ZAN - 5 year old chestnut pinto mare

[Sara]

Zan's thread just does not reflect what a little gem she is.

It's been a dark icky winter so far and I have not been as motivated, as I should be, but the weather was crappy in the mountains and I was up early this morning (and bailed on riding last night) so I figured I'd try and get a few rides in today.

Zan is simply a pleasure to be around. She's a very good girl on the ground... easy to catch and handle. Good with her feet, blanket, fine with being sprayed (showsheen for her tail) and so on. She's also fine in a stall and seems to get along fine with the other horses on the property. She is very easy to tack up- no issues with the saddle (she would prefer the girth go a little at a time but isn't nippy or kicky about it) or bridle.

She is very forward at the trot, but not naughty. I did get a small kick-out each direction at the canter. Not in a balky way, just more of a "woohoo!" I think. She's just not very complicated to ride.

I'm hoping maybe to do some schooling shows on her, if she lasts that long. She is just ready to go and I think the first person who comes to look at her will take her home.

[cricket]

She'd make a cute little Western Pleasure horse.

[Sara]

Yep, I agree! I don't ride western at all, but I think it'd be easy to take her that direction.

ETA: Jamie took some video of us riding. She does give a small buck/kick out going into the canter. She's had over 60 days of professional training but *is* still green. Also, she has had over a month off. As you'll see, canter was easier to the right than the left.

www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150117260143755

www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150117260143755#!/video/video.php?v=10150117252948755

[kdunham]

She looks really good! :-)

[Sara]

I liked Zan so much I called the trainer to see if she'd come down and give me a lesson today.

While Zan was a bit of a nut on the lunge line yesterday (bucking and racing around before settling in) today she gave me a quiet, rythmic trot instead. I've been told this normal for her- she needs to be lunged if she has more than one day off- but otherwise it's fine to just jump right on her.

Andrea gave me the rundown of what they had been working on with her (encouraging a slower, more rhythmic, trot) how to get a nice canter depart (no kicking out today at all), how to push her steering buttons, how to keep her from curling behind the vertical and some work on better walk/trot transitions (up and down).

My background is not dressage (and, a lot has changed even in the 10 or so years I took off rom riding) so I still feel a little like a pig on rollerskates but such an interesting process.

[Sara]

Zan and I rode last night, despite the wind. I decided to lunge her first to see how she felt with the wind whipping and let her adjust to the sound the arena roof makes with a big gust (it even made me jump the first few times I heard it!).

She gave a few bucks on the lungeline but seemed to have her wits about her so I hopped on. At first she was on her toes a bit and kept trotting faster and faster (and breaking into canter). I figured this was as good at time as any to work on our transitions. We did lots of walk/halt/walk/trot/walk/trot/walk/halt in both directions. When she felt like she was listening we did a couple of trot/canter transitions in each direction. The right is easy, the left requires more work. To be fair, I think it's me not asking quite right. She's very sensitive to leg so I'm trying to get with the program of asking with my seat, while not losing my leg, without giving her a "bump" (which is my natural inclination). When I get it right- she just steps right into the canter- it's just figuring out how to recreate that feeling reliably that's the challenge!