Lesson 5 - Quarters in / quarters out

So not ridden since 20th June am so slack have this generous opportunity and am a total flake need proverbial boot to bottom!

So started off in walk checking reaction to leg, as in will he go sideways?

Quarters in to halt, quarters out, walk piri to change rein.

In trot half circle with 1/4s in then straight and grow the trot, repeat for 1/4s out change rein repeat.

Walk collect walk using seat only then push walk out, then collect walk then ask for trot. Wow that makes a difference! Had one trot transition that was just great, couldn't repeat it but one is the start. He felt over the back and pushed into the upwards.

Notes:

On left rein need to ask him to weight his right shoulder and thus weight left shoulder less then leave him to carry himself for a few steps then rebalance. Do not try to hold him up off his left shoulder for that way lies front end riding and madness! So keep checking left hand is soft and give it forwards.

Need to have faith in my feel.

Funny old day

Clarence Clemons died today following a stroke last week, whilst I've never met him I felt incredibly sad. The music of Bruce S has basically been the background music to my relationship with Tony and it felt like losing a little bit of that. Gawd knows how many concerts we've been to but you'll be missed Big Man you'll be sorely missed.

Lights out tonight trouble in the heartland

Sleep well Big Man

Went to Gainfield with Gill and Soly who came home with a rosette :-)

Would appear if husband is to be believed that I am the grumpy irritable one on box rest! Something needs to change ... Week 7 of his being in and my IBS is getting worse (TMI - I know!) and yes everyone and everything irritates me. Have become judgemental irritable baggage.

So need to have more of 'a weekend' at the moment I get up later than during the week when am up at 05:30 go over do ponies come home for a couple of hours go back; rinse and repeat.

So have decided to just do one trip on a Saturday to spend some more quality time with t'husband, also need to get into routine for FatClub.

Day trip

Took Gill and Soly over to Hunters and bless his little cotton socks not been out for over a year but was Mr Cool Calm and Cucumber.

Loaded and travelled like a pro, went into warm up as though he does it every week, same with indoor.

Did two very pleasing tests.

Way to go King Solomon!

Lesson 3 - We have canter

Having a memory fail :-(

Wind was stupid but Soly was Mr Sensible lesson as always started off in walk.

Right hand better at keeping a contact now need to balance it a little more as could easily get back into habit of hanging on right.

Today we did canter and my foetal twin made an appearance *tsk* always a bit of a last try behaviour when things aren't working and I lose my composure go foetal! So should I happen to sit up and on my ample a$$ and position my seat for canter then oddly enough it happens.

So if I can recall left and right correctly (and I didn't!) found right canter easier to maintain and easier for Soly to go into canter; left rein less easy for Soly to go into canter and harder for me to maintain and less room to sit.

Leg yield on left rein to right did feel better, still can't quite feel the fall back onto left shoulder.

Good progress need to drown foetal twin!

Lesson 2 - 22nd May Weird

Weird sort of morning, no idea where 08:00 - 09:15 went but whoosh by it did.

So late to yard <bad mummy> quickly threw Fred out and lucked out and iced Chorrie.

Got Soly in with Gill and dressed him up in pink - the joy of a black horse they look good in every colour :-)

Got on and started off on a loose rein which is weird because it is only the second time I've ridden Soly and yet there I was on a loose rein and not bothered. So that is good in fact it is more than good but given this is a swear free post we'll leave it as more than good. So it just shows that I can be different and that change is there for the taking. Need to take this learning forwards onto Chorrie.

What we did

walk on a long rein

walk pirouettes (large ones)

collect and forwards the walk

leg yield on diagonal

collect and forwards the trot

shoulder in

Take homes

Need to have a contact, not taking the contact will not encourage Soly into contact on right side. So have contact on RHS with view to getting Soly into that rein so on left rein ask for counter bend then straight then true bend and then when in the rein "stretching" the right hand side so the rein can become longer.

Give an aid get a response stop bloody nagging him!

Crossing hands over will not work try a leg aid!

Can only go forwards with a soft neck, can only trot from a good walk.

No activity in walk it will be hard to trot (believe this one and well OWN it!) and trot will be inactive. I do like to hope for the best and trot regardless, fair enough in a test situation when you have to trot at a marker but no excuse in a lesson.

Overall bloody (ok I lied about it being a swear free post) chuffed second time on Soly and feeling confident. Also now I don't mind an audience am officially weird :-)

Lesson 1 - 20th May 2011

So background, my beloved Chorrie is off games for at least six months, so cheekily asked Gill if I could ride Soly in lessons with Clare and she said yes. I was and am blown away by her kindness.

So went down and got the black beauty in (Soly is a black Welsh Sec D) who looked at me with WTF are you doing in my field with my headcollar :-)

Groomed him, picked out feet, brushed out tail slightly sad to see the silver glitter of yesterday had faded away went and got his bridle and saddle. Put saddle on (Soly not me!) and thought duck no way will my fat a$$ fit in that! Had a horrible vision of trying to get all of my a$$ in the saddle and was convinced as we rose to the trot there'd be a loud pop as my bum made a bid for freedom.

My cunning plan was that Clare would hop on and suss him out for me, but sadly no as part of my education I was to be up first.

So got on and my bum fitted and there was room so either

1/ seat is roomier than it looks

or

2/ my bum is not big

sadly I think it is 1/ :-D

So walked Soly around the arena and he felt tense and from his ears confused. Slowly we both relaxed, tested the go and slow buttons, then put him some halts. I was struck by how much softer and thus nicer in the contact he is compared to Chorrie. Was less pleased to hear that whilst my mutant right hand wasn't holding; the mutantness had schlepped across to my left hand.

Put in some halts, initially progressive, then sharper but without engagement behind, then with some engagement behind.

Leg yield on left rein harder for me to ride than on right.

Trot - if tension in neck you will feel it behind, needs a soft neck to be able to go forwards.

Collecting trot initially led to walk transition, need to watch/feel where he puts himself on the circle and if he is falling in/out.

Need to watch left hand no backward traction.

Really pleased at first session, impressed particularly that I had the confidence to get on a horse that is not mine especially as I haven't ridden for three weeks. Last time I rode a horse that wasn't mine was back in June 2006.

Great start :-)