Coco goes classical - Rosie's Diary

[Rosie Reynolds]

For 2010 I am going to start a new diary as Coco and I start to retrain at St P's, watch this space for what we get up to

[Chris Hall]

Way to go Rosie - I shall look forward to your posts - and hopefully see you two in action 

[Rosie Reynolds]

Hey Everybody...
Its Cocos 2nd day at St P's and Rach has already helped me work with Coco! 

If you havnt already heard about Coco shes Pure Thoroughbred but really doesnt act like one, in some ways 
Shes a quick learner and will give anything a try. Shes 6 yrs but has only been broken for just over a year so she doesnt have much experience. Ive been her mummy since 8th August and i havn't been working her very hard  ive done a small amount of jumping with Coco and she seems to enjoy it alot but sometimes gets carried away!
This will all change within a few months training at St P's, for Me and Coco!! 

On 2nd January Pete delivered Coco to the stud and she has settled very quickly and lovin it!
Today Rach worked with Coco for a while to see what I could work on with her over these next few weeks whilst she settles in.
Firstly Rach put her on the lunge and just let her mooch around and settle. Before Coco came to St P's i couldnt lunge her as she always wanted to walk off in her own direction and she didint quite understand the whole idea of it, which made lunging her quite frustrating.

Whilst Rach was lunging her i was stood watching her and i already seen an improvement in coco on the lunge, she wasnt pulling Rach around constantly and was being very submissive. After the lunging Rach stood her still and got me to feel all her muscles from head to tail and to be able to recognise tight muscles and know different ways to improve the muscles by doing a variety of exercises making it more comfortable for Coco. Me and Rach agreed that Cocos muscles were tight and stiff around her neck and saddle area. Rach then showed me different stretches i can do to improve this, Coco found this difficult but near the end i think it started to feel good for her.
Before we started the stretches i could feel all around cocos neck it wasnt smooth muscle there were lumps and bumps, by the end of the session it had already improved alot and the muscles felt alot smoother.

This is just the strart and Coco is already doing Great!
Im really looking forward to me and Coco improving together over these next 2 years!  

Thanks to Rach and Paul for helping me out with Coco, were both very Thankfull.

[St Piran's - Rachel]

Hi Rosie

I really enjoyed working with Coco today.  It is fascinating to compare the breeds and at the moment I guess Coco and her pure TB shape is so dramatically different to a PRE we have to take her and examine what she is not compare her to a Spanish horse - she can't, won't and shouldn't be one.  That said we can work on her to make her as supple and free in her movement as our horses which is as much due to training as breeding.

Rosie had described Coco as being a bit all over the shop and when she said she can't lunge I decided that whilst she settles that was a fine point to start from.  As Rosie said, I found Coco very intelligent, really just lacking focus and discipline to react to requests to walk, trot and halt when required.  She also pulled to try to make the shapes she wanted to.  After repetitions of walk halt, I progressed to trot and could see what Rosie was struggling with - a request for trot was met with zero change  typical woman - will do what she wants and when she wants.  I then did all transisitions using the whip on comand to get the immediate reaction - no nagging - trot NOW.  Within about 5 or 6 walk to trot transistions I was hardly having to raise the whip.  So a pleasing start and over this next week we will work to get Coco working with her nemesis - the side reins!

When we compared Coco's neck to the PRE the difference is huge - she is built to run, that said we have work to do on her neck to develope her topline and soften her bottom line.  However, at the moment the muscles in her lower neck are tight, tense and sore - so Rosie and Coco have homework - massage and carrot stretches, we will be getting Paul armed with the ring ties to put them around Coco's stable so we can string swedes up high to get her stretching.

I have to say, compared to the description I found Coco very easy, she tolerated me feeling tight muscles, performing leg stretches and during lunging she behaved like a horse being loose worked - very submissive and not at all wild.

So here's to 2 years work Rosie and showing that classical dressage training is good for any horse at any stage of their training.  Thanks for agreeing to share the journey with us and we will video and photograph her right through the two years to see where we get to.  Looking forward to the time we spend working with you to develope you and Coco.

Rach

[Rebecca Pryor]

She sounds like a lovely mare, I'll have to look out for her next time I'm at the stud. Good luck to you on your journey together x

[Rosie Reynolds]

On the 5th I had a session with Rach, i wanted Rach to tell me what i needed to work on and what problems needed to be sorted.

First of all i just let coco walk around on a loose rein because it was the first she had been ridden in the indoor school.  She was very relaxed and a pleasant ride. Shes a completely different horse at St P's and im enjoying every minute working with her.

Since Coco has been at St P's her muscles have loosened up and she seems alot more comfortable doing her carot stretches and little flexes when im riding. When i was riding her Rach just wanted me to flex her by slowly and gradually flexing her neck and making her body bend around me. I noticed that she is alot easier and comfortable flexing on the left rein and finds it difficult on the right rein. I know now that i have to concentrate on that rein more than the other. Coco is a very submissive mare and i think we both work together well and will do well in the future.

Yesterday i rode her in the indoor school by myself and just concentrated on flexing her more more on her most awkward rein. Already within the half hour of me riding her i seen an improvment  . She started to settle more and relax rather than fighting against it and making it more difficult for herself. Before i ride her i do carrot streches to loosen up the muscles making it more comfortable for her to work. When i had my session with Rach we was alspo concentrating on getting her on the bit and once you have got her there she relaxes and becomes quite light.

Im gutted because its been snowing and i can't get down to the stud to see Coco but were back to work tommorow and are going to carry on with all the flexes and carrot stretches.

[St Piran's - Rachel]

I was really pleased with what we ahieved with Coco and how relaxed she was with doing all the work. 

The change in her muscle tension is quite dramatic in such a short period - it would be fabulous if we could get Celia down to go over her with a fine tooth comb and really give us more specific work to do - I know Coco would benefit from this.

This weekend we will record Coco so we have a really early record of her development.  Also - hopefully Paul will have picked up a few sacks of carrots tonight so we have a stash for her exercises!

Hopefully see you tomorrow - I am just grateful that I made it home today!