Rider uncoordination/Backing Charcoal
Had a fairly good lesson … started out with flat work. Clover felt behind the leg and off to the right, so I had my trainer get on to see what she felt. Clover looked perfectly forward and even as my traine trotted her around. Mainly the problem was me consistently allowing Clover to resist the bit, meaning that I'm still giving just enough away for her to continue doing it. I have to not allow her to take the bit, press the whip and soften as soon as she gives in. My main problem is not rewarding (softening) as soon as she stops resisting.
I got back on and had better luck preventing her resistances. The off steps disappeared. I didn't have as much luck with leg yields at the trot … the exercise was for us to come up the centerline, and leg yield to the right from x to the corner. I'd get some good steps here and there, but Clover would ignore my leg as often as not, so I'd have to encourage her to move away with the whip. But, when I'd press the whip on her haunches, I'd also restricted the hind leg on that side because I'd take back on that rein, instead of the outside rein to keep her organized and travelling forwards and sideways.
Argh! Rider uncoordination! We repeated the exersize to the left, then worked on the canter. More a-ha moments there, not only do I need to keep my leg on, I also discovered that I actually have to slow her down and half halt to keep her from getting too strung out. Then I realized: Clover's getting stronger. She wasn't breaking to the trot nearly so much when I half-halted and put my leg on to get her connected. Don't get me wrong, our canter work is maybe a “5” as far as scoring goes, but it's improving. That makes me feel a lot better. Memo to myself—need to work on 20 meter canter circles, and riding them with the correct bend. Our circles are too small—Clover tends to dive in on the circle, I'm not keeping her straight and organized through the figure.
With that, we started schooling gymnastics: first a cross rail for warm up, then the cross rail, canter to a higher cross rail one stride to cross rail. After the first few times through, Clover started taking a rail down on the first, smaller x-rail. My trainer said “don't worry about it” the first two times, but then put a placing pole 9' out—which helped immensely … hmmm. I've got to keep her rounder to the fence, on a smaller, less-effort-required fence Clover jumps flat if I let her.
Eventually she raised the last x-rail of the one stride to a 2'9” vertical, then the first, small x-rail to a two rail vertical with the placing pole in the same position. She just reminded us to jump it the same as when it was lower. We did them without too much problem—as long as I didn't jump ahead or miss the spot, or even get left behind like I did one time through (though I caught up over the second element of the gymnastic). I get over eager and try to jump for Clover, not as bad as I used to, but enough that I'm nervous about having a good stadium round at Huntington … Ok, time to break out the riding psychology books.
Overall, it felt like a good lesson, I was really happy about the jumping because we're now schooling Beginner Novice height (2'7”) and higher, and we're leaving rails up. And my approach and position over fences is improving—I'm riding to and between fences, but I have to remember to ride forward after landing. My dressage-y friend Sarah was visiting and watched the lesson, and I think we did a credible enough job showing her our stuff. I think she was a little bit impressed, considering Clover's only been under saddle for a year.
*
Sarah stuck around and got to see me help back a horse, Charcoal. He's actually an appendix Quarter Horse, which means he was bred for racing. I keep mistaking him for a Thoroughbred. He's reedy, but well-built 15.3 hands … he looks like he'll be very cat-like over fences. I didn't know this, but Charcoal had 30 days of cowboy training out west, not that you could tell.
He was a little tense when I first laid my weight across his back, then got really antsy when I started patting and stroking his barrel and haunches. We repeated that, me laying across and patting, a couple of more times, then I put my leg over him and sat gently in the saddle. I put my legs on him quietly, but he scooted away before realizing that I wasn't going to hurt him.
My trainer led us around and I rubbed my legs along his sides, taking them on and off and even squeezing him gently to desensitize him to it. Gradually I took up the reins and started to use them to steer him a little while my trainer stood back and gave us some room on the lunge line. Eventually, Charcoal relaxed and sighed, and we finished up not long after. I was really surprised at what a good boy he was, considering how skittish he can be. He's a really nice horse, with the sweetest eyes, and I had fun being the first one on the farm to sit on him. I'd like to do more with him until it's time for my trainer to get on him and bring him to the next level.
I got back on and had better luck preventing her resistances. The off steps disappeared. I didn't have as much luck with leg yields at the trot … the exercise was for us to come up the centerline, and leg yield to the right from x to the corner. I'd get some good steps here and there, but Clover would ignore my leg as often as not, so I'd have to encourage her to move away with the whip. But, when I'd press the whip on her haunches, I'd also restricted the hind leg on that side because I'd take back on that rein, instead of the outside rein to keep her organized and travelling forwards and sideways.
Argh! Rider uncoordination! We repeated the exersize to the left, then worked on the canter. More a-ha moments there, not only do I need to keep my leg on, I also discovered that I actually have to slow her down and half halt to keep her from getting too strung out. Then I realized: Clover's getting stronger. She wasn't breaking to the trot nearly so much when I half-halted and put my leg on to get her connected. Don't get me wrong, our canter work is maybe a “5” as far as scoring goes, but it's improving. That makes me feel a lot better. Memo to myself—need to work on 20 meter canter circles, and riding them with the correct bend. Our circles are too small—Clover tends to dive in on the circle, I'm not keeping her straight and organized through the figure.
With that, we started schooling gymnastics: first a cross rail for warm up, then the cross rail, canter to a higher cross rail one stride to cross rail. After the first few times through, Clover started taking a rail down on the first, smaller x-rail. My trainer said “don't worry about it” the first two times, but then put a placing pole 9' out—which helped immensely … hmmm. I've got to keep her rounder to the fence, on a smaller, less-effort-required fence Clover jumps flat if I let her.
Eventually she raised the last x-rail of the one stride to a 2'9” vertical, then the first, small x-rail to a two rail vertical with the placing pole in the same position. She just reminded us to jump it the same as when it was lower. We did them without too much problem—as long as I didn't jump ahead or miss the spot, or even get left behind like I did one time through (though I caught up over the second element of the gymnastic). I get over eager and try to jump for Clover, not as bad as I used to, but enough that I'm nervous about having a good stadium round at Huntington … Ok, time to break out the riding psychology books.
Overall, it felt like a good lesson, I was really happy about the jumping because we're now schooling Beginner Novice height (2'7”) and higher, and we're leaving rails up. And my approach and position over fences is improving—I'm riding to and between fences, but I have to remember to ride forward after landing. My dressage-y friend Sarah was visiting and watched the lesson, and I think we did a credible enough job showing her our stuff. I think she was a little bit impressed, considering Clover's only been under saddle for a year.
*
Sarah stuck around and got to see me help back a horse, Charcoal. He's actually an appendix Quarter Horse, which means he was bred for racing. I keep mistaking him for a Thoroughbred. He's reedy, but well-built 15.3 hands … he looks like he'll be very cat-like over fences. I didn't know this, but Charcoal had 30 days of cowboy training out west, not that you could tell.
He was a little tense when I first laid my weight across his back, then got really antsy when I started patting and stroking his barrel and haunches. We repeated that, me laying across and patting, a couple of more times, then I put my leg over him and sat gently in the saddle. I put my legs on him quietly, but he scooted away before realizing that I wasn't going to hurt him.
My trainer led us around and I rubbed my legs along his sides, taking them on and off and even squeezing him gently to desensitize him to it. Gradually I took up the reins and started to use them to steer him a little while my trainer stood back and gave us some room on the lunge line. Eventually, Charcoal relaxed and sighed, and we finished up not long after. I was really surprised at what a good boy he was, considering how skittish he can be. He's a really nice horse, with the sweetest eyes, and I had fun being the first one on the farm to sit on him. I'd like to do more with him until it's time for my trainer to get on him and bring him to the next level.
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