Post by racaille on Nov 16, 2008 18:45:47 GMT
It was today! And I was so excited I got up at 6.30am, even though I wasn't riding until 9am.
I hardly know where to start, it was so great. I learnt so much!
The prof (ex Saumur) was fantastic. He had been told what we all needed help with and gave us individual lessons. I was on first, which was a bit scary as everyone watched .....
It was a bit like magic. He recognised that Paco is a 'cheval froid' - I'm not sure how to translate this but it's the opposite of fizzy. Lazy and stubborn. So he just showed me how to wake him up. And the thing I liked most was that, given his background, he was open to doing this differently. He would say things like: Yes, this is the classical method but if it doesn't work for this horse, we must find another way.
I was riding in spurs and with a dressage stick (some of you may not like that but yes, that's the way it was) and the prof showed me that a little flick on top of the bum worked wonders. He also increased my contact - I had always thought that a lazy horse should not be 'held back' but he showed me that with good legs riding him forward into the hand, he became less lazy!!!!
But the breakthrough was the ruddy left lead canter that you all know is our issue. Naturally Paco, the little beggar, did his evasion and instead of letting me stop Paco and ask again, the prof made me rideinto the problem, a smaller circle and more impulsion and Paco was obliged to change legs.
Yes, he did a flying change!!!!!! ;D
And after that he was pretty much always 'a juste' as we say. He just knew that it was not in his best interests to set off 'a faux'. You cannot imagine the grin on my face tonight!!!
We also worked on his outline which improved 100%.
So much stuff. And I don't want to bore you all so I'll stop. But I'm fizzing. ;D
I hardly know where to start, it was so great. I learnt so much!
The prof (ex Saumur) was fantastic. He had been told what we all needed help with and gave us individual lessons. I was on first, which was a bit scary as everyone watched .....
It was a bit like magic. He recognised that Paco is a 'cheval froid' - I'm not sure how to translate this but it's the opposite of fizzy. Lazy and stubborn. So he just showed me how to wake him up. And the thing I liked most was that, given his background, he was open to doing this differently. He would say things like: Yes, this is the classical method but if it doesn't work for this horse, we must find another way.
I was riding in spurs and with a dressage stick (some of you may not like that but yes, that's the way it was) and the prof showed me that a little flick on top of the bum worked wonders. He also increased my contact - I had always thought that a lazy horse should not be 'held back' but he showed me that with good legs riding him forward into the hand, he became less lazy!!!!
But the breakthrough was the ruddy left lead canter that you all know is our issue. Naturally Paco, the little beggar, did his evasion and instead of letting me stop Paco and ask again, the prof made me rideinto the problem, a smaller circle and more impulsion and Paco was obliged to change legs.
Yes, he did a flying change!!!!!! ;D
And after that he was pretty much always 'a juste' as we say. He just knew that it was not in his best interests to set off 'a faux'. You cannot imagine the grin on my face tonight!!!
We also worked on his outline which improved 100%.
So much stuff. And I don't want to bore you all so I'll stop. But I'm fizzing. ;D
He pointed out that materials had changed a great deal and that saddles hadn't really so why not accept that the old military saddle could be improved. 
for so much hard work we thank ye!!
)
