Arrow Road Trip

So off to Arrow in Barry the shiny new car :@) set off 30 minutes earlier than usual and got there as always ten minutes before lesson start. Seems to be some time warp that means no matter what time I leave yard I end up at Arrow ten minutes before lesson. So journey can take anything from 1h50 to 2 h 40m!

Barry did 77mpg on the way up so that was :@)

Gave Pooh his carrots and went in search of Blackberry.

Blackberry


Chatted to SFO about Friday's breakthrough that is when C was halting nicely then yawing on bit having tried less rein to no effect rather than previously I'd have kept on with less rein. I went outside 'the box' for me at least and tried the "Woah no changed my mind now go" with the woah being longer.

SFO wants someone to see if I collapse right on C as I do on Pooh, so need to find the willing victim!

Worked on seat bone stability rope around waist with SFO pulling me off my seat with my legs over front of saddle.

Worked on contact really need to stretch right side and have 'oranges under armpits' to get a good following contact.

Then worked with leg sensors on going up to 3 and down to 2, apparently this isn't easy (No sh!t Sherlock) but it did emphasise when under pressure I attempt to follow by opening my fingers rather than following with my arms *doh*

Pooh


So Ron and Richard getting the haylage stacked outside at the A end of the school, back in August 2011 that'd have been enough for me to have a meltdown, today whilst not delighted at this possible spooking opportunity knew I needed to get on with it and deal with 'it' IF 'it' happened. So of course the lovely Poozles never even thought of spooking at the noise outside but did spook at the bottle of fly spray on the 4th time of going past it which made me laugh; and that there is progress clear and measurable.

So usual start on buckle , then got told to pick up contact, do some trot work need to work on point/soften think I need to ask SFO to go over this again as my grasp on it is tenuous.

Then onto lateral work so change rein across long diagonal, then change bend then move quarters then leg yield parallel to wall with front legs on the long diagonal.

Rinse and repeat in trot.

Need to remember good position will get you 96% of way there, so adopt good position and sit and flow, kick kick and heaving makes it go to hell in a handcart.

When I remember to sit well and do less leg yield to left good and effortless, to right is a challenge to both Pooh and my crookedness.

Finished off with trot large need  to keep left elbow, Pooh tends to lean  tend to allow him the rein and thus arm straightens and I prop him up and it is too fixed. Keep elbow activate the horse and streeeetch right side.

Also did trot FDO need to be forward myself 'over knees' with a broad front line and stretch Pooh out to the rein.

SFO pleased with how I rode, me I was brain fried but happy.

Weekend at Arrow with Joy

So off to Arrow the lovely bit is that Joy was going to be there for supper on Saturday night, was expecting SFO to be a bit frazzled as Arrow week had ended on the Friday and that is always a bust week for SFO.

Well SFO was frazzled by a pupil and a jumping lesson and the fact the pupil holding onto the front end was all down to the bridle being the wrong colour. I guess you had to be there ...

Notes are sparse as didn't take any for Sunday and am late (31st July *doh* )writing up.

Blackberry


Move body as a chunk for position L / R

R seatbone needs to be down SFO suspects feel is out (as felt under my seat and seatbones feel even - that is some dedication as a teacher !) so put Connie cushion under seatbone and slowly removed it to improve body perception.

Loosened up hip flexors *ouch* by raising knees on backwards swing of canter stride

Pooh

Can you do fire drill when on long rein and when SFO shouts 'fire' do fire drill do not look at her and say 'me?' :-D

Pick up connection without losing forward reach/stretch

Need deep shoulders, broad frontline and ELBOWS


Watch rein length, my chicken wings :-) need longer reins to have bent elbow, stretch right side and stretch again.

Use hands as a pair unless bending, think stick with single string in middle being held by SFO and two strings one at each end being held by me, think how you need to move both strings.

Use both reins unless bending.

If it goes tits up, first rescue is think best position you can do, elbows deep, shoulders down stay on your seat.

Longer reins but more connected elbows.

point soften

Supper


Had lovely G&T sat on terrace outside little house with sun going down absolute bliss,

Good times


Pooh Sunday


Can't remember huge amounts but the thing I do remember is on Sunday SFO took her hat and boots to the school with me thinking ???

Anyway because of Erik in August and SFO riding Pooh with Erik she had planned to ride Pooh after my lesson but because I'd done such a good job she didn't need to :@)

Use of Alfalfa or Lucerne and Its Effect on Gastric Ulcers | Equinews

Use of Alfalfa or Lucerne and Its Effect on Gastric Ulcers | Equinews

Bruce in Hyde Park

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN'S HARD ROCK CALLING SET LIST 2012

1. Thunder Road (Bruce & Roy)
2. Badlands
3. We Take Care of Our Own
4. Wrecking Ball
5. Death to My Hometown (with Tom Morello)
6. My City of Ruins
7. Spirit In The Night
8. The Promised Land (with John Forgerty)
9. Take 'Em As They Come
10. Jack of All Trades (with Tom Morello)
11. Empty Sky (solo acoustic)
12. Because the Night
13. Johnny 99
14. Darlington County
15. Workin' on the Highway
16. Shackled & Drawn
17. Waitin' on a Sunny Day
18. Raise Your Hand
19. The River
20. The Ghost of Tom Joad (with Tom Morello)
21. The Rising
22. Land of Hope & Dreams

Encores:

23. We Are Alive
24. Born in the USA
25. Born To Run
26. Glory Days
27. Dancing in the Dark
28. I Saw Her Standing There (with Paul McCartney)
29. Twist and Shout (with Paul McCartney)

Fourth pony ride

24th June first pony ride was in small (20 x 40m) school, pony was very tense and we never got off the lead rein.

2nd July Second ride pony less tense (still in small school) and got to walk about 10m on my own to halt and gate prior to dismounting.

5th July Third pony ride (still in small school) got off lead rein for twenty minutes with foot soldier walking alongside on foot then falling away.

9th July Fourth pony ride in large school pony much more relaxed spent most of time off lead rope.

So now planning to  ride in large school with someone watching 'just in case' for this next week and then hopefully we'll be good to go free range :-)

Beaglie progress

He has dropped weight :-) is moving with more 'swing' and fluidity and has put 1cm of muscle onto each back leg and lost a bit around his tummy.

Really pleased