Zeus progress

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Baroque
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Location: MiddleEarth [NZ]

Zeus progress

Postby Baroque » Tue May 09, 2017 1:21 am

Some of you will have seen bits and pieces of Zeus's ridden progress on FB, but for everyone who hasn't, here are a few pix and an update on his progress.

We are doing lots of different things at the moment, I have started riding him with the short garrocha [3m pole] and he's been having a short introduction to projectile weapons with me throwing things off his back - dressage whip, various other things like the poles etc. :lol:

He's great with the portable WE bridge I built at home, and goes nicely on and off it with no stress or fuss. We navigate the rest of the equipment quite well and I'm starting to introduce the idea of a rope gate for some variations.

Over the past couple of weeks I've introduced my youngest & silliest filly doing some inhand work with my helper while he is being ridden. :shock:
At first he was a bit gobsmacked with her antics but he copes well with being redirected into some work and generally ignores her quite nicely.

Now we are dragging the 3m pole around along the ground and poking various bits and pieces when we can. I've used it lance style to skim over his head and ears and if he gets a chance he just loves to grab it in his teeth while it's next to him sitting on the ground and gives it a good old gnawing in good Zeus style! :lol:

I'm transitioning him over from Western style aids to classical, he is coping pretty well with most things and is nicely and calmly accepting all the stuff I am asking him to do, we are doing lots of walk and trot and I'll introduce canter once I'm happy he is ready and fit enough. He did a bit of canter work with his breaker and I mainly want to make sure that he is not too stressed too early and has sufficient strength and balance to do it properly. We are coming into winter here so I'm also starting to reduce the work for all the horses as I don't like riding in the rain and sometimes the young ones are better off with a bit of a rest so they can grow and develop. He is not covered and is naked and barefoot living naturally in a paddock in the rain and mud which is how he likes to be.

I'm very happy with his progress so far [and the job that the breaker did] and he is developing into a lovely sweet natured young horse.

Very happy in his work! Cones are to mark out the mounted archery lane
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Going over the bridge - such a pity the neighbours yukky house is in the background, the shelterbelt we've planted had better hurry up and grow fast so I don't have to keep looking at all their mess!

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Getting ready to play with some of the other arena toys, I've got random poles set up to get them walking over and working their backs, as well as the drums and other things to work around.

piedmontfields
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Re: Zeus progress

Postby piedmontfields » Tue May 09, 2017 5:55 pm

Great update! Glad all is going so well and you look *delighted* with him :-D

Re: neighbor's place. All I can say is obviously you don't live in Tennessee USA! (To me that is not a bad view, although I would plant a screen, too. We live between one property that has mansion and another that has a trailer home...the only lucky thing is that we can't see either unless we're at the edge of our property).

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StraightForward
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Re: Zeus progress

Postby StraightForward » Fri May 12, 2017 1:21 pm

Such a cool horse, it looks like you're having great fun with him!
Keep calm and canter on.

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Baroque
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Re: Zeus progress

Postby Baroque » Wed Feb 14, 2018 7:55 pm

We've been doing a bit more work lately now it's cooled off a bit, I don't like riding in 30degC heat with 90% humidity! :lol:

Here are some photos of a training session with the garrocha, as you can see he has grown up a lot since the previous photos.

Dragging the garrocha - no problems, he likes his flatwork and the obstacles and waving a lance about over his head - no problem either!

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zeus flatwork.jpg
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lance.jpg
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demi
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Re: Zeus progress

Postby demi » Thu Feb 15, 2018 11:42 pm

Nice work, Baroque!


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