Aries Training Journal Updated 03-04-09

A J · 10-19-2008, 06:46 PM

So, along with many others who have given us a training journal to follow, I thought I'd include one with the horse I'm just getting started. I'll try to remember to update it occasionally to track our progress.

Stats: 6 year old Trakehner gelding. Was backed a couple times a few years ago, but left out in pasture since then. I started working with him two months ago, but was somewhat hindered by worse-than-poor arenas and no safe place to work him, however, we did manage to get started in groundwork and lunging, sidereins, etc.

Naturally Aries is a very high headed horse, and carries it that way, so getting him to start lowering his nose has been a bit of a chore. He also tends towards lazy, so a new concept may take a couple/few weeks to set in, so we introduce new things very slowly.

I've just recently started riding him, we had our fifth ride yesterday! I ride every other session, so 2 times a week, and lunge the other two days (that's all my schedule and the current daylight hours allow!).

I've got some pictures just of him, I'll try to get some pictures and/or a video of him under saddle, although he's still pretty "sloppy" at this point. He's quiet though, so we haven't had any unscheduled dismounts and have WTC in the big arena already. Thankfully he's pretty good about picking up his leads, I only have to set him up for it a little bit, unlike some young horses who can really be a pain to pick up one lead or the other. Other than his laziness, he's coming along nicely.

We've also had to work a lot on his endurance - he had NO muscle when he came, and about 30 seconds of trotting and he was sweating! He still gets tired faster than I would like, but it's improved a lot as well. We've also worked out that yes, we will canter - at first we had a mini war about that as he figured it was too much work to canter.

So here are before pictures:

And these were taken today - not a huge difference yet, but he's getting there slowly. Now that we're at the new barn and I can work him regularly, his training should come along much faster! (sorry, taken with phone):

kshnooks · 10-20-2008, 05:24 PM

no way, I can already see a huge difference, in his topline and neck. Great job! He sure it puuuurdy

!

A J · 10-20-2008, 07:38 PM

He's pretty gangly, but is a really nice mover, so I think he'll look really good under saddle once he gets going well!

I was noticing a difference, but didn't want to think it was only my imagination, either!

scrapchick · 10-20-2008, 07:42 PM

I can see a difference, he is very pretty! handsome.

Cappysmom · 10-21-2008, 09:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scrapchick

I can see a difference, he is very pretty! handsome.

I double this. He looks alot better.

A J · 11-11-2008, 05:01 PM

Our work has continued. Now that I finally managed to get his teeth done, we've been able to progress a little more as I can start really asking him to give to the bit more than we could before.

He's really starting to round up and work through his back a lot more, and we've been riding about 2 days a week and lunging or roundpenning on the other days. Most of the time he's pretty good, although Saturday he was a turd under saddle, but he was very good today. Slowly making progress, but it's at least in a forward direction!

Trying to get more consistancy with him and he's getting there. No photos under saddle since I keep forgetting my real camera, but here's a few from this weekend in the roundpen and one from today without his stuff on. Sorry for the poor quality, all were taken with my cell phone!

A J · 11-23-2008, 10:19 PM

Finally got a short video of him under saddle. We've probably had about a dozen or so rides, I only have time to ride 3 days a week, and do groundwork a fourth day, and until recently was only riding 2 days/groundwork 2 days.

He was being naughty when we took the video, and then the battery died before he started to settle down and work (of course) - he was pretty good the day before, and later after this was taken, but oh, well! Watcha gonna do, right?

So, anyways, here it is...sorry, nothing fancy but just to keep a record of where he's at! Video is just over 1 minute long.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o44QIG1OckU

AlbertaGirl · 11-23-2008, 10:37 PM

He reminds me a lot of the 4 year old Appendix Trakehener (QHxTrak), named Sam, that I started last year

! He could be lazy too, and also had some sort of mystery history - story got changed on me a couple times - but I'm pretty darn sure I'm the first person to really have ridden him.

When Sam first came to me:

After he'd been here for a while, and gottened fattened/muscled up a bit:

Anyhow, sorry for kinda stepping in on your topic there, I just really liked Sam a lot, and Aries certainly made me think of him! He's a very handsome horse - looks like he's coming along well; good luck with him

!

A J · 11-23-2008, 10:46 PM

They are very similar! Aries was full of himself today

not sure why, but he got really naughty about 30 seconds after our battery died - but then we got back to work and after that he was pretty good - wished I had gotten that on video instead

kshnooks · 11-24-2008, 11:34 AM

ah, gotta love head tossers

I think he looks great, and what a nice trot!! Looks like you are doing so well with him...

I can't remember the story, but who owns him?

A J · 11-24-2008, 05:06 PM

He's owned by someone who contacted me through an ad I had on a local horse website - so I've met her, but not a "friend" or anything like that.

Carri · 11-24-2008, 07:04 PM

I am glad it is going well. He sure is a pretty boy!

A J · 01-12-2009, 04:51 PM

Well, we've continued to move on! I've started doing a fair amount of transition work and am mostly focusing on the dressage training scale - so right now rythmn and relaxation, starting to ask for that bit of contact. He's still pretty fussy with his head, so I pretty much try to stay out of his face and let him take up the contact. We've been doing a lot more riding other than when my back was having issues - he's definitely worse when other horses are in the arena, but he needs to learn to work both ways so I don't avoid that at all, either.

Here's an updated video taken this weekend:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrjOxsvtfAg

A J · 01-15-2009, 08:50 PM

Tried a little bitty jump today - he did fine, tried to stop and had to make him walk over it the first two times, finally hopped it on the third try. Mostly it just felt like a good day to give it a try - at least he's not a huge over jumper or one to freak out at the flower boxes

kshnooks · 01-15-2009, 09:36 PM

he looks really good! I just watched the video, looks like he has a really nice canter for someone who just a little while ago was out of shape and unmuscled. I am thinking we need some more glamour shots of your boy too...

A J · 01-15-2009, 09:45 PM

I'll try to get some this weekend - I tried to get one today, he was looking all slick and shiney, and I had just put dressing on his hooves, then as soon as I grabbed my camera, wouldn't you know it, he moved and stood like a dork again

Couldn't get him to square back up nicely, either

A J · 01-17-2009, 06:33 PM

Just some updated pics taken after our ride today

A J · 03-04-2009, 09:13 PM

Due to winter weather we haven't been able to ride as often as I'd like, but there's still been some significant improvement over the last couple months. We've been working a lot on "forward" and to his responsivness to my legs, which has improved significantly. He's even starting to pick up a bit more contact more consistantly. With all the rain we sometimes get stuck just lunging for a week or two, and I don't like to lunge much more than 3 times a week since he gets plenty of turnout, but at least the arena is nice enough that with about 12 hours of drain time it's great footing again!

Here's some (bad

) pictures I took today while lunging - my aim was off (hard to lunge and snap photos at the same time so I cut his head off in a few) but there's a pretty big difference between these and our last lunging and even riding pics/vids. I'll get a new video up again when we're able!

And a not-so-glamorous glamour shot

Carri · 03-05-2009, 07:45 AM

He is looking really great, it sounds like he is coming along well even with the bad weather.

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10-19-2008, 06:46 PM
A J Greenbroke Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Vallejo, CA Posts: 3,856	Aries Training Journal Updated 03-04-09 So, along with many others who have given us a training journal to follow, I thought I'd include one with the horse I'm just getting started. I'll try to remember to update it occasionally to track our progress. Stats: 6 year old Trakehner gelding. Was backed a couple times a few years ago, but left out in pasture since then. I started working with him two months ago, but was somewhat hindered by worse-than-poor arenas and no safe place to work him, however, we did manage to get started in groundwork and lunging, sidereins, etc. Naturally Aries is a very high headed horse, and carries it that way, so getting him to start lowering his nose has been a bit of a chore. He also tends towards lazy, so a new concept may take a couple/few weeks to set in, so we introduce new things very slowly. I've just recently started riding him, we had our fifth ride yesterday! I ride every other session, so 2 times a week, and lunge the other two days (that's all my schedule and the current daylight hours allow!). I've got some pictures just of him, I'll try to get some pictures and/or a video of him under saddle, although he's still pretty "sloppy" at this point. He's quiet though, so we haven't had any unscheduled dismounts and have WTC in the big arena already. Thankfully he's pretty good about picking up his leads, I only have to set him up for it a little bit, unlike some young horses who can really be a pain to pick up one lead or the other. Other than his laziness, he's coming along nicely. We've also had to work a lot on his endurance - he had NO muscle when he came, and about 30 seconds of trotting and he was sweating! He still gets tired faster than I would like, but it's improved a lot as well. We've also worked out that yes, we will canter - at first we had a mini war about that as he figured it was too much work to canter. So here are before pictures: And these were taken today - not a huge difference yet, but he's getting there slowly. Now that we're at the new barn and I can work him regularly, his training should come along much faster! (sorry, taken with phone): __________________ Try not, do or do not. There is no try. Last edited by A J : 03-04-2009 at 09:07 PM.

10-20-2008, 05:24 PM
kshnooks Started Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: California Posts: 2,387	no way, I can already see a huge difference, in his topline and neck. Great job! He sure it puuuurdy !

10-20-2008, 07:38 PM
A J Greenbroke Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Vallejo, CA Posts: 3,856	He's pretty gangly, but is a really nice mover, so I think he'll look really good under saddle once he gets going well! I was noticing a difference, but didn't want to think it was only my imagination, either! __________________ Try not, do or do not. There is no try.

10-20-2008, 07:42 PM
scrapchick Kid Safe Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Festus, Missouri Posts: 7,020	I can see a difference, he is very pretty! handsome. __________________ ....And I will sail my vessel, 'til the river runs dry, like a bird upon the wind , these waters are my sky - I'll never reach my destination if I never try ...So I will sail my vessel ,'til the river runs dry ...

11-11-2008, 05:01 PM
A J Greenbroke Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Vallejo, CA Posts: 3,856	Our work has continued. Now that I finally managed to get his teeth done, we've been able to progress a little more as I can start really asking him to give to the bit more than we could before. He's really starting to round up and work through his back a lot more, and we've been riding about 2 days a week and lunging or roundpenning on the other days. Most of the time he's pretty good, although Saturday he was a turd under saddle, but he was very good today. Slowly making progress, but it's at least in a forward direction! Trying to get more consistancy with him and he's getting there. No photos under saddle since I keep forgetting my real camera, but here's a few from this weekend in the roundpen and one from today without his stuff on. Sorry for the poor quality, all were taken with my cell phone! __________________ Try not, do or do not. There is no try.

11-23-2008, 10:19 PM
A J Greenbroke Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Vallejo, CA Posts: 3,856	Finally got a short video of him under saddle. We've probably had about a dozen or so rides, I only have time to ride 3 days a week, and do groundwork a fourth day, and until recently was only riding 2 days/groundwork 2 days. He was being naughty when we took the video, and then the battery died before he started to settle down and work (of course) - he was pretty good the day before, and later after this was taken, but oh, well! Watcha gonna do, right? So, anyways, here it is...sorry, nothing fancy but just to keep a record of where he's at! Video is just over 1 minute long. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o44QIG1OckU __________________ Try not, do or do not. There is no try.

11-23-2008, 10:37 PM
AlbertaGirl Greenbroke Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Alberta Posts: 3,906	He reminds me a lot of the 4 year old Appendix Trakehener (QHxTrak), named Sam, that I started last year ! He could be lazy too, and also had some sort of mystery history - story got changed on me a couple times - but I'm pretty darn sure I'm the first person to really have ridden him. When Sam first came to me: After he'd been here for a while, and gottened fattened/muscled up a bit: Anyhow, sorry for kinda stepping in on your topic there, I just really liked Sam a lot, and Aries certainly made me think of him! He's a very handsome horse - looks like he's coming along well; good luck with him ! __________________ Some people say horses don't have a sense of humor... they obviously haven't met mine yet ;o)

11-23-2008, 10:46 PM
A J Greenbroke Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Vallejo, CA Posts: 3,856	They are very similar! Aries was full of himself today not sure why, but he got really naughty about 30 seconds after our battery died - but then we got back to work and after that he was pretty good - wished I had gotten that on video instead __________________ Try not, do or do not. There is no try.

11-24-2008, 11:34 AM
kshnooks Started Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: California Posts: 2,387	ah, gotta love head tossers I think he looks great, and what a nice trot!! Looks like you are doing so well with him... I can't remember the story, but who owns him?

11-24-2008, 05:06 PM
A J Greenbroke Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Vallejo, CA Posts: 3,856	He's owned by someone who contacted me through an ad I had on a local horse website - so I've met her, but not a "friend" or anything like that. __________________ Try not, do or do not. There is no try.

11-24-2008, 07:04 PM
Carri Pasture Pet Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Alpharetta, Georgia Posts: 13,647	I am glad it is going well. He sure is a pretty boy!

01-12-2009, 04:51 PM
A J Greenbroke Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Vallejo, CA Posts: 3,856	Well, we've continued to move on! I've started doing a fair amount of transition work and am mostly focusing on the dressage training scale - so right now rythmn and relaxation, starting to ask for that bit of contact. He's still pretty fussy with his head, so I pretty much try to stay out of his face and let him take up the contact. We've been doing a lot more riding other than when my back was having issues - he's definitely worse when other horses are in the arena, but he needs to learn to work both ways so I don't avoid that at all, either. Here's an updated video taken this weekend: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrjOxsvtfAg __________________ Try not, do or do not. There is no try.

01-15-2009, 08:50 PM
A J Greenbroke Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Vallejo, CA Posts: 3,856	Tried a little bitty jump today - he did fine, tried to stop and had to make him walk over it the first two times, finally hopped it on the third try. Mostly it just felt like a good day to give it a try - at least he's not a huge over jumper or one to freak out at the flower boxes __________________ Try not, do or do not. There is no try.

01-15-2009, 09:36 PM
kshnooks Started Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: California Posts: 2,387	he looks really good! I just watched the video, looks like he has a really nice canter for someone who just a little while ago was out of shape and unmuscled. I am thinking we need some more glamour shots of your boy too...

01-15-2009, 09:45 PM
A J Greenbroke Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Vallejo, CA Posts: 3,856	I'll try to get some this weekend - I tried to get one today, he was looking all slick and shiney, and I had just put dressing on his hooves, then as soon as I grabbed my camera, wouldn't you know it, he moved and stood like a dork again Couldn't get him to square back up nicely, either __________________ Try not, do or do not. There is no try.

01-17-2009, 06:33 PM
A J Greenbroke Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Vallejo, CA Posts: 3,856	Just some updated pics taken after our ride today __________________ Try not, do or do not. There is no try.

03-04-2009, 09:13 PM
A J Greenbroke Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Vallejo, CA Posts: 3,856	Due to winter weather we haven't been able to ride as often as I'd like, but there's still been some significant improvement over the last couple months. We've been working a lot on "forward" and to his responsivness to my legs, which has improved significantly. He's even starting to pick up a bit more contact more consistantly. With all the rain we sometimes get stuck just lunging for a week or two, and I don't like to lunge much more than 3 times a week since he gets plenty of turnout, but at least the arena is nice enough that with about 12 hours of drain time it's great footing again! Here's some (bad ) pictures I took today while lunging - my aim was off (hard to lunge and snap photos at the same time so I cut his head off in a few) but there's a pretty big difference between these and our last lunging and even riding pics/vids. I'll get a new video up again when we're able! And a not-so-glamorous glamour shot __________________ Try not, do or do not. There is no try.

03-05-2009, 07:45 AM
Carri Pasture Pet Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Alpharetta, Georgia Posts: 13,647	He is looking really great, it sounds like he is coming along well even with the bad weather.