one of my consistent issues has been inability to prevent the horse (any horse!) pulling the reins through my hands....
so one of the things i tried tonight was 5 minutes ensuring my thumbs were clamped tight to hold the reins between my thumb & finger .... ooh molly didn't like it! but, it was working. i didn't keep that up too long but it is something i need to work on consistently
before that i'd done about 15 minutes in the small arena, some nice trot, and managed to change the rein across the centre (not easy in that small arena! not a huge amount of space!)
al this while YO had been riding her horse inthe main arena, but then decided her horse needed lunging, as she wasn't listening to anything ridden ... so we had to swop arenas.
to change arena, had to get off, then remount once in. I think Molly thinks that leaving one arena means end, which of course it doesn't, but since she totally sets herself against the hand and i didn't have my schooling stick, but i didn't want the battle that would have ensued otherwise....
the main arena is of course still boggy.....but got some nice trot circles and some nice walk with the thumbs firm!
and Tony Benn? for overseas readers, link in name, but a very well known left wing socialist politician, former cabinet member - evenign with tony benn @ the sage gateshead, very good evening, he talked a bit, then Q & A between him and the audience....last minute booking we were lucky to get the tickets, partner on call so didn't know until 5 whether she'd be working late or not.
so one of the things i tried tonight was 5 minutes ensuring my thumbs were clamped tight to hold the reins between my thumb & finger .... ooh molly didn't like it! but, it was working. i didn't keep that up too long but it is something i need to work on consistently
before that i'd done about 15 minutes in the small arena, some nice trot, and managed to change the rein across the centre (not easy in that small arena! not a huge amount of space!)
al this while YO had been riding her horse inthe main arena, but then decided her horse needed lunging, as she wasn't listening to anything ridden ... so we had to swop arenas.
to change arena, had to get off, then remount once in. I think Molly thinks that leaving one arena means end, which of course it doesn't, but since she totally sets herself against the hand and i didn't have my schooling stick, but i didn't want the battle that would have ensued otherwise....
the main arena is of course still boggy.....but got some nice trot circles and some nice walk with the thumbs firm!
and Tony Benn? for overseas readers, link in name, but a very well known left wing socialist politician, former cabinet member - evenign with tony benn @ the sage gateshead, very good evening, he talked a bit, then Q & A between him and the audience....last minute booking we were lucky to get the tickets, partner on call so didn't know until 5 whether she'd be working late or not.
3 comments:
Another thing that might help is keeping your elbows firmly at your side so they and your hands don't "float" all over the place. Then with your hand steady, Molly can find the place to put her head to keep her contact steady.
With the elbows at your side your hand and forearm can lift and lower a bit to change the "length" of rein and your fingers can play the bit a little to encourage her to soften.
Still, it sounds as if the work is still progressing. Good ride, I think.
yes - i do try to do that, no problem in walk, trot stil a work in progress but improving....a balance between keeping the upper arm still and the reins secure without at the same time getting stiff/fixed/seized up and thus ending up with too heavy a hand...
Ah, Tony Benn, one of the great *gentlemen* in my opinion. In my days with BA we carried many politicians but none with the charm of the great Mr W-Benn.
Hands...oh, the never ending story for most of us, lol
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