Post by fimacg on Dec 13, 2014 20:30:39 GMT
I had a lesson today with a chip called Andrew Wright. A young guy who has been away in the USA training with their dressage team and more recently with Emile Faurie. He has just moved home to Scotland and was offering dressage lessons locally.
It was fab, hard work and by the end of it both Brave and I were sweating buckets, regardless of the fact there was no heating in the school and the temperatures outside were below freezing. I haven't been able to ride Brave for the last week given the storm in the first part of the week followed by snow, we still have over an inch left, and the road hasn't been gritted, so it could have been disasterous.
I wanted to work on our medium paces as these consistently let us down in our tests, I got some great exercises changing the speed within each pace some on a circle and some down the long side, interestingly he asked me to do canter fore, I.e. Shoulder fore in canter, then straighten, then ask for the medium canter, this really helped Brave lift his shoulder and extend into the canter, it's not something I have tried before, but will definitely be using it in my homework. By the end of the lesson, Brave really started to extend from the shoulder and sit back on his hocks more without me hanging onto his mouth so really happy.
In the final chat at the end I was told that I had done a really good job with the basics with Brave that he is pretty consistent in terms of staying on the bit and up into the bridle and I was told Brave was probably the nicest horse he had seen all day, and that he really liked him. He also told me that I was a really nice rider, had to watch my heels and hands creeping up and to be a little more subtle in my aids but that I had a very nice seat... Please excuse me while I try to fit my head through the door....
Anyway it was worth braving the ice and snow to get there and I will go back.
It was fab, hard work and by the end of it both Brave and I were sweating buckets, regardless of the fact there was no heating in the school and the temperatures outside were below freezing. I haven't been able to ride Brave for the last week given the storm in the first part of the week followed by snow, we still have over an inch left, and the road hasn't been gritted, so it could have been disasterous.
I wanted to work on our medium paces as these consistently let us down in our tests, I got some great exercises changing the speed within each pace some on a circle and some down the long side, interestingly he asked me to do canter fore, I.e. Shoulder fore in canter, then straighten, then ask for the medium canter, this really helped Brave lift his shoulder and extend into the canter, it's not something I have tried before, but will definitely be using it in my homework. By the end of the lesson, Brave really started to extend from the shoulder and sit back on his hocks more without me hanging onto his mouth so really happy.
In the final chat at the end I was told that I had done a really good job with the basics with Brave that he is pretty consistent in terms of staying on the bit and up into the bridle and I was told Brave was probably the nicest horse he had seen all day, and that he really liked him. He also told me that I was a really nice rider, had to watch my heels and hands creeping up and to be a little more subtle in my aids but that I had a very nice seat... Please excuse me while I try to fit my head through the door....
Anyway it was worth braving the ice and snow to get there and I will go back.
for so much hard work we thank ye!!
