Post by bonnyben on Feb 10, 2010 17:05:18 GMT
The long awaited lesson with Rhoda McVey took place this morning in a gloriously sunny if bitterly cold school at G'side. She was amazing and so was my Big Ben (surprise surprise 
)
She started by bringing all her gubbins from her car, planks of wood, markers, flower pots, cones, a tarpaulin and the low branches contraption. She explained the beginnings of Le TREC which of course Rac already knows - it started in France 30 years ago and has grown into an international sport.
We began by warming up while Rhoda laid out all the bits (helped by one of the liveries) and the first thing we had ot do was canter 150 metres round the school slow as poss and then walk back as fast as poss. The canter went well, she said we'd have got good marks, but the walk was not so good. Then we did the corridor - walking then trotting between parallel plastic piping, we didn't do too badly but canter was not a success - we trampled the piping.
Then weaving round the cones slalom fashion, ok in trot but didn't try it any faster - then the rein back between the parallel planks. good at that. 
Then the tarpaulin which he barely looked at followed by the low branches. We started at 18 hands but finished up at 16 2 and did that in trot, she suggested canter but I bottled out...then the z bend thing - that was very hard cos Ben is long and I am not the best negotiator so we trampled that down very effectively but that wasn't his fault, I need to shorten my reins by about a foot.
We then had to do all these tests form the ground, including the immobilbity test which he got the hang of pretty quickly. He was truly amazing and I was so proud of him. Rhoda said he is a poppet and she knew of at least 4 people who would buy a horse like him in a second!!! He is NOT for sale I said!!!!
It was fantastic. I loved it. And I think Ben did too, he was laid back relaxed and quickly got the point of what he was supposed to do....
2 comps coming up, Sandyflat in Glasgow on 14 and 28 March. I am having another lesson before then and at least one other livery also wants to give it a go so am going to organise it to suit.
And to finish of after Rhoda had gone, guess what?? I hitched up the trailer and loaded him, three times!!!
T had to use the tail techique the first time but after that he was ok. Seems a bit edgy but hoping that as we do it more and more he will relax and accept it, even enjoy it. Only one small problem, the single breech bar back and front is unwieldy and not easy to fix by one person when the horse is loaded so looks like it will be a two person job unless someone knows a good workaround.. 
Great day. Thanks for listening guys!!! (If you did)
) She started by bringing all her gubbins from her car, planks of wood, markers, flower pots, cones, a tarpaulin and the low branches contraption. She explained the beginnings of Le TREC which of course Rac already knows - it started in France 30 years ago and has grown into an international sport.
We began by warming up while Rhoda laid out all the bits (helped by one of the liveries) and the first thing we had ot do was canter 150 metres round the school slow as poss and then walk back as fast as poss. The canter went well, she said we'd have got good marks, but the walk was not so good. Then we did the corridor - walking then trotting between parallel plastic piping, we didn't do too badly but canter was not a success - we trampled the piping.
Then weaving round the cones slalom fashion, ok in trot but didn't try it any faster - then the rein back between the parallel planks. good at that. 
Then the tarpaulin which he barely looked at followed by the low branches. We started at 18 hands but finished up at 16 2 and did that in trot, she suggested canter but I bottled out...then the z bend thing - that was very hard cos Ben is long and I am not the best negotiator so we trampled that down very effectively but that wasn't his fault, I need to shorten my reins by about a foot.
We then had to do all these tests form the ground, including the immobilbity test which he got the hang of pretty quickly. He was truly amazing and I was so proud of him. Rhoda said he is a poppet and she knew of at least 4 people who would buy a horse like him in a second!!! He is NOT for sale I said!!!!
It was fantastic. I loved it. And I think Ben did too, he was laid back relaxed and quickly got the point of what he was supposed to do....
2 comps coming up, Sandyflat in Glasgow on 14 and 28 March. I am having another lesson before then and at least one other livery also wants to give it a go so am going to organise it to suit.
And to finish of after Rhoda had gone, guess what?? I hitched up the trailer and loaded him, three times!!!
T had to use the tail techique the first time but after that he was ok. Seems a bit edgy but hoping that as we do it more and more he will relax and accept it, even enjoy it. Only one small problem, the single breech bar back and front is unwieldy and not easy to fix by one person when the horse is loaded so looks like it will be a two person job unless someone knows a good workaround.. 
Great day. Thanks for listening guys!!! (If you did)
for so much hard work we thank ye!!