First canter in the school since falling off!

H

happy_bunny

Member
Apr 12, 2008
465
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18
St Mellons, Cardiff
I feel really happy today - went up to the new yard and decided I have a little ride and almost gave up coz she was being really funny about the mounting block (it is a big massive thing with three steps to walk her alongside and she kept drifting her back end round to face it rather than stand sideways on). But I persisted for a while just walking her up to it, letting her sniff it etc until she decided it was OK to stand next to - I can mount from the ground but I think she should learn to stand next to the block, what with it being better for my saddle/stirrup leathers etc. So we spent about 15 minutes doing that (and politely declining 'help' from everyone else on the yard) until she was standing nicely and looking quite bored with the whole thing, then I hopped on and made her stand still for a few seconds while I did some imaginary faffing (she has a tendency to walk off as soon as you are in the saddle but I would quite like her to learn to wait :yellowcarded:). Rode her up to the school and she was spooking at everything and nothing so I was trying really hard to remember what my RI told me and push her on through it - the theory is that the more I push her forward and do circles, figure eights etc the less time she will have to think about whatever is scaring her (although the school does overlook the M4 so I suppose she does have a point :giggle:). This worked really well and I got some nice forward trot work out of her with some nice round circles and decent rhythm so I decided to try a little canter, didn't use any leg and went purely off voice command (partly to make it less exciting because we have been doing a lot of cantering on the lunge just with voice commands, partly because she doesn't seem to get what the leg aid for canter actually means, and also partly because giving a leg aid for canter nearly always makes me tip forward and then I can't sit properly once she is going :redface:). We only did one long side of the school but she went back to trot as soon as I asked and I don't think my position was too bad (bum in contact with saddle all the time lol - I usually bounce like a pea on a drum :redface:). I felt so proud that I did a couple of cool-down laps in walk and then got off because I didn't want anything to go wrong and spoil it :bounce:

This is much longer than I had expected - my OH was there but he just doesn't seem to get what a major step this is for me (haven't cantered in the school since my last fall in May :happy:) so I feel the need to share with people who will 'get it' but feel free to have some minstrels if you got all the way to the end :bounce:
 
Awwww I'm really chuffed for u!

I was in a similar position last winter, Fell off in the school when asking for canter at end of oct....then got too scared to canter for months!!! I still have nervous moments about cantering in the school but out hacking we are doing great!

My OH too doesn't quite understand how big every little step is for me...I decided to share it with fellow NR's...you lot always say the right things!!!!
 
What an accomplishment - well done! (If I told my OH I'd cantered, he wouldn't even know what that meant).
 
That's good - and the voice aid very sensible. Dont blame yourself for your leg aid though. That happens to everyone.
With our RI we dont do much leg at all going into canter, because she wants us to be stable in the saddle. The most I might do (if asking for canter transition on a straight side) is put my outside leg just a little further back, which signals the correct lead.
 
Fantastic! Very pleased for you. Very good idea that your horse goes off voice command, mine does too and it is good because it really helps you stay in the right position. (I think we are very lucky having our horses respond to voice aids!!!). When I was learning on school horses they went off the leg and it used to make me really unstable and I "think" may have caused problems early on in my cantering career as I struggled to actually get them into the canter.
Anyways, great stuff!!!!!
 
Thanks for the kind comments everyone!

Trewsers said:
Fantastic! Very pleased for you. Very good idea that your horse goes off voice command, mine does too and it is good because it really helps you stay in the right position. (I think we are very lucky having our horses respond to voice aids!!!). When I was learning on school horses they went off the leg and it used to make me really unstable and I "think" may have caused problems early on in my cantering career as I struggled to actually get them into the canter.
Anyways, great stuff!!!!!
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I had the same thing when I was learning on RS horses - they seem to like to teach you to canter on a nice safe horse that won't take off or be scary, but the downside seems to be that it is quite difficult to get them going in the first place. I found that I had to be kicking and flapping so much to get them into canter that I had absolutely no chance of being in the right position and was far too tense anyway so they would drop straight back into a trot...:frown:
Its funny but when I was a kid I used to go out hacking at a local RS (cheaper than lessons!) and we basically went to the beach, cantered up and down and then went home but I had great fun, was totally relaxed and never worried about my position or not being able to stop or anything. Then I started having proper lessons and I haven't been able to do anything right since! :tongue:
 
It's great, isn't it?

I know exactly where you are coming from. I fell off on Tuesday (at canter, of course) and today I cantered Ziggy in the school, he is so forward going he doesn't need any aid at all - just sitting down at trot and thinking "hmm..." is enough - but it's such a big deal for me! And you!

Well done, well done!:dance::skip::bounce:
 
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