lesson tonight

[fimacg]

Just back from my lesson with Caroline Powell, and thanks to you guys who said just get on with it...

Brave behaved like a prat as every corner of the indoor school had a huge scary monster as did the sides everytime a horse went past outside.

Caroline's assessment "he needs a dressage whip up his jacksie!"

She really made me get after him, he got cross, bucked, went backwards, bucked again and then started rushing everywhere, which was better than going backwards and then he settled to do some really nice work.

I got some really good exercises for him, walk a 5 m circle, on reaching the track imediate canter onto a 20m circle back at the start point back to walk and reapeat.

a 17, yes 17 loop serpentine in a 60m arena, it was more like figures of eight gradually working up the school to get him thinking.

massive amounts of transitions with no more than three strides between, and riding these from weight rather than rein aids. Lots of direct transitions halt to trot, walk to canter halt to canter etc.

Finally it was good to see my instructor getting told to keep lifting her hands, and againg using weight aids, goes to show we all have bad habits.

My take away point watch my lower leg as my heels keep creeping up, if Brave starts backing up to smack him (I know it may not go down well with some on here) and smack him again until he gets cross enough to go forward then reward, but he is taking the pee out of me with these antics now and he simply now has to learn now to go forward whatever the situation.

Even with a clip on the weekend, (he has a blanket clip) he was sweating buckets by the end of the hour, he hardle ever sweats so he really did work.

[fleabitten]

Thats right fi - youre the boss!! ;D

That sounds like hard work!!! I think I would really struggle with a lot of that stuff especially the transitions and i think youre great for doing walk-canter-walk too!

Youre take away points dont sound too bad - sounds like it was a really productive and useful lesson! Well worth it

[dannyboy]

It sounds as if it went well - poor Brave got a truely good workout ;D I bet your buzzing!

[duckles]

Sounds really good lesson- hard work though- I'm impressed at your 17 lope serpintines and walks to canter-

[solomon]

My lesson today was many serpentines down the school too! Must be the day for them. Pete does the silly not going forward thing and strangely enough we used the opposite tactics today to push him forward. I just lent back and sat there saying TROT ON until he did, then of course he anticipated! It is great though working with them and feeling like you have got through to them. Glad you enjoyed it.

[racaille]

Sounds really amazing Fi.

I am in total agreement about the odd smack. It's better to do that than bang on his sides and sometimes it is just what is needed to stop silly behaviour or wake them up. And backing up as an evasion can be dangerous when out hacking so use whatever it takes .....

P was dawdling and being slow off my leg during our schooling lesson yesterday so I tapped him once on the bum with a dressage stick. It was all he needed.

[brigadier]

Like above- its far better one smart slap than banging with no effect on their sides. as long as their is reward when its right the horse will quickly pick it up and then you have no need for the whip and the lightest of legs too. Is it at trot or canter that your heel creeps up Fi?

Dont know if she mentioned but the heel thing is more about the heel absorbing the movement rather than being down, it helps to think of it sinking slightly with each trot or canter stride- like a hinge opening and shutting slightly with the rhythm. If your heel creeps up it cant do this as the achilles tendon is contracted.

I think the exercises are excellent, the walk 5m one is to get the inside hind leg really underneath and control the straightness to improve the quality of the transition into canter and the three stride transition one really lightens the forehand and makes them think- excellent for sluggish backward horses but not one that is so good for sharp horses as it can annoy them.

Have you got another one booked? It sounds fantastic!

[fimacg]

Brig, she is back in 2 weeks time and recommended that I join one of the jumping lessons as that will really benefit him, (even with my caveat that he is green and we haven't jumped for 3 months now) so yes back in a fortnight when we will be lifting all four legs off the ground... I am even more nervous about this...

Its mainly trot when my heels creep up, once in canter I feel like I have more time to think about it, if that makes sense

[brigadier]

Youre possibly doing one of two things then, either you are gripping with your inner thigh or calf a little, allowing the heel to come up, or you are not gripping but your leg is creeping too far back. If it the first try to imagine the leg just hanging there, the exercise where you feel for the rise in the workout section really helps with this as the leg has to be relaxed. If its the latter then short spells with the leathers tied into the girth will help, then try the above exercise to help re-align your body and seat.

[maximum]

sounds great stuff- lets face it sometimes you have to just push that extra bit to improve and would you have gotten after him the same if CP hadnt said?
he will soon realise he cant ess you about and give you more respect and the smacks will be required less and less.

good on you and looking forward to the next instalment!

[bonnyben]

Siounds a fabby lesson Fi... very very good. love some of the schooling tips, that'll get him thinking and listening.

And I agree with othersd, nothing wrong with a smack when needed. Nothing worse than being dead to the leg and if a wee reminder is all it takes then so much the better. ;D

Brave is a real credit to you and you are doing great!!!

Well done..