Brief Lesson Report - we have contact!

[SaddlePsych'D]

I posted a while ago asking about contact as I have been learning more about this in my lessons and realising in every video how flapply my reins can be! I have been holding in mind some of the tips from that thread in my last few lessons (I particularly liked 'hold the reins like you actually want to hold them' ) and today we had a bit more of a focus on this. I think I am very (too?) light with my hands so this feels quite strong to me but I am starting to get more of an idea of leg to hand and riding into contact. I think, I know I still have very little idea what I am talking about!

Today was my first ride on a horse that I had ridden before. You do learn from riding different horses but I have missed the consistency a bit/getting to know the horse and getting braver/more forward thinking each time I come back to a familiar horse. I love this little cob, he is really sweet! I think perhaps not very old and particularly the first time I rode him we felt a bit wibbly wobbly. Not so much today. I really like adjusting his trot and hope to get even more forward thinking next time. We also did some turn on the forehand and a little bit of leg yield. I was feeling wobbly in myself today and so we just did walk and trot. My instructor still had us doing lots and I came away feeling much more positive than I went in. Yay!

I will be brave and share a little bit of our nicer trot work. Not that we were consistently like this and he did like to sometimes say 'no thank you' but as the lesson went on he gave a little more of these nice bits.

https://youtube.com/shorts/d0FbeIy37tE?feature=share

(It's not letting me embed the video because it's a YouTube 'short' video, annoying)

 

[Barton Bounty]

You did fab! Very well done ?

 

[The Xmas Furry]

Well done, its great to hear you are really getting so much happier with your riding ?
An old practice test was to use a kitchen or dining chair with a back you can tie reins to the back which can start you getting a feel for a steady light contact.
Pop reins/dog leads/baler twine to each side nr top and then lightly get chair to tip onto the 2 back legs and keep it balancing with just your contact, tip it over and your contact needs improving.
Looking forward to next lesson report ?

 

[SaddlePsych'D]

Well done, its great to hear you are really getting so much happier with your riding ?
An old practice test was to use a kitchen or dining chair with a back you can tie reins to the back which can start you getting a feel for a steady light contact.
Pop reins/dog leads/baler twine to each side nr top and then lightly get chair to tip onto the 2 back legs and keep it balancing with just your contact, tip it over and your contact needs improving.
Looking forward to next lesson report ?

I'm loving it. Pretty much constantly on the edge of my comfort zone but just on the right side of it, where things are a bit scary but progress is made! Found a good instructor I get along with as well which makes all the difference.

I will give the chair test a go

 

[Wishfilly]

The pony looks very sweet, and you rode him very nicely! Having an instructor who gets you makes such a difference I think!

 

[SaddlePsych'D]

The pony looks very sweet, and you rode him very nicely! Having an instructor who gets you makes such a difference I think!

I love him. I wasn't expecting to the first time I rode him, probably because of feeling him wobble about a bit and we were drifting off/falling in etc, but he is so sweet and really responsive. He was very new in the riding school the first time, possibly I was one of the first on him but it's been a good month or so since then and he felt different in a good way yesterday.

 

[Wishfilly]

I love him. I wasn't expecting to the first time I rode him, probably because of feeling him wobble about a bit and we were drifting off/falling in etc, but he is so sweet and really responsive. He was very new in the riding school the first time, possibly I was one of the first on him but it's been a good month or so since then and he felt different in a good way yesterday.

That's really good- I actually quite like the ones who are a bit wobbly but want to please! And you know if you are getting it right it's because you are doing it right, not just because you are on a very well schooled horse!