Up early to school Cally. I have been totally inspired by the RWYM Webinar and I have self diagnosed a host of problems with my alignment: seat bones point too far back, back is too hollow, legs too far forward, stirrups too long, centre of gravity too far back, too much weight in my stirrups! I have changed all that and feel like a hunchback but actually look ok in the mirror. The difference in Cally is amazing. Her back has come up and she is reaching forward into a contact. So that's good.
Then I took Dylan to Somerford Farm Ride with 3 friends: 6 miles of all weather track with lots of optional XC jumps. After a very hairy first 15 minutes, with all of us being only marginally in control of our mounts they all settled and we had a fabulous ride which included some fast canters and plenty of jumps too. Dylan was in his element - this type of work is familiar to him - and I discovered what amazing potential he has. His canter stride is lovely and smooth and he really covers the ground. He jumps so effortlessly that jumps that feel quite big on Cally felt like twigs on the ground on him. Now all I need to do is figure out how to get him to give me all that power and life when he isn't following 3 other horses!!
Finally I did some more groundwork with Dylan. Yesterday I had videoed myself circling him using the flag then I watched the Buck Brannaman DVD alongside my own video and played 'Spot The Difference'. Well the 2 clips (me versus Buck) really did not look very similar at all but I was able to pinpoint exactly what he was doing that I wasn't. Buck said the whole movement started with the horse yielding to you. So you step towards them, they step back, you guide them to your right but continue stepping towards them and they continue to yield away and then circle round. As they circle they maintain that yield: nose tipped slightly in but ribs yielding away and horse stepping under himself keeping his shoulder out on the circle, not falling in. The handler continues marching towards the back of the horse's inside front leg which sustains the forward movement round the circle.
Well I hadn't got the yield first bit, so I was pulling him towards me onto a circle and far from me marching towards him, he was walking towards me and I was kind of at best holding ground but actually sometimes walking backwards as we circled! And I hadn't even noticed!! Video is so useful. Anyway today I set the exercise up much better and he was yielding nicely and surprisingly he was also then moving more freely forward too. I guess because I was driving him not him driving me while I pointlessly waved a flag at him.
Happy days.....
Then I took Dylan to Somerford Farm Ride with 3 friends: 6 miles of all weather track with lots of optional XC jumps. After a very hairy first 15 minutes, with all of us being only marginally in control of our mounts they all settled and we had a fabulous ride which included some fast canters and plenty of jumps too. Dylan was in his element - this type of work is familiar to him - and I discovered what amazing potential he has. His canter stride is lovely and smooth and he really covers the ground. He jumps so effortlessly that jumps that feel quite big on Cally felt like twigs on the ground on him. Now all I need to do is figure out how to get him to give me all that power and life when he isn't following 3 other horses!!
Finally I did some more groundwork with Dylan. Yesterday I had videoed myself circling him using the flag then I watched the Buck Brannaman DVD alongside my own video and played 'Spot The Difference'. Well the 2 clips (me versus Buck) really did not look very similar at all but I was able to pinpoint exactly what he was doing that I wasn't. Buck said the whole movement started with the horse yielding to you. So you step towards them, they step back, you guide them to your right but continue stepping towards them and they continue to yield away and then circle round. As they circle they maintain that yield: nose tipped slightly in but ribs yielding away and horse stepping under himself keeping his shoulder out on the circle, not falling in. The handler continues marching towards the back of the horse's inside front leg which sustains the forward movement round the circle.
Well I hadn't got the yield first bit, so I was pulling him towards me onto a circle and far from me marching towards him, he was walking towards me and I was kind of at best holding ground but actually sometimes walking backwards as we circled! And I hadn't even noticed!! Video is so useful. Anyway today I set the exercise up much better and he was yielding nicely and surprisingly he was also then moving more freely forward too. I guess because I was driving him not him driving me while I pointlessly waved a flag at him.
Happy days.....
