I'm not professional quality.
Rode Freedom on my own, Michele offered me the ride and I took it. I knew I wouldn't have as good a ride as i had in the clinic, it's different when you don't have someone there on the ground helping you along. Mostly my issue was trying too hard, which stressed Freedom out and made him tense and rushy. We worked on spiralling in and out at the trot, and I was asking for too much bend, and wasn't as giving with my inside rein, especially to the left. I tried doing some square turns to get his hind end moving, but again I was too loud with the leg aids, which of course made him tense and rushy.
I regrouped and did some walk-halt-walk transitions, then some leg yielding at the walk, first from the quarter line to the wall, then from the wall to the quarter line. That helped me get myself organized, and we were able to do some pretty ok canter work, some spirals in and out, then I tried doing some shallow serpentines down the long side. The first one started out ok, but when I bent him back to the wall, we broke. More leg. The next few went better, and I ended there, walking him on a nice long rein to cool down.
I'm still way too tense with my upper body, but my elbows are better and overall my aiding has improved. I'm much better when I'm relaxed and not trying so hard.
After, I tacked up Keane and lunged him. I know, how long has it been since I worked more than one horse in a day?! Or even worked a horse more than once or twice a week! It's amazing! I didn't feel it was such a good session, though--as long as he's focused and slowed down, he goes well, but getting him there can take a bit of patience. I know, he's only 3 1/2, so I'm not terribly frustrated. I'm more concerned that the quality of my training isn't ... well, it's not professional quality, so I'm afraid he's going backwards.
Mainly, the past couple of times I've lunged, he's starting to come in on the circle, and when I point the whip at him and tell him "out" to get out on a larger circle, he rushes. So I slow him down, and he comes in a bit, and I send him out, and he rushes. Also, he hasn't been as quick to respond to voice aids, he isn't a total nutcase by any means, it's just subtle differences I've noticed the past couple of sessions.
I regrouped and did some walk-halt-walk transitions, then some leg yielding at the walk, first from the quarter line to the wall, then from the wall to the quarter line. That helped me get myself organized, and we were able to do some pretty ok canter work, some spirals in and out, then I tried doing some shallow serpentines down the long side. The first one started out ok, but when I bent him back to the wall, we broke. More leg. The next few went better, and I ended there, walking him on a nice long rein to cool down.
I'm still way too tense with my upper body, but my elbows are better and overall my aiding has improved. I'm much better when I'm relaxed and not trying so hard.
After, I tacked up Keane and lunged him. I know, how long has it been since I worked more than one horse in a day?! Or even worked a horse more than once or twice a week! It's amazing! I didn't feel it was such a good session, though--as long as he's focused and slowed down, he goes well, but getting him there can take a bit of patience. I know, he's only 3 1/2, so I'm not terribly frustrated. I'm more concerned that the quality of my training isn't ... well, it's not professional quality, so I'm afraid he's going backwards.
Mainly, the past couple of times I've lunged, he's starting to come in on the circle, and when I point the whip at him and tell him "out" to get out on a larger circle, he rushes. So I slow him down, and he comes in a bit, and I send him out, and he rushes. Also, he hasn't been as quick to respond to voice aids, he isn't a total nutcase by any means, it's just subtle differences I've noticed the past couple of sessions.
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