Greys- those reins remind of ones I’ve seen on one of my favorite IG accounts, Kizzy and Ettie. I think theirs are Reinbow Loops, out of the UK. Thank you for explaining your process and exercises.
I’m going to try for Pony time this week.
I have never heard of the looped reins. We have padded reins with leather the other way in spots so you can tell how long your rein is. It is your thumb down on top of the rein that stops the rein slipping through your fingers. The closed fingers is for later when you ride in a double bridle.
I hopped on Stars in the afternoon yesterday. It says scattered thunderstorms for today, so we will see if we get any or not.
I rode him and he was much better with his hooves. I had done all my canter work and started with medium trots down the long side and then down the 3/4 line and leg yield across. I am trying to ride with looking up.
I obviously failed at that as I noticed a little green tree frog in the arena. I decided not to risk us stepping on him and went back to find him. I hopped off and he was 100% fine. He was only little and the arena must appear to be a vast desert to him. I wonder if he was dropped by a bird or something. As I said he was fine with no broken skin.
I was wearing my dressage gloves so no worries about my skin irritating him. I picked him up and he tried to jump away. I caught him in the air twice and with the third jump he landed in the weeds outside the arena. I left him there thinking he was safe and then hoped that he had not hopped into the arena to get away from some kind of predator, which I had now returned hin to!
@SuzieQNutter what a lovely story about the frog - I had a great mental image of you in your riding kit, and him jumping from your hands! Here’s hoping you steered him to safety.
Posting on this thread to share two particular anxieties that I have in relation to my re-riding.
The first is that, once Covid is “over” and life returns to “normal”, work will not allow me the time or resources to continue to return to/advance in my riding. I’ve been telling myself that there is no use in worrying about this, as it’s uncertain what the future will bring. Still, it weighs on my mind.
The second is, in my quest to find a good program/trainer, I recently stopped taking lessons at a place where I rode about two months. The trainer there was very knowledgeable, but her teaching style was fairly aggressive. I always got the sense that she was personally disappointed that I didn’t ride better. The big reason I stopped, though, was the lesson horse they kept putting me on. He was so difficult to “catch” on his stall that he was “instructors only” - he would try to avoid being caught by striking or biting at the person catching him (once attempting a rear, that I saw). He had twice bitten a child before, apparently. When I groomed him and saddled him, I was filled with anxiety, having to constantly watch his head and his hind legs (he never got me, but he made at least two very solid attempts to kick me - not a cowkick but a real kick with the hindleg). Towards the end of my time riding there, he would try to “buck” (just baby bucks) when I asked for the trot. Honestly, I was always certain that he was either a) hurting or b) in need of serious retraining or routine change. I hated dealing with it because I felt ill-equipped to - I’m a lesson student riding once a week. I asked the instructor if I could try a different horse - she put me on another (who I loved, but who doesn’t jump) and then the next lesson it was right back to the other guy.
I stopped my lessons there this month - I’ve found two other facilities and am focusing on lessons there to try to decide which will be a good fit. I told the instructor that I wouldn’t be continuing, thanked her for all I learned, and said I’d be looking for a program where I could focus more on building my confidence and where I was a better fit with the school horses.
Even though I know this was the right decision, I feel guilty - like a quitter. A braver, younger version of myself may have viewed this horse as a challenge, but re-rider me just saw liability issues and a huge hassle. I feel guilty about but also so appreciative of the well-behaved school horses I’ve met at other places. Has anyone else experienced this guilt as a re-rider?
No guilt needed Sadie. The instructors and owner are not listening to the horse. I have been around school horses a lot in my life in 4 States of Australia. Both as a student and later using them as an instructor.
Not one of the school horses I have known has done anything like you described and if they did they would be taken out of lessons to find out what is wrong as that sound like the horse is in pain and hurting.
To keep going there you are condoning a horse being used in pain. The only thing these people will listen to is that people will stop paying for lessons, but alas those type of people will just get rid of the what would now be called a problem horse and get another to replace it, and the cycle will start again, if the pain was caused by the people from ill fitting tack or something like that.
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@SadieRidingHorses, good for you! It sounds like that horse/instructor were not AT ALL what you need right now (or ever?). Congrats on deciding to take your business elsewhere, and for finding such a diplomatic way of letting them know why. No need to feel guilty about refusing to spend your limited riding time schooling one of their problem children in ground manners and under-saddle behavior. You’re the one who needs to be learning right now.
I’m glad you were able to find two new barns to try, and I hope that one/both fit your current needs. As for how things will shake out once we go back to “normal,” don’t stress too much right now. My guess is that it’s going to be quite a while yet before the vaccinations/school schedules/summer camps/business risk assessments all align to the point where regular in-office work is expected again. And even then, I think a lot of businesses will be allowing a lot more telework — that genie is out of the bottle for good.
@SuzieQNutter, I love your kind-hearted rescue of the teeny frog. I’m choosing to believe he hopped away unscathed. 
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Thanks @SuzieQNutter, for reassuring me. I figured that if he was my horse, I’d have the vet out, and if he was sound, then would be working hard with trainer to resolve his issues. Basically, if he was my horse, I would have changed his care. Under that circumstance, it felt wrong to continue paying to ride/handle the horse. It was also no fun.
Thank you, @AllTheCarrots, for the encouragement! And you are likely right about the return to “normal” - it won’t happen for awhile, or maybe even at all, now that we’ve seen what we can do remotely. Hope you are well!
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Sadie in the new places the first thing you look for is the weight of the school horses. If they are under nourished with bad looking coats don’t go any further.
The second thing you look for are happy horses. Walking down the driveway to our riding school there are some yards with shelters. As you pass each yard there is a horse with their ears forward looking towards you with interest and these are horses who don’t know you. There is not one horse that is called instructor only to be caught.
The 3rd thing you look at is the instruction. Is it kind and fair to the horses? Are you being taught safety and told why they tell you to do something not just to do something? Are you learning something each time? You will learn something each time even if it is something wrong. You want to learn the right way not the wrong way.
What tack are the horses wearing? If they are all in curbed bits or all in draw reins, that is a very big red sign that the horses are not being trained correctly.
The hardest thing for newbies is to see the difference between a good place for learning and a bad place for learning. The difference to those experienced is palpable, but a newbie can not see the difference between a horse that is being ridden back to front as it should be or a horse that is being pulled in with the reins and being ridden front to back.
At our riding school all of the horses are in snaffle bits. German martingales have been added to help protect the horses from beginners hands and to keep some semblance of working correctly for the muscles of the horses. It is not ideal for the horses but is a compromise for the safety and happiness for the horse and the rider.
Such wise advice. Thank you!
@SadieRidingHorses - I understand your feelings but I think a big part of reriding for me is about the fun or joy of it. That does not sound like fun. In fact that scenario sounds stressful. I don’t think I would stay either if they wanted me to ride a horse that was that unhappy. 
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greys, thanks for the tips and ideas. I have never seen those reins before. I’d love to see them in action. Intriguing! Also, I have been toying with the idea of trot jumps. I don’t do them, because I hate them. But recently I have been thinking about it, and I hate trotting jumps because I cannot do it well. It really shows my inability to just sit quietly and wait for the fence. So I think you’re onto something. If I can force myself to conquer the trot fence, I think it may help overall.
Sadie, as for your first concern, why do you feel once COVID is contained, so to speak, that you will not be able to ride? Is it just the time/hour? I know probably most folks on this forum work outside the home (non-COVID) and then ride after work, on the way home, or even very early in the morning. As long as you can find a barn with lights, etc. When I worked a 9 to 5 job, I was still able to find a lesson barn that had evening lessons. So there’s hope, if that is your concern. I hope you keep at it. Lessons and riding are a great way to deal with work stress! As for your second concern, life is too short to deal with anxiety-causing horses and barns. Please, keep searching for another barn, or really ask that you can only ride other horses at that barn. Though, I think you’ll be happier elsewhere. I remember as a kid at a big lesson barn having to sometimes ride “Joe”, the cranky horse. Every time you walked into that horses stall, he cocked his leg and would want to kick you. I was petrified of tacking that horse up. And of course they didn’t have tack-up areas, you tacked the horses up in stalls. My gut would drop whenever I had to ride Joe. Luckily the barn had probably 20 lesson horses, so I didn’t have to ride him all that often.
Suzie, glad you saved the frog!!
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@SadieRidingHorses You should not feel guilty about it at all, but i fully understand, you are a nice person and try to give people benefit of the doubt. @SuzieQNutter gave you some very valuable tips for finding your next barn. Lessons is suppose to be fun, and that place obviously was not. I hope you do find another barn that will suit your need and that you will have better experience!
@ParadoxFarm I can’t remember if i mentioned here that our new trainer forced us to do trot jumps, they were a little terrifying at first, but it is actually SUPER useful to help for us to be patient. She made us sit the trot and do nothing, and let the horse fold you.
@greysfordays Excellent tips as always, and my lease horse right now, made me realize that i do not close my fingers, at all. I’ve lost my reins a few times and made my new trainer kinda angry. Ooops.
I hope everyone is doing well and staying safe!
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Finally got to have Pony time. Fab got four new Arab mares, three of which were in panel stalls in the arena. Pony did well focusing on me, and the barn cat decided she loved me and tried several times to jump in my lap, while Pony and I were chilling in the middle.
Well, one of the new girls, Shameka, spooked hard at the cat, which set off the other two. Pony arched her neck, ears pricked and stayed still. I was so proud!!
The one new girl, Ariana, is a beast. She is taller than I even knew Arabs could be.
I’ve proceeded to teach Buster the best puppy what the cluck means. If he would quit jumping up when excited, he would be the bestest. I ignore when he’s on two legs, as his love language is affection and praise.
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Faye, so when you did the trot jumps, did you never get into a short of two-point position? Just sat all the way to the takeoff? I always, I think, and worried about getting too left behind. I just stink at trot jumps. But I need to tack this, for sure!
lucky, glad you got pony time! Loved the photos on IG. You might need a new coth name now with Buster. 
luckymaverickbuster. I like the sound of it. 
Nothing to report here. I’m unmotivated in this cold weather.
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Huh, I have always preferred trotting to fences. It wasn’t until I became serious about dressage that I figured out how to canter down to a fence well and consistently. It also never ocurred to me that trotting a fence was difficult. I find I am much less inclined to jump ahead if trotting, something I struggle mightily with in the canter. Take all this fwiw, remembering that I am a dressage queen who dabbles over fences these days. I haven’t done a course or shown over fences in decades. 
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Faye- now that’s funny. Makes me sound like a bad a**. I’m not even sure how to change it.
That is probably because of safety. If a horse trips in canter and you let the reins go, they seem to go down further and stumble and you can come off. If you keep hold of the reins you seem to be able to hold them up, which leads to the discussion (debate) if it is possible to pick up something you are sitting on.
To teach them to stop jumping when excited is 2 fold.
1/ Don’t just ignore. Turn your back to them and disengage. You only face them and give attention with 4 paws on the floor
AND 2/ which every dog owner who has this problem and separation anxiety and I have given the solution and absolutely refuse to do it and wonder why the problem is ongoing.
When you get home completely ignore the dog for 20 minutes. Not just today or tomorrow, from now on, until the problem is completely resolved for months. No welcome, no praise. No nothing.
Most people can not do that. So the same with horses, it is the rider that has a problem, not a problem horse. It is not a problem dog. It is the handler not realizing they are training the dog every time they interact with the dog, not only when they ask it to do something. I have hopes for you as you know from training horses that they need boundaries and love you more not less.
A much bigger green tree frog in our bedroom. I put a drinking glass over him and slipped my hand underneath and took him outside.
I don’t mind frogs. I dont want the Snakes that will follow.
It is so nice to have frogs again. We have been through the worst drought in living history and the frogs disappeared. You really notice when one croaks now as it is so long since we have heard it.
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How are all you re-riders doing? It is cold and snowy today, so not much going on here! Too cold to ride, and the arena is a mess. Miss riding. I already am so ready for spring!
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For us we have had a reprieve from the hot weather with a few wet days.
I did hop on Stars yesterday. There were no puddles from the recent rain, however the sand was still wet in the deeper parts. Even so it was safe to walk, trot and canter,
We were offered some wood wool. I have tried googling that but it seems to be a new product. However after googling wood arenas and speaking to my instructor I have decided against it.
Wood seems to get slippery when it wears down. My instructor said it was so bad when they first took over the arena that if a horse peed the next horse going over that bit slipped. There were a lot of stories online of horses slipping over. Our arena is sand and it was perfectly safe to ride in with a bit of wet sand.
‘Don’t fix what is not broken.’
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Hi all! Everything is going fine with me and Cupid, just haven’t felt very engaged lately. And 2021 doesn’t feel like the clean slate I was hoping for! On the bright side our weather has been quite pleasant. Still a bit of mud in the pastures from recent rains but it hasn’t been bad (yet).
