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(social media calendar thing says today is freebie day but I’m not running a business so here we go)
Natasha Althoff and her channel YourRidingSuccess offers so much free information and l love the way she teaches and explains everything. I’ve learnt so much from this channel and thought it’d be a good suggestion for people like myself (who’ve just started riding) and also those in the higher dressage levels.
When you finish teaching a lesson with a kid and the mother asks for your name at the end... You know you did really well, or really not well...
Lesson #4
Taught some lessons this morning before my lesson, so was kind of tired and the massive asthma attack I had before my lesson probably didn’t help? Love me some lead line lessons where I have to run...
Lesson was good, was on grumpy old man horse again but he was pretty good. Wasn’t a terribly exciting lesson as there was a bunch of us in the lesson so I didn’t get a huge amount of “riding time” but it was all good. Pretty much just did trot and walk in 20m circles for a couple of laps about 3 times in the lesson.
It felt like one of those lessons where nothing was particularly good or bad? and I don’t really feel like I learnt anything new? I mean, I probably learnt heaps, but it really didn’t feel like it! So, not a whole load to break down?
He was going good, slow, but good. I need to work on not allowing him to fall in on the circle (which is 100% my fault) and he seemed a lot worse than normal with that during my lesson. In the last couple of circles he started to really go well and be responsive to my seat etc which was really nice. No canter though, so maybe next time!
We’re in for a storm tonight!
Lesson #3
Have been a bit MIA this week oops!
Had a lesson last weekend. I was back on my bosses old eventing mare (still young, but does not compete anymore). She is super responsive, so the first ten mins of the lesson was me attempting to remember what it’s like to ride a forward horse...
We started off large in the arena, I could not keep her out, no idea why, so we kept drifting in for the first ten or so mins of the lesson. No matter how much inside rein (slack in outside rein to open her shoulder up) and inside leg I used she was not moving. This was only an issue on right rein though? Left rein was fine, so go figure! I went in after a few rounds so the other rider in my lesson could go and when we went out next everything was fine.
Did more work on flexion and bend etc. I completely forgot that she’ll throw a tantrum if she is even slightly over-flexed at the poll. So I just have to remember to keep her straighter (even in the corners and circles) and use my leg more to wrap her around my leg.
I’ve been noticing that the past couple of lessons my heels have been coming up all of a sudden? No idea why, as I used to have a really good leg position which has kept me well in the saddle for many horse tantrums and spooks. Any suggestions as to why or tips to fix would be greatly appreciated?
At the end of the lesson I got to canter again, for the second time! I found it a lot less daunting this time... I think partly because I had already cantered so I kind of knew what I was in for, but partly because I was on a smaller horse? Maybe? I think it’s very much so a mind thing with me at the moment...
Anyways, her canter is really nice and smooth (more so than the last horse I cantered on) and she goes into it really smoothly. I still have no steering in canter, so my 20m canter circle was more of a 20 sided polygon of sorts. We cantered both reins and I (by some miracle) got her on the correct lead both times.
I’ve been watching so many canter type videos, so my brain knows the gist of what to do, it’s just my body. I feel like no matter how much my brain knows my body will only do small things at a time, which is REALLY frustrating but I know that these sorts of things can only be developed and improved with time and muscle and practice.
She moved it around for about 10 mins until it hit that just right spot for a scratch on her tummy
More wise words from my instructor from my lesson on the weekend:
“If you ride shit, the horse will go to shit”
Had work again this morning (stablehand work), the weather was absolutely amazing! It only got up to 30C today and there was a nice breeze and it was just so nice.
The missing fence caps are nowhere to be seen. The saga continues...
We’ve also added two fly masks, a pair of scissors and duct tape to the Missing Things list which is great, I love it when things go missing
