A break through? And thank you kerrili!

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harrihjc

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I think I might have had a bit of a break throught with Flash in our jumping lesson last night, and I'm still on cloud 9 because I'm so pleased with him!

After reading kerrili's post about her lesson with LG, I was really thinking about everything she had said, about engine, line and balance, and the last few strides belonging to the horse.

Our problem is that Flash is shockingly lazy, and I am hopeless at getting striding right, and more often than not he will put in a silly unnecessary extra stride that throws both of us off and looks very messy. Usually I'm working so hard trying to keep him active, but to hold him together so he doesn't just go long and flat and on the forehand was proving really difficult, and neither of us had quick enough responses between the jumps, so things gradually got more and more messy as the course went on!

We're doing a working coloured class on Sunday, and I always show him in a pelham or double, but had never jumped in one, so decided to stick the pelham in for our jumping lesson to see how he responded before trying it at a show....

and the result... a horse that was completely holding himself in front so I could have literally held the reins with my fingertips, so all I had to think about was keeping the engine running, which was so much easier because he wasn't leaning
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And a few strides before the jump I just sat quietly and left him to think for himself, and he was so much better and it was so much easier for me! He was easily jumping 1.05m and making it feel like about 60cm, so I'm absolutely thrilled
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Had loads of reservations about using a stronger bit, but I think its better to use something more severe and be able to be so light with my hands than using a snaffle and ending up with aching arms and a pony that doesn't respond!

Sorry, really long waffling post, cookies for getting this far
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I'm so pleased with my fat boy!
 
totally agree with the stronger bit coment!, my cob ends up really frustrated in a snaffle, but with a gag etc hes much calmer and i dont end up with sore arms neither does he end up with a sore mouth!, i know you should never over bit a horse but in some cases its for the better !:D
 
Thanks cruiseonamiro
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He is a frustrating little horse, he has so much ability, but the shortest attention span in the world, and his laziness really makes everything a struggle for me
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Bob_the_cob, totally agree about the sore arms, mine feel fine this morning, which is unusual!
 
sounds really good, glad to be of some help passing on the LG tips!
if the horse goes lighter in front because he's respecting the bit, not leaning on it, it makes the approach and jump so much easier. keep it up, hope you have a very successful time this weekend.
 
Oh wow success!
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Have discovered Blue seems to jump better in his pelham too!

Where is your show on Sunday?
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we're doing the faversham riding club show at Dargate on Sunday, it's Flash's first outdoor show this year, and hopefully we'll do either the intermediate or open jumping, which will be his first jumping class since June last year!!! As long as I can keep his attention and keep the impulsion, which is easier over 3ft than 2ft, he has more than enough ability, he's just lazy and thick
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Oh i don't even know where Dargate is!
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Aw don't be mean.... he's not thick! Maybe a little lazy!
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Good luck!!
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oh.. btw, if he seems "lazy and thick" he's probably one of those horses who has worked out that the more you do before a fence, the less they'll bother doing... in which case, riding him in the way you described in your first post is exactly the right thing to do, especially the "leaving the last 3 (ish) strides to the horse" bit. he doesn't want to hurt himself or fall, so he'll make more of an effort since he realises it's all over to him now!
 
Dargate is just off the A299 (is that the name of it?? the Thanet way?) It's near Faversham, just before it becomes the M2.

I really do think he's lazy and thick, he's been like it since he was broken in, so it's not something he's gradually figured out for himself
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We actually have quite a few horses like that on the yard, funnily enough all 6yr old WB geldings from abroad! Have heard that foreign horses, particularly WBs are very slow to 'mature' tho, and a 6yr old is more like a british or irish bred 4yr old...how much truth there is in that I don't know???

Honestly, I don't think it's possible to describe the Forest Gump of the equine world, who has no idea where his legs are and is constantly injured, zero spatial awareness as he will try to force his way through gaps less than half his width and gets stuck and spends his time staring at his reflection in windows, licking windows, and chasing pheasants round the field as anything other than thick
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My dressage trainer said that he has never ever come across a horse with such a short attention span, and that Flash really is a 'bit special needs isn't he?'
 
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if the horse goes lighter in front because he's respecting the bit, not leaning on it, it makes the approach and jump so much easier.

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Oh so true! I was so tentative to try something a bit stronger as I didn't want to get onto a 'bit spiral'. Put on a Myler combi in the end and OMG the difference is amazing. I know exactly what you mean by a breakthrough - my arms don't ache, we have lightness, better balance and all in all we are both all smiles. Should have done it long ago.
Really glad this has worked so well for you
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Im stewarding at faversham sunday as my inst asked if id assit as shes judging in ring 4. I was hoping to be riding myself but in my last lesson my horse tripped and we both went down and she has a serious injury on her frount leg last year and her tendon sheath blew up so shes being rested at the moment.

If i see you i will say hello but please excuse me if i dont as i think i may be quite busy
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I will be wearing cream jods and i white shirt and red tie.
 
Break through?
Not quite but I tried the barrels from walk thing tonight and tried landing in both walk and canter, specifying the leading leg before we took off. Have a problem landing in right canter. It's something I should have sorted while we were at Intro, but he's so balanced if he lands wrong and will jump 1.20 disunited as well as he jumps it from a true canter. So to be blatantly honest I probably haven't put the work in. Mangaged to land in a true right canter once or twice and in right canter in front every time I wanted it. More to work on, but a useful exercise to give me the impetus to get there.

Well done Lucinda and well done Kerilli.

Has anyone got her recent XC schooling DVD?? If it's full of handy tips like this it may be worth the money.
 
sorry to hear about your horse Claire! Hope she makes a swift recovery!
You will spot us from a mile off, Flash always stands out like a sore thumb, so if I don't recognise you at least you'll know who we are. Hopefully will get a chance to say hello
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