bank hol lesson report, avec pic, captain sensible remains...

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Prince33Sp4rkle

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was a bit sharp when i first got on so after a brisk walk and trot, we let him do some collected-medium collected canter on a circle and he settle pretty nicely after that!

in light of our immenent move up to elem, we then worked the canter-walk-canter on the circle, making sure he waits in both directions. going right is bang on but going left he gets tense in the upward transition.trainer pointed out that he ran left handed when he raced so left rein will probably always be tenser initially....so carried on, really praising him thoughout the transition and establishing a very soft relaxed walk in between. in the end we got some really nice ones, so moved on to doing them as they are in the test, on the half 10m circles, these were really pretty good for a 5yo, so trainer is happy i am ok to terrorise the judges at elem!

picked up the leg yields and alternated a steeper angle with a lesser angle but very forward on, really making him swing across. being really picky i still need a tad more control over the outside shoulder, so theres my homework!

shoulder in, worked on riding a bigger more grown up angle,which he really tried at, and again letting it go forward and not relay on my hand to hold him,must hold him off my seat.

half pass is comming on fabulously in as much as the horse finds it easy and the left band is now as easy as the right but ohmygod my shoulders-so uneven, and with no mirrors at home i find it hard to self correct, so will have to get someone to stand and bawl at me in the week!

trainer very pleased with progress and thinks Star will really come in to his own next year, as a 6yo. he is very established for his age so plan will be to get out to do the earliest international 6yo classes, when most 6yo's are still *getting*their changes, and finding the HP hard due to their huge canters! Star meanwhile is already very estabished change wise and has a neat, easy to place canter,so is a few steps ahead, despite not being an uber mover!

warming up:
P1000097.jpg


leg yield:
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and again:
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walk to canter:
P1000138.jpg


nice straight pony in med canter!
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really like this canter shot:
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me trying to sit a medium trot!
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clever pony has idea of half pass, rider needs shooting!
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bum shot of med trot!
P1000158.jpg
 
He looks super duper lovely! And I think your trainer is right, he'll do well in the 6yr old international class because of his balance. There are no canter half passes in the 6yr old test, just trot ones, but the canter work is quite tricky and needs a lot of balance which will be to his advantage!

Have you ever done pilates? I found it really useful in helping me be aware of my body especially in the lateral work where it is easy to get so involved in concentrating on the horse that you lose track of your own body! It helps to think of the distance between your ribcage and hipbones being the same on both sides (and as far from each other as possible, as though connected by parallel solid metal bars that can't collapse or deviate sideways) , and never alternating no matter what the rest of your body is doing. This is something that pliates teaches and it is really useful for dressage riding.

x
 
he is so beautiful, can't wait to hear how he goes in the next few months, he really is going to be a superstar :) love him
 
Looking fantastic as always!

I can second the pilates - does really help with your balance and position. Although i've also found that my position has improved ten-fold since i've started going to the gym regularly as i am much stronger in my core and legs as i do a lot of that sort of work at the gym (along with running and cycling).
 
will def look in to the pilates then, left HP is something iv always struggled with!

jetset-he's pure TB, by Daylami. So reasonable breeding, but he clearly didnt inherit the galloping genes lol!
 
He is just stunning!!!!!!!!!

Interesting reading about your progress - particularly the canter-walk-canter as that is currently my main area of work with B about to move up to elementary too. We can do the walk canters foot perfectly....bit more of a problem with the canter walk!!!! I've also be thinking about starting pilates - i am SO wonky and my right shoulder twists forwards all the time....really showing up now we are doing more tricky lateral work and i'm holding off starting him on half passes until i'm straighter as i think i'll just confuse him!!!!
 
to improve the walk to canter, you need to work on the canter(bets thats no suprise!), and being able to have you *simple change canter* on que, and go in and out of it fluidly.

collect the canter only as much as he can manage and then let him go forward out of it, until he can maintain it for as long as you wish and you have the feeling of him *hovering* under your seat, waiting for you-he must not anticipate the walk and collapse. he must also remain in front of the leg in the very collected canter, so practice comming back to that and pulling your leg off and seeing if he keeps taking you forward in the collection or is relying on you prodding him along every stride-if he slows/collapses/stops taking you-send him forward in to a strong medium canter and then bring him back and try again.

only when he continues to take you in the collection, yet is waiting for the you to ask him to walk, should you actually walk.

hope that helps!

we can do the canter-walk bit, and on the right rein the walk to canter, its just going left is a bit of a standing start!
 
Thanks muchly. He will sit right on his bum for as long as you like and never come back to walk and that's come from lots of in and out of collected canter transitions. Will continue to work on it i think...it oftne takes him ages to get something. He doesnt fight or panic or get flusters he just doesn't do anything then suddenly it clicks and he'll do it completely right...has been the same with most things he's learnt funny thing that he is! Will keep working on the canter then and hopefully it will come....thanks for the advice :)
 
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