kandm
Well-Known Member
Well what a busy little week Poppy and I have had!
On Wednesday we had our first trip away from home for our first dressage lesson together. Safe to say I was worrying far too much about her travelling and tacking up at the other end before I could even think about what the actual lesson would be like. Pff, what a fool I was, she loaded, travelled, stood like a lamb to be tacked up and then when we got to the indoor arena, after about 5 minutes of eyes on stalk she settled and schooled really well.
Our instructor gave us some great exercises and even introduced some "baby" leg yielding to try and get her to bend. One of the exercises he used was to trot round large, and on the short side turn up before the track, leg yield across, pick up canter on the other short side and canter back round to the long side where we were to try and leg yield across to the track again in canter. It really got us both thinking and although the leg yield was far from perfect it was definitely a start. What's more we only did the leg yield going toward the mirrored end of the school so it made the bimbo on top look up rather than down. We have another two lessons booked in March which I am thoroughly looking forwards too. I was on cloud nine as initially I thought if we only walked and trotted for the lesson with all four feet on the ground it would be an achievement in itself.
There's some videos of our lesson here, unfortunately I've had to cut out a lot as my mother seems to like pointing the screen at the floor for the majority of it.
Warming up over poles:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCd0pX2mdcE&list=UU3EjSw0qD8N5Hh41JnL4myA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJ_rwGZJRnw&list=UU3EjSw0qD8N5Hh41JnL4myA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkJmGdw5cO4&list=UU3EjSw0qD8N5Hh41JnL4myA
Today we headed down to Leyland Court to have a mooch around their cross country arena. Initially I was just going to school around the fences but my instructor encouraged me to have a few jumps if she settled as it would add to the experience even more. She was quite tense to begin with, however after about 10 minutes of just walking round, soaking it all up she was as cool as a cucumber. So did some schooling and attempted a fence. She refused twice, mainly rider error not being dedicated, but blow me down from there on out she was an eager beaver! Unfortunately I don't feel like I did her justice as I'm terribly out of practice jumping and my stirrups were far too long - riding in a wow saddle which I had to put jump flaps onto the dressage deep seat with dressage stirrups that were on pretty much the top hole. So I am hoping to get some jump lessons in the future, but at the moment I think we'll get the schooling a bit more established as I'm in no rush, after all she is only 4.
Again here are some videos:
Warming up:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-hWWtfP1Ms&feature=c4-overview&list=UU3EjSw0qD8N5Hh41JnL4myA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2PjPTjtB-w&list=UU3EjSw0qD8N5Hh41JnL4myA
A few stills:
Just can't believe this little mare, she is just so willing and so trainable! Still can't get my head around that she came off the track in October.
On Wednesday we had our first trip away from home for our first dressage lesson together. Safe to say I was worrying far too much about her travelling and tacking up at the other end before I could even think about what the actual lesson would be like. Pff, what a fool I was, she loaded, travelled, stood like a lamb to be tacked up and then when we got to the indoor arena, after about 5 minutes of eyes on stalk she settled and schooled really well.
Our instructor gave us some great exercises and even introduced some "baby" leg yielding to try and get her to bend. One of the exercises he used was to trot round large, and on the short side turn up before the track, leg yield across, pick up canter on the other short side and canter back round to the long side where we were to try and leg yield across to the track again in canter. It really got us both thinking and although the leg yield was far from perfect it was definitely a start. What's more we only did the leg yield going toward the mirrored end of the school so it made the bimbo on top look up rather than down. We have another two lessons booked in March which I am thoroughly looking forwards too. I was on cloud nine as initially I thought if we only walked and trotted for the lesson with all four feet on the ground it would be an achievement in itself.
There's some videos of our lesson here, unfortunately I've had to cut out a lot as my mother seems to like pointing the screen at the floor for the majority of it.
Warming up over poles:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCd0pX2mdcE&list=UU3EjSw0qD8N5Hh41JnL4myA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJ_rwGZJRnw&list=UU3EjSw0qD8N5Hh41JnL4myA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkJmGdw5cO4&list=UU3EjSw0qD8N5Hh41JnL4myA
Today we headed down to Leyland Court to have a mooch around their cross country arena. Initially I was just going to school around the fences but my instructor encouraged me to have a few jumps if she settled as it would add to the experience even more. She was quite tense to begin with, however after about 10 minutes of just walking round, soaking it all up she was as cool as a cucumber. So did some schooling and attempted a fence. She refused twice, mainly rider error not being dedicated, but blow me down from there on out she was an eager beaver! Unfortunately I don't feel like I did her justice as I'm terribly out of practice jumping and my stirrups were far too long - riding in a wow saddle which I had to put jump flaps onto the dressage deep seat with dressage stirrups that were on pretty much the top hole. So I am hoping to get some jump lessons in the future, but at the moment I think we'll get the schooling a bit more established as I'm in no rush, after all she is only 4.
Again here are some videos:
Warming up:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-hWWtfP1Ms&feature=c4-overview&list=UU3EjSw0qD8N5Hh41JnL4myA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2PjPTjtB-w&list=UU3EjSw0qD8N5Hh41JnL4myA
A few stills:
Just can't believe this little mare, she is just so willing and so trainable! Still can't get my head around that she came off the track in October.
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