A belated lesson report!

[Thelwell_Girl]

Sorry i didnt post this yesterday, was banished to tidying!

Yesterdays lesson was... Interesting.

I was on my beloved Bonnie again She marched out of her stable like a dream! I was really looking forwards to our ride

We did struggle in the lesson

I found it difficult to keep her going, though we did have some lovely trots it was only when i got all 'Grr', and that didnt last too long!

We were working in open order, and i think she was getting bored Any tips to keep a coblet who hates bending/behaving in general interested?

Eventually got advised to have a little canter to wake her up, but she was so sluggish! I put it down to me letting her get away with things... Our transitions were NOT good!

On a positive note, my heels generally stayed down, and when she started pissing about, I dealt with it without panicing

I love this horse with all my heart... Even though it wasnt the best lesson, it certainly wasnt the worst! I still learnt something

As always, thank you for reading! Im sorry for the lack of pics, but I seem to have lost my camera somewhere in Liverpool city centre

TG xx

(Will be back on later, am off to help out with the lower school's production of Bugsy Malone... Fingers crossed I dont get pied!! )

 

[dafthoss]

keep up the hard work
when working in open order aim to not do a long side without doing something on it if that makes sense? so go along and circle or shallow loop etc. so she is always thinking

 

[Cedars]

Well done TG.

Agree with above, dont go down a long side without doing something, even if it is just a halt transition.

Also, keep playing with your fingers to encourage her to keep listening to you.

Do you ride with a whip?

 

[Dobby]

Well done on not panicking - confidence is half the battle! Keep it up

 

[RolyPolyPony]

When riding down the long side i try to do a transition at each letter. My boy gets bored easily so have to keep him thinking. Yay on not panicing though!

 

[Thelwell_Girl]

Thankfully escaped the pies... Though I did manage to get my old tutor with one square in the face!

keep up the hard work
when working in open order aim to not do a long side without doing something on it if that makes sense? so go along and circle or shallow loop etc. so she is always thinking

Thank you for the tips, that sounds like a plan Bonnie does find bending quite hard though, but she is getting better. Is there anything I can do to help her become more supple?

Well done TG.

Agree with above, dont go down a long side without doing something, even if it is just a halt transition.

Also, keep playing with your fingers to encourage her to keep listening to you.

Do you ride with a whip?

I tried doing lots of halt-walk-trot-halt transitions, and they did seem to wake her up a bit

How do you mean playing with my fingers?

And yep, I always ride with a schooling whip.

Well done on not panicking - confidence is half the battle! Keep it up

I think its because Im used to her now - I know her different little moods she might go into, and how to react to them

When riding down the long side i try to do a transition at each letter. My boy gets bored easily so have to keep him thinking. Yay on not panicing though!

That sounds like it would work quite well for her

Thankyou

 

[Cedars]

'Playing' with fingers - light squeezes, barely there squeezes but just to encourage her to listen. I use it to encourage an outline but it just encourages concentration.

With the whip - when you ask for a transition, do you squeeze once then tap with the whip or do you just keep kicking? To encourage her to listen, you need you ask for your transition once, and then if she doesnt listen straight away you need to ask again with a whip tap at the same time - DONT just keep kicking away as she'll go numb to it.

Also, make sure you properly prepare for your transition - e.g. make sure reins are right length, sit up, deep breath, REALLY mean it.

 

[dafthoss]

Thank you for the tips, that sounds like a plan Bonnie does find bending quite hard though, but she is getting better. Is there anything I can do to help her become more supple?

is she finding it hard or is she being stubborn??
shallow loops are good if she is genuinley strugling as she only has to bend for a few strides then can go straight again before bending again
if she is being stubborn then you need to insist that she bends and hopefully she will get the message that you mean bussiness as with the transitions
hope that helps

 

[somethingorother]

I vote against playing with your fingers. There's a difference between the odd subtle half halt, and being annoying. If you want your aids to be obvious without having to over ask, then wipe out the background noise (fiddling/playing/whatever you want to call it)

I would agree with the always asking for something down the long sides, even if it's just a change within the same pace. Transitions will help her to listen to you, and i would ask her nicely once, maybe twice (make sure your aids are clear though) and then get tough. Also make sure you are soft and relaxed through your arms and hands (and hips/legs) as this can block forward movement.

Ultimately, i think riding school life has this effect on horses after long enough, but you do seem to ride her quite a lot so if you ask her properly she might start to listen to the softer aids again.

ETS i think the difference is like someone who kept saying 'listen to me listen to me listen to me listen to me listen to me listen to me listen to me listen to me listen to me'

And 'listen to me' and then if ignored 'Oi!! Listen to me!'

 

[Cedars]

Mm somethingorother I just meant to get her attention, not just a consistent annoyance - but particularly to encourage attention at the beginning of the lesson. Well, I do, anyway. xxxx

 

[OneInAMillion]

sounds like a good lesson well done

 

[Thelwell_Girl]

'Playing' with fingers - light squeezes, barely there squeezes but just to encourage her to listen. I use it to encourage an outline but it just encourages concentration.

With the whip - when you ask for a transition, do you squeeze once then tap with the whip or do you just keep kicking? To encourage her to listen, you need you ask for your transition once, and then if she doesnt listen straight away you need to ask again with a whip tap at the same time - DONT just keep kicking away as she'll go numb to it.

Also, make sure you properly prepare for your transition - e.g. make sure reins are right length, sit up, deep breath, REALLY mean it.

Ah ok

I do flap with my legs a bit I need to make sure i ask once, then a tap, and not let her ignore me!

is she finding it hard or is she being stubborn??
shallow loops are good if she is genuinley strugling as she only has to bend for a few strides then can go straight again before bending again
if she is being stubborn then you need to insist that she bends and hopefully she will get the message that you mean bussiness as with the transitions
hope that helps

Probably a bit of both!

How do I go about doing a shallow loop?

I vote against playing with your fingers. There's a difference between the odd subtle half halt, and being annoying. If you want your aids to be obvious without having to over ask, then wipe out the background noise (fiddling/playing/whatever you want to call it)

I would agree with the always asking for something down the long sides, even if it's just a change within the same pace. Transitions will help her to listen to you, and i would ask her nicely once, maybe twice (make sure your aids are clear though) and then get tough. Also make sure you are soft and relaxed through your arms and hands (and hips/legs) as this can block forward movement.

Ultimately, i think riding school life has this effect on horses after long enough, but you do seem to ride her quite a lot so if you ask her properly she might start to listen to the softer aids again.

ETS i think the difference is like someone who kept saying 'listen to me listen to me listen to me listen to me listen to me listen to me listen to me listen to me listen to me'

And 'listen to me' and then if ignored 'Oi!! Listen to me!'

Lots to think about! Thankyou

Mm somethingorother I just meant to get her attention, not just a consistent annoyance - but particularly to encourage attention at the beginning of the lesson. Well, I do, anyway. xxxx

Ah, ok

sounds like a good lesson well done

Thank you!

 

[dafthoss]

Probably a bit of both!

How do I go about doing a shallow loop?

ok it is ridden along the long side
so come out of the corner get her straight then ask for inside bend and ride a curve off of the track on to the 3/4 line then get her straight again when she is straight ask for bend to the other side and ride a curve back on to the track this way she and you are not trying to maintain bend for a whole circle and can concentrate on bending when you say. It might also help to be doing some indirect transitions aswell as this will get her off your leg more so halt to trot ect will really keep her listening to you more these are great on a serpentine in trot stopping everytime you go over the center line then straight back to trot again hope it helps. I spent way to long riding an older pony that was a bit lazy so have more ideas if you want some

 

[brighteyes]

Most of the above suggestions are valid and if carried out consistently and with authority, all but the least genuine should respond. However, in some cases, anything but expert delivery and some pseudo aggression, may have little or no prolonged effect - or even a lack of response at all.

This isn't an attribute restricted only to the bored and jaded RS pony. My 'sharp' 14 hander is a nut job when it suits him but pretty soon descends back into his default mode where even a blink of a distraction causing my focus to shift sees him go straight into lazyarse mode and riding him is like pushing rope. The antidote is to take him out XC or for a blast up the beach. Ask Baggybreeches on here what he's like, as she has seen him in action.

I really am not trying to cause despondancy, but it maybe that Bonnie is just fed up of the job. Nothing to do with you whatsoever, but can't you maybe ask for that lovely and more forward palomino for a week or two? I thought you rode far better on that lesson, because you weren't exhausting yourself with all that kicking.

 

[JessPickle]

You seem to always ride the same couple of horses, at the yard I ride at they try and mix things up a bit more and give people a chance on each horse, yes sometimes they may not gel with every single one but gives them experience.

If I were you I'd ask for a chance to ride a few more different ones, you said when doing games you were allowed to ride a wizzy one? try and persuade them again.

As for lazy horses, Pickle is fairly lazy with him the trick is plenty of transitions, I always begin with lots of walk/trot/halt. I then immediatly do walk-canter, walk-canter. This sudden transition really helps wake him up and after this he tends to wake up and allows me to do lateral work which he does awfully when he is slopping around!