Jay&our lessons

[FRED]

Ok,
I have started to have lessons again after a 3 year break :o .
My lessons are with Jay a privately owned 10years of age Cleveland Bay who I ride twice a week in the school{no one else rides him at the moment}We are onto lesson number 4 now and making steady progress{please excuse the royal 'we ' moment and dress code!}because Jay is a show horse and Im ,well just me.
I can't help thinking that my hands are to high in the photos,what do you think.
Plus I like the stirrups long,but seem to struggle keeping my legs back and seem to be on my toes in some of my photo.
We are doing figures of 8 and serpentines at the moment at trot,Im not well up on 'out lines' but seem to be getting there with Jay?
He has the most gorgeous canter too.

[FRED]

and two more photos to coment about.

[KarinUS]

Looks really high in the first pic but much better in the third so it must not be a constant thing. Jay is gorgeous! :eek:

[bexj]

What a stunning horse! I'd agree with Karin, in that your hands are a bit high on the first photo, but look ok on the others. Your stirrup length looks fine to me too! Keep us informed on how the lessons go :D

[katieB]

Nice pics. What a beautiful horse, I love Cleveland Bays

[larri]

YAY go Fred! He is a stunning horse and you look really in tune with him.

Hands are too high initially as others have said - that high and you will have tension in them and your arms and back, keep those arms soft and remember to try and have a straight line from elbow / hand/ rein to bit.

He looks like he's really working well for you, you must be chuffed to bits!! :D

[Miriam]

Way to go Fred. Good luck on those lessons. I thought same as others that your hands are too high. I'm the opposite I tend to have mine too low. As ofr legs I've recntly been told i ride like a Jockey and need to lengthen my sitrrups. Have done and it really feels weird. Has not helped with the canter either

[Bertie]

Fred - good luck with your lessons, as others have said your hands do seem a little high on a couple of photo's but normal on others.

On No4 I did see what you mean about being on your toes on that particular picture it does look like you need to really push your heel down.

I'm no expert by any stretch of the imagination - but good luck and let us know how you get on :)

[FRED]

thanks everyone,we may do some work on the lunge to sort out the high hands that creep in {possible due to a little nerves on my part}and work on my feet.
Jay is special

[Showjumper]

In photo 1, your hands are too high. In 3, they're just right :) You're looking good and Jay is lovely! :D

[FRED]

In todays lesson im sure I have improved a lot,although the school seemed heavy going after so much rain,so we worked more on 20mtr circles at the better end.
The thing thats odd to me is that my hands are fine when im at the trekking centre :o .
Edited for the 3rd time after a massive back to front with words moment :p

[Miriam]

I'm glad to hear that you feel that you have improved. its one of the best feelings you can have when riding. I'm sure that I have improved with the latest lessons I have had. Even to the extent that I went over a small trotting pole that was raised and Rhi could very well have taken it into her head to jump it


Your hands look much better there :D

[FRED]

:) I think there is a message in lessons,they don't have to be boring and its taking me to a new level with what are deemed lazy horse{their not lazy at all,just need better comunication}

[floppy]

lovely pictures fred.