the point that he has to do as I ask. If he goes off wrongly, he has to be brought back to start again. All the stuff I know, but often put up with because it's just Sammie and me, and we get into a bit of a routine about things, or perhaps too much familiarity.

"Precision" is a good word to describe RI's way of working. And Sammie wasn't stressed out at all. He worked hard seemed to actually quite enjoy it - he certainly had his horizontal ear action going on. She calls those "clicker ears" because they're relaxed, but focusing on what's being asked rather than anything going on around them.

Then it was lateral work. The lines went on the higher rings and she made it look so darned easy to get him to move across, crossing his back legs like a pro. I got in a bit of a tangle when I tried and found it all rather confusing, but at least I know it's possible and I'll just have to try to work on it. Then it was the start (only the very start) of piaffe - not something you can try on your own I think, but good to see. You back up in a two time rhythm with someone at the front end and then you let them ping them forwards. Sammie managed two steps of it I think, but boy, did he look impressive!

Then we tried a wee bit of Spanish Walk as Sammie was starting to offer it for some reason. RI got him to walk forwards on a good contact and she was close to his body. She had both reins in one hand and a lunging stick in the other. She just pointed to the inside leg and said "Up" and bless him he remembered - only with the inside leg but he was still moving forwards which is the important thing. Then the little love started offering both legs up (probably to see if he could get himself an extra treat, which he did of course!) and he looked just wonderful. So up, proud and boingy, but in control. Then he got a bit confused and over excited and did a sort of bow with both legs forward which made RI chuckle.

As I said, it made me quite sick to see just how good someone else is with him, but I really love this stuff and I think it's so good for the horse to be able to do it all without the distraction of a rider on board.

Crikey, if I left my RI to long rein Sammie for a month, he'd be an absolute star by the end. She said he'd probably worked harder than he would in a ridden lesson but he didn't really give her an ounce of trouble once she got him on her wavelength. He's more balanced on the left rein than the right but with work like that I'm sure we could even up quite nicely. I'd have lessons like that all week if I could, I just find it so fascinating.

It was good to do something so positive after the week I've had. Lord knows what we're going to be facing over the next few months, but Sammie has proved himself to be such a willing and talented lad over the last year - he was just waiting for us to find the right buttons that were hidden so deeply.