Winston

[Champ]

I'm starting work with another horse and these training logs seem quite useful so I will begin one for "Winston."

Winston is a new guy I am free leasing in Calgary. He is a 5 year old dutch warmblood X thoroughbred with solid groundwork in english and western, and started over jumps. He's a chestnut, about 16.1 hands high, VERY fat from a lazy summer and lots of grass.

His paddock mates are a 12 year old quarter horse named Willow who is used in team penning, and a 2 year old unbroke quarter horse colt named Cooper. When we got to the ranch, he ran right over to see us.

Today we rode with his owner and Willow, and he was a superstar! Quite a change from some of the untrained horses I've ridden lately... We warmed up and got to know each other for the first half hour at a walk and trot, and I discovered (much to the surprise and delight of my arthritic body) that I can comfortable sit to even his extended trot! His canter is very, very smooth and nice on the left, but disorganized and uneven to the right. He leans on that side and switches to the wrong lead, so we will be working on fixing that right side up!

Anyways, just thought I would share since I am in lonely Calgary with no horsey friends to speak of and you guys are my only connection to the horsey world!! I will try to take pics next time I am out.

[Erin ♥]

Sounds like alot of fun Kelly! Your really lucky you get to ride so many different horses.

[Allie]

Sounds good Kelly!
Picturesss!

[katlyn]

Yes pictures would be nice!

[Champ]

Here's some shots of Winston:







And his paddock buddies. This is Willow, she's a 12 year old quarter horse mare. She's a reiner.







And Cooper, he's a 2 year old quarter horse colt we are starting to break on Thursday.







And the Rooster and hens:

[Champ]

This is my third ride with Winston and today we started some actual training- the previous two rides were mostly just excercise and working him a bit. Today we worked on halt-trot and halt-canter transitions to build some muscle, and did a frustrating half an hour of work to get him to pick up his right lead canter. His owner says she's only seen him pick it up once before, but I kept him on a tight circle and he can get it that way. Unfortunately he flips it after about 5 strides or becomes disunited if I take him out of the small circle. So if anyone has any hints besides the basics for getting him to pick up his right lead I am all ears- we've been doing it on a small circle, starting from a walk, and working on flexing/bending.

The only problem I had today- and I should mention he is still a bay, but this is still unacceptable!- is we stopped to talk to his owner for a while and had a little break. While we are standing there he just LAY DOWN! I mean he buckled his kness and lay down on the ground while I was on him. His owner was so embarassed, but Winston seemed to think this was ok, and looked perplexed when I became upset with him. Horses.

[Erin ♥]

He looks a lot like Bueno! Good luck with him!

[Champ]

Went for a ride on Winston the other day and he was very good. His owner worked him a bit while I was gone home to NL to keep him in shape. This week we were trying to get him into a frame- which I found out works much better when I wear my spurs!! So it is english spurs from here on out.

We worked on a 20 metre circle most of the time, and I ended up more interested in his balance and rhythm than his frame. He has a habit of hopping into an enthusiastic trot only to revert, one circle later, to a jog. Thats when the spurs came out and I managed a nice extended trot for a while.

In the canter this time he picked up a nice left lead canter and a crazy, leaning right canter for about 2 strides, but long toes kept making clumsy steps and his farrier is shoeing him soon. For now we will work on that trot.

On the plus side, if I can get a lend of a western saddle I am taking him cattle penning!! Woo hooo!!!

[abby]

Cattle penning!!! thats fantastic!

[Becca]

cattle penning? im so jelous!! have fun it's fun just to watch haha

[katlyn]

Wow you guys seem to be doing good ...
THere nice horses !
Sexy hens there

[Kaitlyn]

Oh my gosh Kelly you are so lucky they are all such cute horses