unfortunately without any pics or video - was expecting regular RI to come and watch but she had to work LOL
shortened stirrups one more hole (i'd already taken them up one) and that did help me a lot.
after that i really need to work on keeping my reins firmly between thumb and finger! She suggested I try a market harborough... and turns out a friend has one! My preference would be reinbows, which i've recently come across, but theyonly fit those really thick horrid rubber reins ATM so no good. we need a tool to help me!
not really anything too different from what we've been trying anyway, in essence, and molly did work better than she has recently (assisted by my being better balanced i suspect) but still really having to push her through the tranter/skipping malarkey!
One thing I wasn't sure of what she was saying - using the outside rein to keep her to the outside... but think that may have been another way of saying inside leg into holding outside hand.
and wanting me to use my hands to slow the trot, rather than slowing my rise! But i rather think that was because the trot was such that slowing my rise was difficult on occasion!
instructor used to run dressage comps and trains for BHS exams and so on, and thought Molly looks very pretty & good when working nicely!
good lesson .. and both molly and i got hosed off afterwards (I hosed my head!)
edited to add - forgot to tell yo the most exciting bit! a branch brok off from a tree in the copse next to the arena... happily we weren't right next to it, but clearly that could have been really hairy. she bounced a bit.. but neither of us could see it, so fine! she was a bit dubious about going down that side but eventually settled...
shortened stirrups one more hole (i'd already taken them up one) and that did help me a lot.
after that i really need to work on keeping my reins firmly between thumb and finger! She suggested I try a market harborough... and turns out a friend has one! My preference would be reinbows, which i've recently come across, but theyonly fit those really thick horrid rubber reins ATM so no good. we need a tool to help me!
not really anything too different from what we've been trying anyway, in essence, and molly did work better than she has recently (assisted by my being better balanced i suspect) but still really having to push her through the tranter/skipping malarkey!
One thing I wasn't sure of what she was saying - using the outside rein to keep her to the outside... but think that may have been another way of saying inside leg into holding outside hand.
and wanting me to use my hands to slow the trot, rather than slowing my rise! But i rather think that was because the trot was such that slowing my rise was difficult on occasion!
instructor used to run dressage comps and trains for BHS exams and so on, and thought Molly looks very pretty & good when working nicely!
good lesson .. and both molly and i got hosed off afterwards (I hosed my head!)
edited to add - forgot to tell yo the most exciting bit! a branch brok off from a tree in the copse next to the arena... happily we weren't right next to it, but clearly that could have been really hairy. she bounced a bit.. but neither of us could see it, so fine! she was a bit dubious about going down that side but eventually settled...
9 comments:
Sounds like a most excellent lesson! Nice that she wasn't fussed about the branch.
"One thing I wasn't sure of what she was saying - using the outside rein to keep her to the outside... but think that may have been another way of saying inside leg into holding outside hand."
It most likely was that - or you were losing contact on the outside rein OR you didn't use the outside rein to half-halt.
As to slowing the trot down - one thing you can try is to make a transition to walk EVERY time the tempo quickens even slightly. Once your mare knows she is not to change the tempo you can replace the transitions with half-halting. It may be that at first you will have to half-halt every stride, then every fifth stride etc until you can keep her in tempo in which you get the most regular rhythm.
All the best,
Wiola
Excellent job! Always good when you make progress. I too agree about the inside leg to the outside rein interpretation.
Never be afraid of asking an instructor if you are not sure of what they mean. A good teacher will always be able to explain. In this case, it might have cleared up the concern you had.
Using your hands to slow the trot is essentially the beginning of a half halt. When you use your hand, you seat will come into play as well and your rising will slow, so everything works together.
And good for you both about the branch. When you are working hard, those distractions become less and less important.
yup, should have asked ... but usual RI, my friend who's about to do her BHS and I all think that's the correct interpretation, and i was probably trying to do that anyway but without sawing my hands
Wiola, hello ... just been and looked at your blog, good luck for your II!
Good that you got a lesson, nice to have another pair of eyes.
Not truly sure about MH, just draw reins really and I don't see how they would help you keep your hands steady (I've only ever used them for hacking out badly trained pullers in the early days of teaching manners). Like to know more of the reasoning unless it's just to keep her *round* (argghh) for you as in draw reins.
Go carefully, beware false gods,lol.
quite, trudi, this is the thing! but they do operate differently from draw reins ...
and no, the idea is to help my hands. I can't keep my hands right to provide molly a consistent contact, and i too easily let the reins slip/be pulled through my fingers ...
if molly is on the lunge with side reins, she is cool .. because the contact from side reins doesn't alter!
Claire said **quite, trudi, this is the thing! but they do operate differently from draw reins ...**
Gonna have to disagree with you there Claire, they are draw reins, work the same way it's just that if you have them on the longest setting they only come into play when you shorten the reins a lot, on the short setting they are *on* all the time. I just don't like the *fixing* of the head/neck with a counter lever effect and Gerd H has very definite ideas on that.I can't see how it's going to help the hands. Sorry, not being argumentative just an opinion ;-)
ah... will go have another look ... it's a while since i've looked in EWH's book ... if i'm wrong, fine! last thing I want to use is draw reins or equivalent!
Look them up on sustainable dressage website, she calls them Thiedemann Reins and are on the gadgets page.
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