I am hardly riding at all at present because I have a baby puppy and my OH is away for 3 weeks leaving me to run the business, but I am trying to book a lesson a week to make SURE I ride.
Today was a proper lesson in the school. Last week was a hacking lesson which we spent trying to get me to reproduce in the saddle the sense of connection and secure seat I have bareback, and we did that again today. It was fantastic! I managed to get my very stressy and hollow pony going forward long and low, working from behind and adjusting his legs according to my seat. My RI actually called out, "Very good, Jane, very good!" which is unheard of!
It was harder to keep the feeling in trot, as Z was very full of himself (riding only once a week is not ideal for him) and kept, as they say, "offering canter" and "offering hop, skip and jump," but we persisted!
Then Ziggy decided I wasn't learning enough. Next to the school we rent for a fiver is a little judge's box all full of jumps. He decided to spook away from it every time we passed it and my RI said "that's not good enough".
With her help (holding his bridle and pushing his shoulder) we insisted that he stay on the track and stay straight. OMG did he resist! His strength at falling out through the shoulder is amazing. I used all the leg I had on that side and he just laughed at me. We made him halt whenever he stepped off the track and asked him to back up, and in 4 tries we got him walking through with his body straight, even though his head was still bent away.
I love having lessons. Ziggy was a very remedial pony when I got him and he still is, but I have learned so much from him and my RI about, basically, how to sit well. I'd love to have a go on a properly trained horse and see what results I could get!
Today was a proper lesson in the school. Last week was a hacking lesson which we spent trying to get me to reproduce in the saddle the sense of connection and secure seat I have bareback, and we did that again today. It was fantastic! I managed to get my very stressy and hollow pony going forward long and low, working from behind and adjusting his legs according to my seat. My RI actually called out, "Very good, Jane, very good!" which is unheard of!
It was harder to keep the feeling in trot, as Z was very full of himself (riding only once a week is not ideal for him) and kept, as they say, "offering canter" and "offering hop, skip and jump," but we persisted!
Then Ziggy decided I wasn't learning enough. Next to the school we rent for a fiver is a little judge's box all full of jumps. He decided to spook away from it every time we passed it and my RI said "that's not good enough".
With her help (holding his bridle and pushing his shoulder) we insisted that he stay on the track and stay straight. OMG did he resist! His strength at falling out through the shoulder is amazing. I used all the leg I had on that side and he just laughed at me. We made him halt whenever he stepped off the track and asked him to back up, and in 4 tries we got him walking through with his body straight, even though his head was still bent away.
I love having lessons. Ziggy was a very remedial pony when I got him and he still is, but I have learned so much from him and my RI about, basically, how to sit well. I'd love to have a go on a properly trained horse and see what results I could get!