Wow, two followers! Hi Amy and Pia! You will have to come and meet zando! this is a mammoth post, so i doubt many will read til the end!
Have had a lovely few days. Today, Z's non stressage day, I got my friend Steph to jump Z! he went over a little cross pole and a straight bar, and was really really good! He loved doing it too, but after the jump went straight back into dressage trot or canter, all round and calm! Steph wants to keep him now! I was pleased that he went forward without spurs or a stick, showing i think that he is getting stronger and happer about the forward thing! I wish i had taken pictures, but i forgot my camera. Anyway, steph agreed she will pop him over a jump or two every month or so, which i think will be good for him mentally.
On friday we had a lesson. I cannot believe how well zando is coming on. He has a neck now! and a bum!
J rode first, and i jsut had this huge grin watching Z look all fab. we are not needing to do the overtempo thing now, as he has gotten the forward idea and is happy making forward transitions. Likewise, although we still do deep, it isnt as BTV now he has the neck to take it forward. I am glad i trusted J on this! when Z comes up he has a lovely 'novice' outline that is soft and forward towards the bit, which is good. and h is just forward. He can still get a little stuffy if you do too much little trot etc., but is easy just to push on for a bit to re energise him. Also is now doing a moving turn on the forehand in trot - and looking fab! its really hard for him to use his hind like that, but you can see them working and getting stronger.
When i got on it didnt immediately go to pot, which is always nice! At the moment we are doing a lot of just circles, serpentines, going large etc, so nothing exciting to report on that really! however, we also started putting in some transitions - trot, to walk for a few strides then trot. we did some of the turn on the forehand thing in walk. And we finished with some 'ringcraft' as although its more important for z to e set up right for transitions etc, i need to be more accurate with figures etc. when we go competing.. gulp.
anyway, lessons to take away:
1. watch i dont collapse my left hip, all the damn time.
2. keep my legs still!, only use them if i want to change something, and most of the time a click, or a change in seat will get a reaction.
3. when Z hollows, use both legs to bring him down...
4. forward, round straight - all the damn time. thats all i need to do...
5. bend my elbows, thumbs on top, point at his ears. Forearm soft, not tense. hold the rein with a closed hand. I know all this but i keep havin to remind myself...
6. canter transitions, - extra round, extra forward. in the canter i need to ride it (i tend to go a bit passive) and relax my knee so that i can really sit deep with him, rather than perched on him.
7. TOF - get a good flexion to the inside on a smallish circle ( 10-15m), use a touch of whip to keep energy, use inside leg to ask for inside hind to step through. we only want a few good steps, then praise and ride forward. I find it tricky to do the balancing stuff of outside hand and leg with the inside push for flecxion etc. I also need to ensure that I am looking forward, am straight in the saddle and not giving away the outside rein totally...
Yesterday we had another lesson. I rode from the start. It was a really beautiful day and the lesson was very chilled out for all of us! of course, i got frustrated with myself (my hands dont want to behave) but actually it was pretty good for both of us. We did some warming up stuff, concentrating on relaxation and rhthym, played with flexion, and then did some leg yeild back to the track. we finsihed with a little canter work. anyway, things to remember:
1. give my right rein and keep my left, all the time. Atm my right hand is naughty and pulls, and my left is naughty and gives! when i get it right, its much easier
2. when anything goes wrong, i immediately blame myself and think about what i am doing badly, by which time the wrong thing has gone on for half a circle! i need to rethink about this as an opportunity to 'train and get to the pat' ie. allow Z to get it right again and get a neck stratch. I also just need to correct. Most of the time my instints are right now, i just need to let me get on with it.
3. when leg yeilding, we want the training to be easy. So i am not looking for a perfect legyeild, i am looking for a smooth happy sideways movement. Its ok if his shouders go first, we can gradually make him straighter. Lots of praise. Let the outside hand come down and out to give the shoulder space to move into. Get flexion and straight first - circle if needed, then do the LY down the longside.
5. canter transitions needs to extra round and etra forward to get the nice forward transisiont. Its ok if i do 50 bad ones as long as i get one good one, but I have to get that good one!
so although i was a bit cross with myself, J thought we did well, so maybe i need to trust him on that one too....
Have had a lovely few days. Today, Z's non stressage day, I got my friend Steph to jump Z! he went over a little cross pole and a straight bar, and was really really good! He loved doing it too, but after the jump went straight back into dressage trot or canter, all round and calm! Steph wants to keep him now! I was pleased that he went forward without spurs or a stick, showing i think that he is getting stronger and happer about the forward thing! I wish i had taken pictures, but i forgot my camera. Anyway, steph agreed she will pop him over a jump or two every month or so, which i think will be good for him mentally.
On friday we had a lesson. I cannot believe how well zando is coming on. He has a neck now! and a bum!
J rode first, and i jsut had this huge grin watching Z look all fab. we are not needing to do the overtempo thing now, as he has gotten the forward idea and is happy making forward transitions. Likewise, although we still do deep, it isnt as BTV now he has the neck to take it forward. I am glad i trusted J on this! when Z comes up he has a lovely 'novice' outline that is soft and forward towards the bit, which is good. and h is just forward. He can still get a little stuffy if you do too much little trot etc., but is easy just to push on for a bit to re energise him. Also is now doing a moving turn on the forehand in trot - and looking fab! its really hard for him to use his hind like that, but you can see them working and getting stronger.
When i got on it didnt immediately go to pot, which is always nice! At the moment we are doing a lot of just circles, serpentines, going large etc, so nothing exciting to report on that really! however, we also started putting in some transitions - trot, to walk for a few strides then trot. we did some of the turn on the forehand thing in walk. And we finished with some 'ringcraft' as although its more important for z to e set up right for transitions etc, i need to be more accurate with figures etc. when we go competing.. gulp.
anyway, lessons to take away:
1. watch i dont collapse my left hip, all the damn time.
2. keep my legs still!, only use them if i want to change something, and most of the time a click, or a change in seat will get a reaction.
3. when Z hollows, use both legs to bring him down...
4. forward, round straight - all the damn time. thats all i need to do...
5. bend my elbows, thumbs on top, point at his ears. Forearm soft, not tense. hold the rein with a closed hand. I know all this but i keep havin to remind myself...
6. canter transitions, - extra round, extra forward. in the canter i need to ride it (i tend to go a bit passive) and relax my knee so that i can really sit deep with him, rather than perched on him.
7. TOF - get a good flexion to the inside on a smallish circle ( 10-15m), use a touch of whip to keep energy, use inside leg to ask for inside hind to step through. we only want a few good steps, then praise and ride forward. I find it tricky to do the balancing stuff of outside hand and leg with the inside push for flecxion etc. I also need to ensure that I am looking forward, am straight in the saddle and not giving away the outside rein totally...
Yesterday we had another lesson. I rode from the start. It was a really beautiful day and the lesson was very chilled out for all of us! of course, i got frustrated with myself (my hands dont want to behave) but actually it was pretty good for both of us. We did some warming up stuff, concentrating on relaxation and rhthym, played with flexion, and then did some leg yeild back to the track. we finsihed with a little canter work. anyway, things to remember:
1. give my right rein and keep my left, all the time. Atm my right hand is naughty and pulls, and my left is naughty and gives! when i get it right, its much easier
2. when anything goes wrong, i immediately blame myself and think about what i am doing badly, by which time the wrong thing has gone on for half a circle! i need to rethink about this as an opportunity to 'train and get to the pat' ie. allow Z to get it right again and get a neck stratch. I also just need to correct. Most of the time my instints are right now, i just need to let me get on with it.
3. when leg yeilding, we want the training to be easy. So i am not looking for a perfect legyeild, i am looking for a smooth happy sideways movement. Its ok if his shouders go first, we can gradually make him straighter. Lots of praise. Let the outside hand come down and out to give the shoulder space to move into. Get flexion and straight first - circle if needed, then do the LY down the longside.
5. canter transitions needs to extra round and etra forward to get the nice forward transisiont. Its ok if i do 50 bad ones as long as i get one good one, but I have to get that good one!
so although i was a bit cross with myself, J thought we did well, so maybe i need to trust him on that one too....
Sounds good. You'll be out and about before you know it.......:-)
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