Post by racaille on Feb 14, 2009 5:25:24 GMT
Yesterday's lesson went quite well - I've found a way to get one over Paco!!!! 
I just have to surprise him. I'm still a bit sore so didn't want to chance a repeat of flying through the air so thought hard about the canter disobedience thing.
I talked it over with my RI and we decided that over-excitement and anticipation are the problems so I would fool him into thinking we weren't going to canter. It's true that I usually ask for canter from walk so I did far longer warm-up in trot than usual with loads of transitions and figures and when he was having to listen hard to me then I asked for canter from trot.
He was very surprised! But he went off nicely and only did a couple of circles of naughtiness. And it wasn't broncing this time, it was well, I don't know how to describe it but he sort of leaps forward as though he's jumping and just as his front end is coming down he throws his botty up in the air - not really a buck, and when he does several in a row it feels like I'm on a rocking horse. Does this make any sense?
Later I worked him over poles and he was going well but when we put some of the poles up to make a saut de puce (flea jump - is this a bounce? no stride in between) he was all over the place. Just didn't know where to put his feet and getting flatter and flatter.
I was a bit surprised as he had been working well on the flat, nice and round and bouncy. Ah well, it's been ages since he looked at a jump.
I just have to surprise him. I'm still a bit sore so didn't want to chance a repeat of flying through the air so thought hard about the canter disobedience thing.I talked it over with my RI and we decided that over-excitement and anticipation are the problems so I would fool him into thinking we weren't going to canter. It's true that I usually ask for canter from walk so I did far longer warm-up in trot than usual with loads of transitions and figures and when he was having to listen hard to me then I asked for canter from trot.
He was very surprised! But he went off nicely and only did a couple of circles of naughtiness. And it wasn't broncing this time, it was well, I don't know how to describe it but he sort of leaps forward as though he's jumping and just as his front end is coming down he throws his botty up in the air - not really a buck, and when he does several in a row it feels like I'm on a rocking horse. Does this make any sense?
Later I worked him over poles and he was going well but when we put some of the poles up to make a saut de puce (flea jump - is this a bounce? no stride in between) he was all over the place. Just didn't know where to put his feet and getting flatter and flatter.
I was a bit surprised as he had been working well on the flat, nice and round and bouncy. Ah well, it's been ages since he looked at a jump.
for so much hard work we thank ye!!
