Young horse stuff
As I was tacking up Clover last night I asked her, “So, what do you want to do tonight?” Originally I'd planned on going out for some road work, but a load of hay was coming and I had to stick around nearby to help unload it in case it showed up.
So, I decided to work on canter transitions, and fudge around with canter work to help me figure out why I can't get Clover through/on the aids at the canter. I started out with the usual warm up, develop steady contact at the walk and trot. Sometimes Clover resists with her neck and jaw when she starts to feel contact, and it's not like I haul up on the reins and bang her in the mouth. I'm chalking it up to young horse stuff. Apparently I'm still following her resistance by letting my elbows go. Then I get flustered and whack her with the whip, because she gets behind my leg. Then she humps up her back or even bucks, and we lose even more forward motion.
I have to remember to not follow with my elbows—close my hand, put my leg on and press with the whip until she responds, not whackity-whack out of frustration. Also, widening my hands briefly may help. I got official word on that.
Anyway, as I rode, the resistances got less, then I realized that I had her overbent to the right—and she liked it that way. I need to counterbend her slightly going to the right, or shoulder fore to get her haunches straight and not to the inside. I think the counterbend with opening rein might be more helpful at this point—she doesn't want to stretch out her left side …
And we got on to the canter transitions. I spiralled in and out of a 20 meter circle to get her listening to the leg aids, then started canter transitions, just the up trans, then right back down to trot again. My main focus was to just try to keep her together and going forward. I remembered to support and ask for the transition more with my inside leg, just sweeping my outside leg to indicate what lead Clover should take, and support the haunches. I'm getting better about actually using my legs for something else other than hanging on and driving forward.
After some transitions, during which I tried to prevent her throwing her head and neck into the air while stepping into the canter (by softening my hands and using my seat and leg to balance and support), I tried some sitting trot to canter transitions a la the Novice A test. The transitions are getting better, as far as getting them in the corner where I wanted them to happen. I fiddled around with the canter, and felt the good, through moments happen when I really put my leg on supportively, and gave away the inside rein while trying to keep an elastic contact on the outside rein, with half halts. I just haven't figured it out yet, and it aint going to look or feel pretty til I relax all the way and not try to use brute seat and leg strength to hang on. I still feel like I made some headway with the canter, though.
So, I decided to work on canter transitions, and fudge around with canter work to help me figure out why I can't get Clover through/on the aids at the canter. I started out with the usual warm up, develop steady contact at the walk and trot. Sometimes Clover resists with her neck and jaw when she starts to feel contact, and it's not like I haul up on the reins and bang her in the mouth. I'm chalking it up to young horse stuff. Apparently I'm still following her resistance by letting my elbows go. Then I get flustered and whack her with the whip, because she gets behind my leg. Then she humps up her back or even bucks, and we lose even more forward motion.
I have to remember to not follow with my elbows—close my hand, put my leg on and press with the whip until she responds, not whackity-whack out of frustration. Also, widening my hands briefly may help. I got official word on that.
Anyway, as I rode, the resistances got less, then I realized that I had her overbent to the right—and she liked it that way. I need to counterbend her slightly going to the right, or shoulder fore to get her haunches straight and not to the inside. I think the counterbend with opening rein might be more helpful at this point—she doesn't want to stretch out her left side …
And we got on to the canter transitions. I spiralled in and out of a 20 meter circle to get her listening to the leg aids, then started canter transitions, just the up trans, then right back down to trot again. My main focus was to just try to keep her together and going forward. I remembered to support and ask for the transition more with my inside leg, just sweeping my outside leg to indicate what lead Clover should take, and support the haunches. I'm getting better about actually using my legs for something else other than hanging on and driving forward.
After some transitions, during which I tried to prevent her throwing her head and neck into the air while stepping into the canter (by softening my hands and using my seat and leg to balance and support), I tried some sitting trot to canter transitions a la the Novice A test. The transitions are getting better, as far as getting them in the corner where I wanted them to happen. I fiddled around with the canter, and felt the good, through moments happen when I really put my leg on supportively, and gave away the inside rein while trying to keep an elastic contact on the outside rein, with half halts. I just haven't figured it out yet, and it aint going to look or feel pretty til I relax all the way and not try to use brute seat and leg strength to hang on. I still feel like I made some headway with the canter, though.
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