Post by racaille on Dec 17, 2011 3:46:36 GMT
Finally got to the club yesterday for a lesson and was appalled to see canter poles put out (4 in a circle). This is Paco's nightmare!!!!! 
To make it worse, the club's star rider (champion de France many times) joined S (sort of novice) and I - and he was riding the YO (E) 's own horse. Yikes! he made it look so easy, wonderful rocking horse, regular canter ...... so no pressure there then ....
Well, as you know, canter is P's very weak spot and he hasn't seen a pole for years .... so he went charging round, LEAPING over the poles After a while he started to get the hang of it and improved a lot, but there's work to be done ..... 
I asked E to try Paco as I wanted to see what it is he does when asked for left lead. It was fascinating to see a 'proper' rider on him - apart from the fact that he was really sweaty and dirty, I had forgotten what a nice looking little horse he is.
She got him working well (although I sort of was pleased to see he was resisting her too!) and she came up with some top tips for me. P has no natural balance and falls in all the time, this is something I must work on. I find it terribly hard to hold him with my left leg (anyone got any left side strengthening exercises?) and if you ask for a little canter he tends to fall back into trot.
But also E saw that to counter his falling in, I tend to move my hands more to the outside, which then hampers him still more. On the other hand, even if he led correctly when asked for left canter, he changed back over the poles.
So, lots of work needed, and my leg needs to become more efficient.
But I have booked a jumping lesson on Tuesday ... caramba 
To make it worse, the club's star rider (champion de France many times) joined S (sort of novice) and I - and he was riding the YO (E) 's own horse. Yikes! he made it look so easy, wonderful rocking horse, regular canter ...... so no pressure there then ....
Well, as you know, canter is P's very weak spot and he hasn't seen a pole for years .... so he went charging round, LEAPING over the poles
After a while he started to get the hang of it and improved a lot, but there's work to be done ..... 
I asked E to try Paco as I wanted to see what it is he does when asked for left lead. It was fascinating to see a 'proper' rider on him - apart from the fact that he was really sweaty and dirty, I had forgotten what a nice looking little horse he is.
She got him working well (although I sort of was pleased to see he was resisting her too!) and she came up with some top tips for me. P has no natural balance and falls in all the time, this is something I must work on. I find it terribly hard to hold him with my left leg (anyone got any left side strengthening exercises?) and if you ask for a little canter he tends to fall back into trot.
But also E saw that to counter his falling in, I tend to move my hands more to the outside, which then hampers him still more. On the other hand, even if he led correctly when asked for left canter, he changed back over the poles.
So, lots of work needed, and my leg needs to become more efficient.
But I have booked a jumping lesson on Tuesday ... caramba 
for so much hard work we thank ye!!
