I am a glutton for punishment it seems.

[elise]

Haven't updated on my lessons in a while and the day is going quite slow. So here it is.

I rode the friday after thanksgiving with one other woman from my usual lesson group. For some reason I have this affinity for a horse named Spirit. He's stubborn, pulls his head up when I am trying to bridle him, and won't go more than a crawl if you aren't carrying a stick. Yet every week if the instructor asks me which horse I want to ride I pick Spirit.

We do pretty well together most of the time. Friday's lesson was a bit more trying, however. Working on the canter. Spirit seems to do a lot of the speed up the trot as fast as possible before even thinking about going into a canter, atleast this week. And the faster he trots, the harder it is for me to get my outside leg on him. Meanwhile my inside leg is off doing god knows what. And to make matters worse, Spirit takes whatever inside leg I am able to find, to mean turn. So we're trotting around completely out of control zig zagging through the middle of the arena. I am sure it was quite the sight to see. Normally I still have a problem getting that inside leg on and still feeling like I am not going to fall off but it was so bad this week. Then when he finally decides to canter he does this jarring leap into it so the first canter strides I am so far from ready I am surprise I didn't fall off.

What gets me is that he can tell if I am going to use the whip. As soon as I put the reins in one hand he takes off. He's a little bugger than on. But how can you hold it against a big fuzzy black bear of a horse?

So I left friday feeling not so confident. And Saturday I paid for it. My abs, my shoulders, my legs, they all hurt. I have a new found respect for bronc riders. Can they even walk the next day? Yikes.

[Tootsie4U]

Hee hee.

Thats the trick though. To try to get canter at a good transition so your not being jarred around at a 90 mph trot. Are you collecting him before you give your canter aid?

Something else you could try during your warm up is alot of trot to walk to halt to trot transitions to get him used to going forward and up. If he's listening, you'll better be able to collect him and he'll be used to the transitioning properly.

[elise]

Heh, well, I am just a beginner at this point. So if I knew how to collect him, boy would I. We do ask for a more lively walk before going into any trotting. And we do a lot of walk to trot, trot to sitting trot, to walk type transitions. I don't think it helps that I haven't gotten my seat yet. So until then I do not know how I am going to get into the canter without looking like a sack of potatos!

[Ipsa]

Good on you for persevering, spirit sounds like quite a character. In fact he probably sees that as his job- to build rider's characters:)

[Tootsie4U]

Well, I'd be asking them to teach me then as its pretty difficult (and incorrect ;)) to ask for canter by rushing into the trot :p Much much easier on you and the horse too! Learning collection shouldnt be reserved for the upper levels. Ask KarinUS - where she's at your not even allowed to canter until you learn all that other stuff.

I'll PM you.

[elise]

well i wonder if i just don't know the terminology for the stuff we do, ya know? by accident i was getting him into a canter from a walk after the whole trotting like a crazed maniac fiasco. my biggest problem is i just need more practice.

[galadriel]

You need a nice balanced trot before you can get a nice balanced canter--otherwise your canter depart feels like a catapault, and the canter itself is all over the place.

To ask for that nice balanced trot-to-canter, try this maybe:
* Get a slow balanced trot; squeeze your thighs a little bit to ask for balance, but also your calves to keep him from going into a walk (see http://trainersnotes.lorienstable.com/half-halt/ for more info)
* Give your canter aid. If he speeds up rather than canters, slow him again and give the canter aid. If the second time he simply speed up his trot rather than canters, then you'll want to--
* Third time, slow him and get a balanced trot to prepare for canter. This time when you give your canter aids, also give him a tap with the crop. If you can't successfully use it on his barrel (behind your leg), you can use it instead on his shoulder. That way you don't have to put the reins in one hand.

That third time, with the canter aids and the tap with the crop, you *should* be able to get soemthing besides a rushing, jarring trot. If you do, be sure you tell him what a good boy he is. Let him canter for a little bit, too--when you want to correct him, you stop him as soon as he does it wrong and ask again; when he does it right, *don't* stop him right away :)

Going into canter from a rushing, unbalanced trot makes the whole experience kind of unpleasant. (I think you've noticed this.) If you can demand a canter depart instead of a rushing trot-to-canter, you should be muuuuuch more comfortable.

[elise]

so it sounds like if i ask for a slower trot while i am posting, then go into a sitting trot that would be helpful.

[galadriel]

If it makes you feel more secure, sure :) Mostly the trot itself needs to be very balanced.

[elise]

well i have another lesson tonight. we don't always work on canter though so we'll see how it goes. i am not sure which horse i should ride though. part of me wants to stick with spirit until i get it right. another part of me says i should ride someone that's a bit smoother in his transitions.

[Crazyhorse]

It also might help to use a schooling whip so you don't have to lose a contact on the reins and can just back up your leg aid.

Vicky

[elise]

well i do use a crop. but the instructor said to put the reins in one hand when you go to use the crop.

[Crazyhorse]

There are a different types, theres a short whip which means you put the reins in one hand and then use the crop with the other. There is also a schooling whip which is longer and you don't take your hands off the reins, giving you a bit more control

Vicky:D

[elise]

ahhh. i see the difference now. that would maybe help out, i'll have to see if the instructor has any to use if i ride spirit again.

i am thinking maybe i'd pick someone a bit smoother this week just to get some confidence back.

[elise]

well i had another lesson on friday which went better than the previous. i chose to ride a horse named doc instead. a fellow student rode spirit and got along very well with him. the 4th student in our group came late and ended up riding a gorgeous horse named willie. very tall and collected and held his head so nice. i was very jealous, going to have to ride him someday i think.

anyways we didn't work on the canter at all. some rising and sitting trot mostly. poor doc is a slow poke and his legs crack ever step he takes. he must be getting on in years. but he has a nice trot for the most part. unfortunatly during the sitting trot he'd desperatly try to keep up with willie, who probably had legs a good 6 inches longer than he. i'd get a nice position for sitting trot and then he'd take off even faster and nearly loose me. i cannot get the sitting trot and have my feet in any sort of contact with the stirrup it seems. so when he takes off like that my feet fly up in front of me. i guess it's just one thing at a time when you're learning though.