Do you always have to go backwards

[kick_On]

before you can go forwards.......

Had lesson last nite and been really working on horse straightness, but last nite defo had worst lesson for a very very long time. He defo chucked out his teddies plus ALL toys and did sulk.
I'm sat here this morning trying to workout where i went wrong?? My conculsion is that it was just differcult for him to do and the more differcult the quicker the toys come out pram.
Only thing that was a improvement was his meduim trot but defo have a block with straightness, esp on right rein into canter -uck - Got completely told off and quite rightly by instructor, and the slower and calmer i tried still didn't happen

I am very disappointed as we have been going so well lately, have i upped anti??? Do i need to hit chill pill? or is this just normal expereince in other folks aswell

Any thoughts

ps tack, teeth and back ar all sorted and under regular review

 

[CSYMolly]

I always console myself with the fact that when it feels like we are going backwards it is usually becos we are about to take a huge step forward. If you don't challenge them you'll never improve so hang in there but it will all come together nicely soon.

 

[Sarah_Jane]

Very normal. Ask a bit more of the horse and even the basics seem to be forgotten! Sarnita the other day was well and truely beaten by Rags at Novice despite working 2 levels higher than him. The judge even had the cheek to say she might be as good as him one day!

 

[Tempi]

i quite often get that - well, i start feeling really crap and then suddenly i have a really good lesson and i feel more motivated and inspired again!

Dont worry about it, everyone has 'blips' x

 

[RunToEarth]

I'll raise my hand to it too, its just horses, some days you feel as though you could get to the top, somedays they make us feel like a total novice, but seemingly the good days over ride those bad ones.

 

[dianchi]

Makes u feel better 6 months ago we cold do a single transition without hollowing! Now we have beautiful transtiosn however somehow lost the fee walk buisness!

Good thing about a blip is when the good times come they seem even better!

 

[kick_On]

, mmmm. me thinks judge got that wrong then...

i'm really sat here at work feeling really pee'd off about as if i want to push up to elem dressage. BUT to do have resolve this issues with straghtness, but as with horse is not just one thing it's a combination. Have to hold him in left should fore in trot work and for canter stike on (right rien) have to have quarters out

so if your do to quick or just it wrong get huge wiggle pants goes on, but if you slow down get huge bucks, but then if give with riens for canter stike off, quarter swing in -UCK

It's sound stupid but our entries are normally 8's or 7 but right canter strike noramal comments quarter swinging

plus crap mark but then if doing test with lot of canter pick up to 8's and had 9's (at unaffilated)
AND laste nite to more i tried the worst it got

so went and played with meduim

oooo started waffling

now

going to go out for blast tonite and forget circle and squares, just hope i don't meet any deer in woods or otherwise that will turnout more interesting that last nite as were NOT given gold star by instructor

 

[kick_On]

P_G don't get me wrong on the scale of thing he's lush but i think i'm just expecting a bigger leap. As normally were the star of lesson but last nite should of been in corner with D cap on

- he was bucking and leaping like a good un, i think he could give 'old acrhie babe' a run for his money
But as i've said Spud's being going so well for me, i just thought we were more adavnced that we really are and we just haven't had a bad lesson for months. So as i say blast around fields tonite for a chill pill as weekend need to sort out pairs test

 

[Folara]

I think its one of those things. We are having HUGE issues at the mo. Went up to Elem and all the toys started coming out of the pram BIG TIME. Rearing and running backwards and coming constantly behind the leg. Couldnt beleive it as before he was working brilliantly.

Anyway Mike has gone back to 'basics' and is really sending Gen forward. Doing one Novice test tomoz H/C then just working at home and hiring schools to work in for a change of scene.

I think its one of those 'you are asking for more so Im going to see what I can get away with' periods.

Am sure you will look back in a couple of weeks and it will have all clicked back into place and you can breathe a sigh of relief.

Good Luck.

 

[kick_On]

thx for that, very interesting comments, i do believe that he was just finding it very hard and if he could do, he would with a dirt great big grin on face.

 

[Bounty]

Yes, always backwards before forwards!
Me and my 5yo are so far backwards at the moment that we're in negative numbers, but seem to be progressing slowly. We'll be at square one soon though!

 

[kick_On]

so it take it from that you do a beautiful rein back- then

 

[clipclop]

For me, whenever this kind of thing has happened it normally means I need to go and work on something else for a few weeks and take a massive chill pill.

I basically end up getting on my horse's tits. Like any good friendship sometimes you need to get out of each others face for a few days and/or go and do something you both enjoy lots.

 

[igglepiggle]

I like CSYMolly's theory...hopefully I'm in for a big win soon ; )

 

[Llwyncwn]

It happens to everyone. You cant progress until you overcome the obsticles in front of you first. After one bad lesson when you are so focussed on your dressage, to me, everything seems so useless. You will overcome one problem only for it to be replaced by another.

I had a jumping lesson on Tuesday night, the first time I have jumped in 4 years and this made me realise that I had forgotten how to have fun with Cass. We had an absolute blast and I forgot completely about outline and straightness which was quite odd as I realised that she WAS actually working correctly! I think we can sometimes be just too 'het up' over our schooling and progression.

 

[Butterbean]

This thread is very reassuring! Thought it was just me! In my last lesson we started to challenge Brooks a bit more, doing a bit of lateral work & suddenly the toys were being thrown out & he wouldn't even canter on the right leg. I think Llwyncwn is right & every so often you need to remember to have FUN and not get overly hung up on the schooling.

 

[Hooffa]

Hi
This is my first ever forum visit so please bear with me if I have not followed 'forum etiquette' or get boring in places!

I found this topic and all the comments interesting and somewhat reassuring as I am currently experiencing something very similar.

We have been working towards going affiliated dressage at Novice with the goal of getting to Elementary soon after. We also event and was due to be at Milton Keynes last week (cancelled!).

All was going well (marks were creeping up to 65%) until last week. We had a good lesson on the Thursday working on more collection and then BANG - on Friday he would not even do a working trot! He really got angry with me - lots of tail swishing, bunching and bucks.

I have not completely discounted a tweaked muscle somewhere yet as even out on a hack he is a bit niggly but I get the impression that most of the problem is attitude. I think he has had enough of being pushed. It is SOOO disappointing and depressing.

I have been giving myself a really hard time....questioning my seat, my balance, my technique - everything!! How can I have upset him so much??? There is no doubt that all of those things needs to be improved but I think my experience plus everyone else's just proves that the expectation of continuous and seamless improvement is flawed.

Consistent schooling and consistent pressure to be round, soft, elastic. forward, straight etc etc is hard for our horses. They are bound to get fed up at some point and say enough is enough!

I dont think there is anything wrong with pressing for improvement...however, this probably needs to be balanced with relaxation and time to just have fun. I must remember that my lovely boy is not a machine and has feelings too. I also must remember not to get too despondent when it all goes wrong! At least I know others have the same problems...now that is reassuring!

 

[custard]

Yep this sure is reassuring. Am at a similar place with a little success at novice and would like to be doing Elementary early 2008 bearing in mind we've lost 3 months with injury.

The one step forward two back rule seems to be very prevalent with neds and mine is like riding a shopping trolley. I get all the Q's swinging/Q's in comments aaaarggghh.

For a little horse he's surprisingly tricky to ride, he was nicknamed Worm when I got him and soon found out why, straightness is definitely an issue!

The upside is now I'm looking for a younger one all the ones I've tried have been easier than him on the whole