20th / 21st August a weekend of why and wait

I was last at Arrow Equestrian riding way back in July 2006, then Skunk died Sept 2006, I went to watch Erik March 2007 then never saw Sue (SFO) again until I took Chorrie to ride with her at Waterstock November 2010, then we had 'the weather' hit, then I couldn't make a couple of Waterstock dates. Now I've been back to Arrow I can see what a fool I was to stay away, huge huge mistake! Not to mention Slipper has died since I was last there.

So I went with Pip travelling down Saturday before lunch, staying in the very nice on site accommodation and travelling home Sunday after lunch.

We arrived at 12:10 after a good journey down, saw Ron and got directed to our apartment so quick unload of the car and SFO appeared with a horse, so quick hello Sue then went off to ride and we went inside to load fridge with all the lovely food Pip had prepared despite so frantically busy since Remi went lame :-(

So realised we hadn't any milk *doh* but SFO rescued us :-) so went and sat with cup of tea and watched Sue ride.

Then went to meet Blackberry SFO's mechanical horse by way of saying hello to Pooh Bear who was dozing in his stable in the sunshine.

Pip up first, then my turn on Blackberry who is a canter model with leg aids set to be very sensitive and similarly the rein aid sensors.

Blackberry Lesson 1 - MAJOR BREAKTHROUGH - Canter seat positioning

So started off with back and side cameras on, then legs over front of saddle, then legs down. This was all about trying to achieve a 'filled' back, still need to expand my right side as I like to crunch it down. then moved on to canter and this is where my house of cards came tumbling down but also where we made significant inroads into why my canter aids were so hit and miss on S.

Somewhere since I was last with SFO (July 2006) I lost awareness of just how right hip forward feels and have managed to neatly reverse it. After much patient working through and over and over the same old ground I finally found something that is meaningful to me to help me with the feel.

'Sit right' and 'sit left' positions my seat correctly for canter.

Pooh Bear Lesson 1

So I was riding the ever lovely Pooh Bear. Started off on the lunge, SFO not much liking my rigid legs in trot, nor my left leg rather liking to go somewhat too far forward!

Need to think about bouncing my legs, and being over my knee, can't recall what Sue said about *why* my left leg actually go forwards or what we did to correct it :-(

Finished off with being off the lunge and doing a bit of trot work, pleased with that as I wouldn't have done that so soon two years ago.

Blackberry Lesson 2

Started off with legs over front of saddle then Sue did some hands on lengthening my legs which was weird as I wasn't really sure what she was doing but my legs changed and got longer. I assume some tense and tight muscles went from contraction to neutral.

Then confirmed that I still owned the canter correction from yesterday, then added legs to it.

Starting to look sorted, so plan was to take this to Pooh and see what I'd do when I had a real life horse under my a$$.

Pooh bear Lesson 2 - POTENTIAL MAJOR BREAKTHROUGH - Confidence is balance

Again started off on the lunge legs over front of saddle in walk, was threatened with trot :-) presumably if I didn't behave myself!

Then legs down and Pip remarked how much better they looked following Sue's hands on work than they did yesterday.

Then off into trot and putting one hand of back of saddle and turning to outside and then inside, this is where I had what I hope to be a light bulb moment! On the left rein as I start to turn to the inside a feeling of panic starts bubbling away and even doing 'what if' to 'what is' doesn't really stop the bubbles rising, not quite so bad to the outside on the left rein but still there.

On the right rein I'm happy to do inside / outside all day on the lunge.

So talked this over with Sue and I think that my balance on the left rein is compromised because I collapse right and slide my seat left so put me on the left rein so tendency is to go yet more left and add inside turn on unstable seat and is it any surprise I'm unbalanced and my brain start screaming 'you're not safe' and my body starts to react and the panic starts to bubble?

So did a lot of work on sitting far over to left and right and getting the inside leg down whilst keeping the outside seat bone anchored as need both to be stable and not feel the 'bubbles'.

Decided we'd leave canter and keep working on the trot as seems to be such a key part of what I need to really go forwards, and until I am solid and secure in trot not much point IMO looking at canter yet. Get a good solid trot base and be able to turn which ever way on either rein then we'll look at canter.

General musings

SFO has changed how she teaches steering (Andrew McLean)need to go over this again direct rein and indirect rein.

I wonder why Becky or her simulator didn't pick up my collapsed right side? I think from here on I will only use SFO with a mechanical horse as she has an eye for a very fine granularity of detail.

Lessons learnt

TAKE MILK :-)

Need to record what Sue is saying as can't recall it the next day :-(

Take evening supper if eating in, will be much quicker and more relaxing to throw lasagne/garlic bread in the oven and open salad bags, go lie in Jacuzzi while lasagne cooks then drink wine and put world to rights!

Do not stay away so long, yes it *is* two hours by car, yet it *is* a fair old way, yes it *does* take a chunk out of the day BUT there is no one else like SFO. If you want SFO then to SFO you must go, there really are no substitutes!

Costs

1. Petrol £30
2. Apartment £25
3. Blackberry £40 (x2)
4. Pooh Bear £48 (x2)
5. Arrow membership £35 (annual cost)
6. Supper £10