Wednesday Gilly and I got our lessons and this is my instructor riding Gilly. The little girl who was riding Gilly in the last post was her granddaughter, who will be in the 5th grade this fall. She rides hunter/jumper ponies and is a very good little rider; her mother is also a riding instructor, teaching jumpers.
Since the rain has made things here pretty sloppy we do a lot of training on the road in front of the house. As I have said before there is hardly any traffic here so this works out well. It would be so nice to have an indoor arena but I don't see this every happening! LOL Unless I happen to win the lottery or something.
Look at the arched neck! Gilly can really look good when he wants to. I need to get some pictures of him when he sees my neighbors pony, talk about strutting your stuff. He can put on a show then!
See behind Gilly the road, I have a long way to ride up and down close to the house, don't have an arena either but I find places to work him. The road is a hard top but soft enough that he can work on it. We are careful when it's wet though, he can still slip if not careful.Gilly had never had a little person ride him before and he wasn't sure just what to think about it all at first. He did some side stepping but she got on him anyway. After he figured out that she could ride he was OK with that. He liked her but wasn't sure about that small human being on his back! I think it's good for him to have different riders, Mike even got on him once, the only man who has ever been on him.
The second picture on the last post is a BIG favorite of mine, Gilly looks huge and very beautiful! Of course I am a bit bias! I do love my big bay boy!!!!
16 comments:
WOW, he does look wonderful, Big and Bay!
How nice he accepts the "littlePerson" on him too!
My "personal opinion" would be to see him lengthen out LONGER On the bit..he looks to be behind it in most of the pictures..maybe avoiding contact..maybe something else.
It has taken me 3 years(like my first instructor said it may) to get Wa long and low= developing her topline out correctly..she was above the bit before..she sometimes "dips" below the verticle when she is tired but mostly will go up to avoid instead of down.
Your road looks prfect for training with the low volume of vehicles and high visiibility! Nice to have a line for lateral moves too!
XO
Kacy with Wa mare
gilly really looks good, well conditoned and toned! Looked sunny there that day!
Gilly looks so good! I also believe it is good for them to have others on their backs. Gets them used to all sorts of riders.
I know just how you feel about the rain, we get so much of the wet stuff, I can't ride more than half the year. I also wish I could have an indoor arena. But as you said, only if we win the lottery!!
Kacy, he was having some problems that day and got kind of snotty at one point. Then he finally started to fly right but then I didn't get any pictures of that???? He is learning and since I don't have anyone out here everyday it's hard for me to know what he and I are doing...LOL we will get it at some point! It would be easier if her were trained already and I could learn from him but he isn't going to a training center, I can't afford it and I wouldn't unless I was there 24/7 to watch him. I have heard so much bad about trainers that I would be afraid to leave him in another,s hands; besides that I could stand to be without him!
Desert Rose, thank you, Gilly stays fit by running on the hills around here, chasing Pokey or being chased by Pokey!! LOL Rain the day before but that day was nice!
Paint Girl, yes, having others ride him is good, although he doesn't seem to mind at adults, just kids he is a little unsure of, small humans are SCARY!!! Them move too fast? maybe? Lottery wins would be real good in these times! :-)
He looks really nice. He is just a handsome guy, in my opinion!
Julie, thanks, we don't care if we are in any shows, we just wanna have fun riding!!! But learning lessons is good for both of us! :-)
Gilly looks great strutting his stuff!
looks like he loves being out on the road... nice shape
gp
He looks gorgeous with his neck arched like that. I also have to be creative about working my 2 here. I'm lucky to have a round pen.
Five O'clock Somewhere, thanks!
manker, he does like to be out and about.
Leah, he can really arch his neck especially when he sees another horse. I too have a round pen but we took it down to do hay and I just haven't put it back up yet! I will this week, want to canter some more! yay!
I never tire of seeing your handsome bay boy! He looks great there with the trainer, and very patient with her daughter. Hopefully you'll have a great arena to ride in someday. I think we all make do with what we have. The horses probably don't know differently, and it makes them better all around, at least ours will be just as good out of an arena as they are in, right?! :)
Lookin' good! Sounds like we are in the same spot! Can't afford the trainer and even if I could, his training would be miles beyond mine and how would that work? My instructor says he has been started right and that we will learn quickly--TOGEHTER....well i know he will anyway...and I agree, the trainer stories i have heard scare the hell out of me....
Pretty pictures!
Pony Girl, thank you! In my dreams I will have a covered arena, LOL.... but Gilly doesn't care, he likes the road work because it gives him different things to see along the way. At least I do have a round pen when needed.
Jacksonsgrrl, thank you, right, no money for a trainer and probably wouldn't anyway because fear of the horse being damaged. I think Gil and I will just be like you and keep plugging away together, we will get some of it but then I just want a good strong relationship with my horse, we aren't going for shows, well, maybe just a one horse show in my side yard! LOL
Oooh! Gilly just seems to get more handsome every time you post photos of him. I like those last two photos in your previous post, too. They really show of his Big Bay-ness! lol!
Baby Doll is similar with little people on her back. She tolerates it, but she doesn't seem comfortable. And I know, out on a road, she'd easily take off for home if she felt she could get away with it. So not a good thing. gah!
I've been thinking about putting Baby Doll with a trainer, too, but like you said there are the money issues and what if she turned out worse?
And really, much of her problem is personality related....and how can a trainer totally change that? She just needs a stronger more confidant rider...and sadly that's not me, at least not after what happened :(
Hubby wants to take lessons on her and I told him, sure...but only in the arena or round pen. I don't want her taking off with him, too. She actually did that once in the arena, but thankfully she can't go anywhere or wipe him off on a tree. :~O
Anyway, thanks for sharing your pictures (and for your sweet comments on my blog, and for the wonderful, supportive e-mails you send me. You're one special gal.)
(((HUGS)))
~Lisa
Gilly is a beautiful boy. It's nice that you and he are learning together and are a team. Cute pictures of the trainers granddaughter.
I think that Gilly looks beautiful, I should say handsome in all the pictures!
Post a Comment