Gatsby at One Month

Bloomsbury's The Great Gatsby

a proper, spunky, gentleman

at almost one month old.

Maybellene is doing such a great job of teaching him; she allows him to explore and extend his boundaries, stretch his comfort levels, and has great timing in stepping in and bringing him in to line if he looks like he's gettiing too full of himself, or a bit thoughtless.

Managing the wet!

Moved Maybellene and B. The Great Gatsy(!!) to the lower paddock so that M. could use the stable in the threatening lightning storm. She introduced him to it, but when the rain came down, about 1:30pm, all the horses ran into the clear to stay close to each other, backs to the wind.

Didn't put the little bloke off his feed though! Just gave him an excuse to go for a "burn" to dry off, and check out all his paces!

Girls in waiting; October-November

Cloud due Oct 27, Maybellene Nov 4

 

New Arrival: a colt to Bloomsbury's Maybellene & Brae Galaxy

Born at 3:45 am, he's very upright and alert.

Shown here at 4 hours old.

Full brother to Bloombury's Sir Galahad.

The red bay is a throw back to Maybellene's dam, Canyonleigh Memphis Belle, with an extra gold factor from chestnut Brae Galaxy!

Didn't stop drinking, to lie down for a rest, for 7 hours, at which time M. had a break and her udder was able to build up a bit of a reserve!!

Lightning storm-deluge on Sunday night; Monday was warm and dry and he arrived on Tuesday morning, in the dry. M is taking great care to keep him on the "up" side of the paddock, away from the wet and the bog! Clever girl!!

 

Ginga Ninja suppling

Kerry has Victor bending around her leg, now strong enough and understanding the connection between leg and rein aids as she develops the lateral movements, walk pirouette, and develops the movements from Elementary into the Medium level on the Training Scale.
Very happy chappies!

July 2013

 

 

Talented pupil!

Laddie is just lapping up his lessons. I hadn't seen him for10 days, and in that time he has developed quite some mastery of his lessons! He's carrying himself in a very relaxed frame, collecting/shortening his frame in a much slower tempo at both trot and canter. Jeremy tried him in a new bit yesterday, a loose ring snaffle, and he was very light in the contact and offered to take the rein lower and maintain loose contact on 20metre trot circles as required for Prelim (Level 2) tests...then re-took the contact to move into more lengthened paces.
Leg-yielding is developing nicely, even at the canter.

Today...huge progress from even yesterday!! Jeremy just asking to maintain rhythm but slowed the tempo even further, and he continues to spring lightly off the ground with active hind leg, showing Huge suspension  AND offering some Passage and even Piaffe steps!! Wow!! Not deliberately asking for these, but he's Offering them!!! So exciting!! Collecting the canter..dropped back to trot, but maintained activity; you can see him developing strength in/for self-carriage.

On Friday, I'm told. the rain was coming in horizontally down one side of the arena and he was loathe to move off Jeremy's leg to yield right to the (rainy) boundary. So he threw in some flying changes, moving off the rider's leg, first one way, then the other, a number of times. No loss of balance, but just super clean changes....Just Offering!!

He just loves to get it right; super calm with his "good boy" praise from the rider...Then he Expects 2 carrots after shower and rugs!! Very pleased with himself!!