Whizy stopping

kind of a break through day for Whizy stopping- I did lots of stopping and backing without loping far at all- pretty soon it wasnt such a surprise to him- he knew he was going to stop and back up before we got going to far and quit worrying about it so much and started relaxing his jaw and getting his butt under him- didnt take tons of loping or anything- got him warmed up a bit- mostly practicing turn arounds- then went to stopping and backing- I think he might make it now.

making it happen

I watched a video of Me and Whizy today and it looked like I was staying in the turn around to long and not letting him out when he was stepping really nice, but staying in too long untill he screwed up. Letting him hang up and drag instead of getting him snapping around a little more crisp- its time for a little of that but only for a turn or two or three. Need to take him out then in then out then in etc like Craig and Toms drill - get him out while he's sweet then back in if I must;

Also saw a Tom Dorance clip- just fix it up a little and let him find it took on a new twist hearing it come from his lips- a little more of a serendipitous tone struck me. When I take my time and walk circles and tweak and dink and play and set things up I do much better- still I noticed on my video of me and whizy I turned him around way to much and spent way too much time dwelling on the spin when I should have got a few decent ones each way and quit. I need to take more time with the walking circles and doing stuff slow to warm up or after he's in working mode and not get in such a hurry to get off and be done but enjoy the journey- its amazing how much quicker you end up being done when I pick that aproach.

Stick a fork in her. She's done.....

Kind of. Anyhow I'm giving up on Sally being a red hot reining futurity queen. She might make an ok reiner someday, maybe as a four year old but we are not banking on it so we will try to sell her. She is a sweet heart and doesnt really owe me anything.

I rode her today after some time off. I forgot that I need to help her quite a bit with leg in the turn around. Thats not how I meant for her to turn out but she seems to need help in almost every maneuver at this point. That's just how she rolls. Hopefully I'll post a video of her soon.

Whiz

Whiz

A few things I'm learning about whiz the two year old is that he does better when relaxed and I just need to take it easy on him, keep him soft and let him progress at his own pace. I got all freaked out because he quit turning to the left and panicked until I realized just wants to be straight - later I realized the gag bit I was using was confusing him. I obsessed about all these things i was gonna havta do to get him to turning agian but the next day he was fine.

He does better in his circles when I ride him with one hand like a big horse- and just peck away at keeping the shoulder up to the left- He'll get it.

dropping the shoulder

Whiz -2, wants to drop his rib and shoulder to the left, while loping around the pasture in a large left circleI I kept playing with his face, trying to pick the shoulder up and he wasnt taking me serious, kept dropping out of lead, dropping the shoulder and finally I got tired of babying him and swatted him on the right "buttock" as my children are learning to call it. It scared him a little but ultimately it seemed to help him pick that shoulder up and run properly in the circle. It wasnt a matter of driving the hip to the left and shoulder to the right, it seemed to be more of a matter making him quit doddling around and drive his but with impulsion. Jack Brainard makes mention of this in his excellent book.