Teddy loaded into the float fine and we headed to Gisborne where we used my friend Sam's round yard for the training/assessment. We had lunch with Pol and Deb while Teddy waited in a nearby paddock. As I was eating my minestrone soup I could see Teddy dancing around and heard him neighing to the neighbouring horses across the road, but over all he was fairly well behaved.
When we got him to the round yard at the bottom of the hill he was a little hyped up but I demonstrated the progress I had achieved with him for Pol and instantly got tips to make things better.
Pol Blane is a lovely person with excellent horsemanship skills who really knows her stuff. She can demonstrate exactly what she is trying to achieve and get results at the same time. She is calm, patient and attentive to the horse and owner and acknowledges a student for what they are; providing the necessary information to work and progress with.
The full assessment was done on the ground and in the saddle and it was determined that:
- Teddy is head shy to the extent that it is expected that he may have been hit in the face in his past (my poor boy!)
- He is also muzzle shy (knew that)
- He is very willing to learn and learns well
- He has the tell-tale signs of a poorly fitting saddle, resulting in past back problems (knew this) and which continues to have some minor influence on him, but mostly mentally
- He almost certainly has been ridden at some time by someone using spurs and this has caused him issues
- He has seen extensive use of a martingale or some similar tool which bulked up his neck and which he now carries with too tight muscles (I knew something was up with his neck, just couldn't work out what)
- He remembered the neighbours donkeys and was pleased to see them!
- He wants other horses around him (looks like I will have to get him a friend - maybe a donkey!)
- He's been worked, like most dressage horses have, in a tight frame that has to be corrected as he needs to loosen up in some ways and develop better back strength
- His polo training must have been extensive and this has resulted in him having a full steam ahead approach and nothing else. To the extend that he has to be put through relaxation techniques just to get him to walk under saddle. I need a horse who can walk with someone on him not bolt! - high priority
- He's had pivot training (could come in handy)
- He actually doesn't understand when to stop unless his reins are pulled on tightly (not a good technique)
- His past training and experiences have to be addressed before he will be calm enough to trail ride
- It should only take a few good sessions for Teddy and I to learn what is needed to get him to a trail riding stage
- We both learnt what is meant by self-loading today but Teddy isn't trained in it so he will be retrained at a later stage.
- I can't bend my middle finger properly as it's so swollen!
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