Poet

[Amanda.]

Glad everything is going so well with him
Cant wait to see you guys in action again!

[Danielle]

A really good ride yesterday! we did lots of transistion work, and his walk to trot transitions are becoming much smoother. I added in a little cantering for him yesterday. And for the first time in months, we did a few minutes of no stirrup work. He was so unsure of it at first but still did smooth upward and downward transitions. I'm really pleased with how his forward movement is going lately. He's become somewhat stuff with bending but over the next few rides, we'll work on circles, figure 8s, serpentines, ect.

[Danielle]

I haven't updated this in quite a while! I did not ride very much at all over the winter, due to school and the cursed Newfoundland weather. Today's ride was fairly good We did some bending at the walk and then at the trot, with trotting poles and a couple raised poles. He was cranky and pretty unwilling but his bending is coming along and he barely ever racks anymore, all trotting for the most part hoping to start a bit of jumping within the next while, as long as his flat work improves somewhat. Only a couple months until show season and I'm hoping to dabble on a bit of Western with him this year.

[Danielle]

Huge, huge, HUGE breakthrough with Poet yesterday. We finally figured out what's been making Poet tick for all these months. I've been sitting too far back, with my legs forward (in anticipation of bucking, bolting, ect.) and it has been throwing him off balance and making it very difficult for him to move forward, bend, do anything easily. After I positioned myself a couple inches more forward (sitting more on my pelvic bone instead of firmly on just my seat bones), he was so good! He was trotting, so easily and the floast-iest he's ever been! He was bending and doing transitions so much smoother and was even able to do a flying lead change on his back end to find his proper balance and lead We still have a lot of work to do and a long ways to go and we'll still have our days, but now that we have over come this huge challenge, we can freely move forward much quicker than we were before.

[maria]

That's great to hear Danielle!!! I love breakthroughs, for me it's like a light bulb just goes on!

[Danielle]

With this break through, it was like 5 light bulbs came on hahah. After months of fighting and such, he finally got it and it made it all worthwhile
Awesome lesson yesterday! We had our first good warm up in months, and then did lots of transition/forward movement work while working on keeping him on the rail. Then we started doing some poles and he's really learning how to actually get his trot active. We put up a one foot jump for him then and he was doing it great. Then we had a line of 2 one foot jumps, and he was doing it awesome, getting bored with after a couple times So Kathie got Sarah to pop on him for a second and tried him over two foot. He did it twice, no problem! Then I got on and tired him over it and he didn't pick up his feet enough and tripped over it pretty good. He was fine so we tried it again and he cleared it no problem! We did a bit more flatwork after and he was racking but he's catching on to when I strongly half halt and put my leg on strong, that's his cue to trot. He's never gotten that before and yesterday it just clicked! After months of fighting, he's come so far in two weeks and I could not be happier with him We won't be doing a lot of jumping until we do a lot more flat work and then it will be smaller jumps working on him doing courses smoothly, working on lines and such.

[Danielle]

Poet has been doing so great lately! We've had a couple shows, and he's done fairly well at both! He walks and trots now, and canters, but is still somewhat figuring out his leads.
Today, we had a lesson and he is now going to start being consistently jumped 2'! As long as his training keeps going as awesome as it is, we'll be jumping 2' at the Deer Lake show!! We jumped 2'3 today and he was great! He can do a 2' line in the proper three strides, and he has almost no dirt now. He's improved so much over the past couple weeks, with the consistent riding. Really happy with him!

[hjcayus]

Glad it's all coming together for the pair of you.

[Danielle]

Thanks!
I cannot believe this pony the past couple weeks. He's nothing like the horse he was a year and a half ago. He glues himself to rail, walk, trot, canter. He still racks a little but he's getting very good at trotting and will trot almost everytime I ask. His trot and canter are fairly forward now. His transitions are getting so good and he's completely gotten the concept of clucking for trotting and a kissing sound for a canter, to the point where I've started trotting him from a halt, and cantering from a walk (which he's getting really really good at!). He's jumping 2', 2'3 with no problem now! He knows how to use impulsion and understands that a half halt doesn't mean stop, just slow down a little and focus. He's getting really great with his leads and only flips when he takes corners a little tigh/sharpt, just a balance issue that he'll get over He stands to be bathed now, with very little dancing and no aggression, In fact, I hosed him off while I held today and he was great, just a little dancing around which he knocked off when I gave him a couple pulls on the lead line.
We have a little desensitizing to work on, with jumping (the scary flowers of doom and such haha), and I want to get him used to trails and roads. He's got nearly no dirt in him now and listens really well, forward but still able to be stopped on a dime. Now that he's got the bad-ness and most of the resistance out of him, he's flying through his other training. I'm really impressed with him!

[Danielle]

Great day today! we started off by lunging, something he really needs work on. His upward transitions were good and so were his downward but he really needs to learn how to woah when I say. He pulled hard at the canter once but he was really good other than that! I rode after and he was good, had an issue with a jump that we worked out. then we went on the road for the first time this year and he was more concerned with the sound of is hooves hitting pavement than the cars hahahaha. It was a really good day

[Danielle]

Another great ride! We did some flat work first, working on slowing down his canter a little, making him use his corners and working on transitions. Then we moved on to some jumping and he was excellent! He didn't refuse any, and he jumped most of them fairly nicely. He's getting his striding, take off spots and impulsion very good now! He clears 2'3 no problem now.

[whudson]

Just wondering why he is for sale ? Sound like he is doing really well, but between August and now is...I guess is a long time :-(

[Danielle]

I've just totally forgotten about this training log he did well at the pink show and we ended up with a couple provoncial high points at the end of the year (yay!! ) and at the end of November, he did his first simple lead change and did it perfectly! Couldn't have asked for better he's gotten very solid with hos correct leads too. I've just started seriously schooling him again but for the time he had off, I can't believe the work I'm getting out of him!
I'm looking on moving more in to jumpers and I'd like a taller horse. He's a wonderful boy, but he's just not right for me anymore.

[Danielle]

I know I haven't updated this in the longest time, but really, I haven't been working with Poet any amount the past few months. Just enough to keep him fresh and sane.
Last week, I started riding Poet Western because he's always been a laid back, put his head down kind of horse. He's completely changed. We've accomplished more in the past week than we have in the past 6 months (probably longer!). He's stopping off just my seat, going from jog to walk off my seat AND canter to walk off just my seat. His upwards are becoming quite phenomenal, such an improvement. He's learning to turn for my legs better and is catching on to neck reining. He's almost got turns on the haunches down, and he's learning to back up, slowly but surely. He's slowwww at the jog and has his head down real nice. He's still cantering more so than loping, but we'll work on that! He's making progress so quickly and he's such a happy pony. Anyone have any advice for Western riding/training? I've got the basis down for it, but any extra tips or advice anyone has to offer would be great
Oh and Poet's new show name is Don't Rush Me ;D I can't think of a more suiting show name for him!

[Danielle]

Great lesson today! Poet was turning off my leg and neck rein almost all the time. His downwards were great and he did his first few steps of side pass today too! His turn on the haunches were better today as well! Hoping to have him in a curb within a week or so!