Lesson diary 2018

What a difference a week makes. Today we baked in the indoor school - Flicks and I were dripping with sweat. BUT - sitting trot without stirrups on lunge was much better this week. It actually felt comfortable. I was really concentrating on keeping my body central and upright and then the 'jolt' travelling through each heel in turn. For some reason that visual image really helped. Canter (also on lunge without stirrups was better too. I was still doing weird things with my upper body but my seat was definitely better - not as good as the sitting trot, but better. So now i am :D
 
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A quick report from yesterday's lesson. In content it was very similar to the week before, but cut a bit short by my having to get back to work. Then when I got back I collapsed with a migraine - so rushed for no good purpose at all! But anyway, the best thing about the lesson was that I felt more relaxed and confident which is definitely related to the fact I rode four times last week. Not once did I decide I was too tired/busy/stressed to ride. So now I have to try and manage the same again this week if at all possible....
 
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sophie33 said:
A quick report from yesterday's lesson. In content it was very similar to the week before, but cut a bit short by my having to get back to work. Then when I got back I collapsed with a migraine - so rushed for no good purpose at all! But anyway, the best thing about the lesson was that I felt more relaxed and confident which is definitely related to the fact I rode four times last week. Not once did I decide I was too tired/busy/stressed to ride. So now I have to try and manage the same again this week if at all possible....
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Oh no sorry you had a bad head. Hope you're okay now, how horrible for you.
 
Similar content again in this week's lesson. But with no migraine so that was an improvement! And I - I think - the canter in our last twenty minutes of lunging with no stirrups or reins was another improvement.
And I feel like we very slightly got the hang of an exercise that I couldn't manage at all last week. I'll try and explain it and maybe someone will tell me if they understand (which might indicate I did at least partly 'get it'). So we had to do a 10 metre circle, and then I half halted my outside rein and asked her to move over with my inside leg so that she was circling on a smaller circle with her front legs than her back, and her back legs were crossing like a leg yield. RI said it was called 'haunches out on an circle'. I managed to get her to do it this time by engaging my seat more and using my inside rein less. But I definitely found it all a bit mind blowing - I'm not sure I can cope with circles and lateral stuff at the same time! I need to find some youtube videos so I can visualise what i'm aiming at better...
 
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:rolleyes: Well this one doesn't strictly count as a lesson at all, but in the interests of completeness.... Today there was a massive thunderstorm going on above us during my lesson. We have an indoor school but the noise was phenomenal. Pathetically I asked my RI to ride F first - she did - she got F relaxed and then I got on board but after five minutes I got off and asked RI to carry on - which is pathetic but I just couldn't relax. Not F's fault - in fact she was fine - but my own gremlins. And then - as RI was just saying to me 'see how soft she is now' there was a massive crack of thunder right overhead and she spooked in a way that made me glad I wasn't on board. And then there was a crack of lightening that felt like it actually came into the top end of the school (I'm guessing it didn't actually but it really did feel like it). After that even my RI couldn't convince F that the top end of the school was safe (let's face it - it wasn't!). I'm not sure what I feel about it - one the one hand it is definitely wet to refuse to ride when your horse is actually coping with thunder, lightening and deafening rain. On the other hand I am glad I wasn't on board for those last minutes!
 
I think riding your horse through its fear (provided they're not its not the total break down level of fear) is a good thing to do if you can manage them through it. I think it builds trust from their part in you as a worthy herd leader:p But if you've got the same fear as your horse then the two of you being nervous together is not a good mix and should be avoided, which is what you did so hats off to you:cool:
 
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Yes my problem is that I am not a worthy herd leader :p. Overall I'm doing a better job than I used to in conning F into believing I am - but not today.... never mind I think you are right it would have been a mix better avoided in the circumstances.
 
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I wouldn't have been keen on carrying on riding her either. I remember having a lesson on a school horse who was an absolute saint, and even he was on his toes during a storm. I was very very nervous.
 
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There is a danger that these lesson reports turn into weather reports! But I was relieved to have lovely still weather today. And F - having been quite spooky for a week or so - has now lapsed into her summer sleepy mode (which of course I much prefer). So a good lesson today. I was wearing a tighter t-shirt than I normally do - which allowed my RI to discover that I was holding my left shoulder a bit higher than my right - another bit of my endless wonkiness to work on.
We did plenty of work on trot - focusing on trying to get her forward and softer - with a bit of success I think. Then the last bit was back on the lunge and away with stirrups and reins for more sitting trot and canter practise. It was the best canter yet on both reins. I felt almost like I was belly dancing i was moving my middle so much but I think it worked - I was definitely following her movement. I'm not totally convincing i'm going to be able to transfer my new improved seat to cantering off the lunge - but RI instructor assures me we'll get there!
 
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Well this week's was another similar lesson so not much to say. Did some quarters in at walk which we managed better than before. I've previously always had trouble keeping her neck straight...
Then we did some quite nice trot work I think. This week I got reins for my no stirrup on the lunge, I was pleased about that because it is a step towards putting my new improved seat into action off the lunge!! Except my seat - at least in canter - was a bit less improved. For the transition and first stride I was following her movement but then started to bounce a bit - even without stirrups!! Thinking about it for the transition I was thinking about my seat but after that I was focusing on trying to keep my hands still and keeping her cantering - seems like I can't do three things at once :p
 
sophie33 said:
Well this week's was another similar lesson so not much to say. Did some quarters in at walk which we managed better than before. I've previously always had trouble keeping her neck straight...
Then we did some quite nice trot work I think. This week I got reins for my no stirrup on the lunge, I was pleased about that because it is a step towards putting my new improved seat into action off the lunge!! Except my seat - at least in canter - was a bit less improved. For the transition and first stride I was following her movement but then started to bounce a bit - even without stirrups!! Thinking about it for the transition I was thinking about my seat but after that I was focusing on trying to keep my hands still and keeping her cantering - seems like I can't do three things at once :p
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Lol to three things at once! I think we have to really multi task when trying to get it right!
 
I know @Trewsers and I'm not very good at it. I think I have to wait for something i'm thinking about to become muscle memory - so I do it without thinking - before I can really cope with thinking about a new thing! No wonder I'm a slow learner...
 
Well I was on holiday last week so didn’t have my regular lesson. Instead I booked a lesson and little hackette at a very lovely small riding school in Northumberland. The views from the outdoor school were a bit different to my normal stables! And the whole thing was a bit of a confidence boost I was put on an absolute sweetheart of a pony and found her very easy and responsive. We had a nice little walk, trot and canter about. I asked RI if I bounced in canter and she said no. I think she was being polite but I definitely bounced a lot less than on my darling F. So I am now a bit more convinced that my normal RI is telling the truth when she says F is not the easiest and not ideal for me. Doesn’t make me want to stop sharing her, just be more convinced that not all our problems are down to me!

And then I had a very hot lesson on F today. We cantered on the lunge with reins and stirrups. And I bounced! So just because I can follow the movement without reins and stirrups it doesn’t follow I can do it with. On the plus side RI said my transitions and my rein contact were good…

Now F is off to grass for a month so I will be taking a break from this diary. RI recommended I take some lessons on school horses while she is gone and canter a lot! Can’t really afford to but I am tempted as I know it is good advice.
 
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