So I have dug out the GoPro, and figured I would start trying out its many different attachments, to see what footage I could get. I realised my chest harness is fab for be able to see my hands and the horse in front of me.
Travis is the kind of horse that can look great in photos and videos, but honestly, never feels great to ride. He lures you into over riding and be over fussy with your hands, legs and even your body language. When you sit quietly you feel like nothing is happening, including nothing from him and it is easy to nag him every step. I am finding keeping my hands still hard, as he will chose to lean or use the inside rein for balance and will fall out of the outside shoulder without 100% consistency on the outside rein.
I will definitely use this video angle more often, it is interesting to see in the walk my hands are still and level, inside hand is slightly open with as little contact as possible to prevent leaning, in the trot my hands are still quiet, but I do allow the reins to get too long, I am able to maintain an OK contact, but this comes undone when I ask for the canter, as he comes up, my reins are too long and I lose my contact, throwing my reins at him, in that key moment I lose my communication in his weakest gait.
For comparison I have a video of how it looks from the floor, actually my hands don't look to bad or unsettled and my reins don't look like washing lines, but there is enough 'flapping' to lose that connection.
This has really made me concentrate on my hands for the moment and consider some key questions: What am I telling my horse? Am I helping my horse? Am I hindering my horse? Or am I confusing my horse?
I would love to be able to see my feet more closely, but i'm not sure how Travis would feel about a selfie stick attached to his breast plate!
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We had another couple of busy weeks both with work and the horses – don’t know where the time has gone!
We managed to get two lessons in, one on each weekend for Bob. The first one was fantastic, we did some bounce fences (which yes I was worried he would revert back to his old ways and jump as a spread instead of a bounce – but luckily he didn’t!)
Now that Christmas and the New Year are behind us, along with the shortest day, it is time to start thinking ahead to sunny days and planning shows!
Upkeep of your horsebox is not only key to maintaining the safety of your vehicle but crucial to keeping your horses safe and sound. When it comes to horsebox maintenance, much of your focus should be on the floors and walls of your vehicle.
Owners need to check their horse’s health and wellbeing all year round, but winter can be an especially challenging time. From the cold unpredictable weather, to sparse fields and animals being more prone to illness, your horse will need more care and attention over the winter months.