Eet just ees.
How can it be that Wilson is THE best horse that ever walked the planet, yet I still yearn for my darling beautiful Joe?
Sunday, 2 May 2010
Thursday, 22 April 2010
New bridle and reins
Thought I'd test-drive the new bridle just in case he didn't like it. It was fine and looks really lush with the bling browband. It came with reins so I tried those but I wasn't absolutely happy with them as there's no leather inside the rubber so they feel a bit insubstantial in my hands. Think I'll use Old Faithfuls on Saturday.
We did the collect-extend-collect exercise in trot and ended up with a lovely forward WT. I simply HAVE to make sure that this becomes the default trot otherwise I'm just wasting my time and money.
Right canter is better than left. No idea how this has happened but I'm cool with it.
We did the collect-extend-collect exercise in trot and ended up with a lovely forward WT. I simply HAVE to make sure that this becomes the default trot otherwise I'm just wasting my time and money.
Right canter is better than left. No idea how this has happened but I'm cool with it.
Wednesday, 21 April 2010
Long time no blog
Super lesson just now. We were pretty rubbish to start with but pretty ok by the end and we were actually pretty good in parts.
I like WonderWoman, she's very rigorous and forthright but always, always encouraging.
Apparently there's nothing wrong with the way I ride, or my feel; it's just that I tend to stay cautiously in my comfort zone and that's why we're usually only ever ok. She said that everything is there but I have to really want it.
We ran through Saturday's Novice test. It was a bit shambolic in parts because I didn't know it at all so I was relying on her to call it for me, and every so often she'd get sidetracked telling me what I'd done well or not well, lol. Somehow we managed some good canter, really uphill, and when we did our final MT she said that if we do it like that on the day, she'd be surprised if we didn't get a 7 for it. I nearly fell off because we just don't DO medium strides.
His new bridle is beautiful and I bought a clear diamante browband to go on it. Shan't be using the blingy reins though, don't want to appear too far up my own arse.
I like WonderWoman, she's very rigorous and forthright but always, always encouraging.
Apparently there's nothing wrong with the way I ride, or my feel; it's just that I tend to stay cautiously in my comfort zone and that's why we're usually only ever ok. She said that everything is there but I have to really want it.
We ran through Saturday's Novice test. It was a bit shambolic in parts because I didn't know it at all so I was relying on her to call it for me, and every so often she'd get sidetracked telling me what I'd done well or not well, lol. Somehow we managed some good canter, really uphill, and when we did our final MT she said that if we do it like that on the day, she'd be surprised if we didn't get a 7 for it. I nearly fell off because we just don't DO medium strides.
His new bridle is beautiful and I bought a clear diamante browband to go on it. Shan't be using the blingy reins though, don't want to appear too far up my own arse.
Wednesday, 30 September 2009
Elementary, my dear Wilson
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YTTNXpaYUY
He was so NOT in the mood it was untrue. You can see me kicking the soft beggar to get him to move!
But we got 7s for everything we'd practised in the lesson with Wonder Woman and I was satisfied with our mark (63%) given the quality of the test as a whole - and I was gobsmacked when we actually won!
I does love that horse.
He was so NOT in the mood it was untrue. You can see me kicking the soft beggar to get him to move!
But we got 7s for everything we'd practised in the lesson with Wonder Woman and I was satisfied with our mark (63%) given the quality of the test as a whole - and I was gobsmacked when we actually won!
I does love that horse.
Wednesday, 23 September 2009
Even more Oooh!
We had our second lesson with New Trainer today. As I'd suspected we were heaps better than last time, and by the end of the lesson we were even more heaps better still.
Quite remarkable.
The difference is that I am really riding the horse, keeping control of every stride rather than just hoping it will all stay ok. I have to really watch that left shoulder of his and keep hold of it especially during turns to the right, and to keep him balanced I aim for little strides and keep hold of his shoulders so they don't get too far in front of his back end. Then we end up with a nice pingy, balanced gait.
She said that if we do this, there's no reason why we shouldn't end up with a raft of 7s even in E42, and also pointed out that when I do manage to keep hold of Wilson, he looks flashy and impressive.
So "all" I have to do on Saturday is keep him relaxed (hah!) and remember to ride him. Yup, that's all. ALL!! I am terribly excited though and can't wait for tomorrow so that I can ride again!
Quite remarkable.
The difference is that I am really riding the horse, keeping control of every stride rather than just hoping it will all stay ok. I have to really watch that left shoulder of his and keep hold of it especially during turns to the right, and to keep him balanced I aim for little strides and keep hold of his shoulders so they don't get too far in front of his back end. Then we end up with a nice pingy, balanced gait.
She said that if we do this, there's no reason why we shouldn't end up with a raft of 7s even in E42, and also pointed out that when I do manage to keep hold of Wilson, he looks flashy and impressive.
So "all" I have to do on Saturday is keep him relaxed (hah!) and remember to ride him. Yup, that's all. ALL!! I am terribly excited though and can't wait for tomorrow so that I can ride again!
Sunday, 20 September 2009
Ooooh!
Rode again this morning. Remembered to flex him left and right, and he was much better and softer and more supple than yesterday.
Worked on our canter transitions, same exercise as yesterday: canter half a circle, trot half a circle so that he began to anticipate what I was going to ask and I was able to tone down my aids a lot. He's begun to learn to canter when I make a "Tss" sound - works from walk to canter too :chuffed: Just wish he'd go canter-walk!
Ran through E42. No more difficult than a Novice really although obviously the qualitative issues come into play. Anyway we're going to give it a go on Saturday and see what happens.
Haven't felt this excited for ages!
Worked on our canter transitions, same exercise as yesterday: canter half a circle, trot half a circle so that he began to anticipate what I was going to ask and I was able to tone down my aids a lot. He's begun to learn to canter when I make a "Tss" sound - works from walk to canter too :chuffed: Just wish he'd go canter-walk!
Ran through E42. No more difficult than a Novice really although obviously the qualitative issues come into play. Anyway we're going to give it a go on Saturday and see what happens.
Haven't felt this excited for ages!
Saturday, 19 September 2009
New trainer :)
REALLY like her. So does Wils: he let her hold the rein while I got on, and he let her give him a pat. He usually doesn't trust strangers enough to do either of those things.
Thank goodness I think she is the right person to take over from Paul. I was looking for somebody who was like him; Debbie Jones is, but she's as elusive as he is. This lady doesn't use the exact words that he and Debbie use but she talks about the same things, namely Wilson's left shoulder.
Of course she liked him and she also said some very nice things about my riding. I don't care what anybody says, the feelgood factor is important. It's perfectly possible to say nice things to your client and then set about changing what they do! I don't think you need to have the bad stuff rubbed in your face, and you like to feel that your efforts are at least being recognised, however off the mark they may be.
Anyway we worked on getting Wilson soft and supple, which is our absolute downfall and why we do fairly well but almost never very well. She reckons it isn't difficult to fix but it struck me that I have a lot of things to remember to do and I have to time them right as well, which kinda rates as difficult in my book.
We think we may have a crack at Elemental next Saturday. It's a fairly easy test so I'll go through it tomorrow and see how it feels, and then we'll run it past her on Wednesday. She said we'd be fine at Elem but I said No, we still don't really have a medium trot, and she pointed out that we wouldn't be alone there - but I told her that we don't want to be the types who compete at Elementary when we don't have the basics for it. We'll see; I may be seduced into giving it a go; it depends whether I can bear not to have the opportunity to rack up a mark or maybe two for the league, or whether ambition will get the better of me.
And we're going to affiliate. I was only thinking of Prelim, but she reckoned we'd be ok for Novice as well. Oh, she's a List 4 judge. SBN is "only" List 5.
I am so happy. I think we have a chance of really making some progress now.
Thank goodness I think she is the right person to take over from Paul. I was looking for somebody who was like him; Debbie Jones is, but she's as elusive as he is. This lady doesn't use the exact words that he and Debbie use but she talks about the same things, namely Wilson's left shoulder.
Of course she liked him and she also said some very nice things about my riding. I don't care what anybody says, the feelgood factor is important. It's perfectly possible to say nice things to your client and then set about changing what they do! I don't think you need to have the bad stuff rubbed in your face, and you like to feel that your efforts are at least being recognised, however off the mark they may be.
Anyway we worked on getting Wilson soft and supple, which is our absolute downfall and why we do fairly well but almost never very well. She reckons it isn't difficult to fix but it struck me that I have a lot of things to remember to do and I have to time them right as well, which kinda rates as difficult in my book.
We think we may have a crack at Elemental next Saturday. It's a fairly easy test so I'll go through it tomorrow and see how it feels, and then we'll run it past her on Wednesday. She said we'd be fine at Elem but I said No, we still don't really have a medium trot, and she pointed out that we wouldn't be alone there - but I told her that we don't want to be the types who compete at Elementary when we don't have the basics for it. We'll see; I may be seduced into giving it a go; it depends whether I can bear not to have the opportunity to rack up a mark or maybe two for the league, or whether ambition will get the better of me.
And we're going to affiliate. I was only thinking of Prelim, but she reckoned we'd be ok for Novice as well. Oh, she's a List 4 judge. SBN is "only" List 5.
I am so happy. I think we have a chance of really making some progress now.
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