lightly schooled hack to show cob

[davina11]

i've set my self a MAJOR challenage of gettin kelin up to show level. earlier this week i found out the horses i was meant to be showing this year and the youngster i was meant to be huntering this season, who i both rode for a lady on the yard up the lane has moved yard without telling me, she didn't even text me, which was rather rude. i have no idea where she gone either.

anyway i have lost 2 horses i ride, so have more time to get kelin up to show level hopefully. this is kelin background for those who don't know, i brought her from a market 4yr ago, i'm only her second owner and she had been driven and been a broadmare, so i rebacked her and hack for 2.5yr, then i reschooled her and taught her to jump, then i got a friends show cob to ride and youngster to back and school and kelin trainning was put back a bit but now i lost the cob and tryin to get kelin up to show level. kelin is spooky and very strong willed pony and had not listen to my leg constantly up until a few weeks ago but she loves her work and she has the most amazing breedin on her sire side but her dam was off the mountain so she has got that old welsh cob thing about her

i rode her 2day and i think it's reactable but it will take alot of work, but now i have got drive to get her up a level i think will get there, i have moved out of the field where the jumps are, as i can get bored of schooling and jump instead so we have moved and this field is also bigger, so it all good

the things i found i need to work on are
* on the right rein she doesn't canter like she does on the other rein
* on the left rein she wants to canter instead of trot
* i can't get her to circle any bigger then 10m on each rein
* sometimes in canter she loses a back leg, it like she went to stand on it but it wasn't there,so she can of slips/falls of the back end, it's rather hard to explain really

but other than that she went perfect today, she had her draw rein put back on today as well, for some reason and soon as she has them on she a dream to school, she listens to my aids and is better mannered,i also have normal reins on and well i hack out i drop the draw rein and ride normally

so next year i looking to get her out to shows, i probley start with equitation, then move on the ridden M&M hopefully

wow sorry it a bit long

[bornagainhorsewoman]

I've been told that long-lining helps them to bend better and get a little more flexible and I've seen arguments in favour of and against lunging but am not qualified to discuss. Missy, our older mare, is rubbish on the lunge as she takes off and tries to run into you. Longlining she was much more relaxed and moved very nicely. Tehya is lazier on long lines but moves nicely. She's quicker on the lunge but is inclined to flatten given half a chance! Don't know what that tells you, if anything!!

Good luck anyway. Sounds like you have set yourself some goals there! Good for you!