rara007
Well-Known Member
Back in December I was lucky enough to win one of those 'like and share' competitions (despite not liking or sharing very much at all!) A lesson with dressage rider Bobby Hayler at their fab yard with lovely new indoor school.
The first issue I had was that Contrast is really very green riding so I wasn't entirely sure I had something to ride, typically this time last year I'd have had a choice. Was told to get a shift on and ride him more so I stopped falling off of him so regularly to make the most of having an actual riding lesson on my own pony- less than an annual event.
Final practice run (and first dedicated schooling session of Christmas holidays- we've been having fun driving and learning to jump) last night in the gales and storms was predictably unpredictable. People usually say you can't fall off backwards. I very nearly did- his freewalk-gallop speed creates serious G force. The day before I ended up infront of the saddle on FCs neck at fun arena eventing, think I need to go back to the leadrein, or have bigger slower horses and bigger saddles.
So off we trotted today, cleaned up especially for the occasion (I decided against plaiting as I'd have had to then find a neck strap!). He arrived with his usual excitement to be at a party but luckily I had someone on the ground so tacking up wasn't an ordeal. Even managed to get on without being thrown off as soon as my bum makes contact. We took our time to do our normal warm-up so did a few tense walks around the arena before cracking on with some trot and a quick canter on each rein. The arena is lovely- 2 sides boarded in and 2 open, so there was still stuff for him to look at but he stayed pretty focused.
Bobby quickly sussed out what we have to work on- mainly keeping him round through transitions and keeping him around my inside leg on the right rein. After a few walk-trots making extra sure he stayed round his hind legs started coming through much quicker, result
That will help us with driving too as though he does stay round in upwards transitions pulling a carriage from halt-trot in a stride whilst keeping working over the back is hard work.
We then worked on getting him bending right- he has a tendency to be too 'straight' driving, and this is really emphasised riding in a snaffle and becomes wrong bend. Worked on leg-yielding him into the corners and having an open inside rein, giving whenever he comes soft to help him become less strong- he's currently a bit too strong in a snaffle, having been driven in a pure curb contact most of his career. he wasn't overly happy about this but we made good progress and I could really feel when it came right.
concentrating hard on getting him around my inside leg with an open inside rein
Then we got to play with canter transitions- such fun when you're a driving pony and canter is usually to go fast! She noted that my transitions were more hope and pray than an actual aid so we over emphasised the aid by bringing inside leg forwards whilst outside goes back. On the left rein this caused some confusion- he tends to do one nice transition, then after being brought back to a slow trot rhythm thinks you've got all confused and why would you want to canter when you clearly don't want to go fast. Finished on a few good clear round transitions on the left. Finally on to the right rein which made me concentrate very hard. Leg yielding him out to the transitions really helped. First time he still managed to con me into letting him go wrong bend and got the wrong strike off. 2nd time fab, 3rd time confused but then he got it.
Finished off with some stretching- he'd worked hard enough he really gave so it must have been hard work!
Things to take home were to do transitions to warm up, but during the session when walking always aim for free walk as he's naturally quite tight. Work to still be done on the right rein for both of us but he should soon do it automatically, and once this is easier he should also come lighter in the contact.
Overall it was fab, very clear lesson working on the basics to really establish that. Pretty much all directly transferable to driving too so it's easy to see how it will benefit us to get the foundations in place before we start trying to crack the advanced dressage test this summer.
He also behaved like a pro- stayed pretty focused, barely spooked, didn't hot up at all, other than after a few canters came back straight away to a steady riding trot rhythm and in general I didn't nearly fall off once- phew!
Looking into taking him out at the end of the month to some dressage, will be much more confident to really work him this time and I think he's gaining trust in me so we should see an improvement upon our dire scores last time.
The first issue I had was that Contrast is really very green riding so I wasn't entirely sure I had something to ride, typically this time last year I'd have had a choice. Was told to get a shift on and ride him more so I stopped falling off of him so regularly to make the most of having an actual riding lesson on my own pony- less than an annual event.
Final practice run (and first dedicated schooling session of Christmas holidays- we've been having fun driving and learning to jump) last night in the gales and storms was predictably unpredictable. People usually say you can't fall off backwards. I very nearly did- his freewalk-gallop speed creates serious G force. The day before I ended up infront of the saddle on FCs neck at fun arena eventing, think I need to go back to the leadrein, or have bigger slower horses and bigger saddles.
So off we trotted today, cleaned up especially for the occasion (I decided against plaiting as I'd have had to then find a neck strap!). He arrived with his usual excitement to be at a party but luckily I had someone on the ground so tacking up wasn't an ordeal. Even managed to get on without being thrown off as soon as my bum makes contact. We took our time to do our normal warm-up so did a few tense walks around the arena before cracking on with some trot and a quick canter on each rein. The arena is lovely- 2 sides boarded in and 2 open, so there was still stuff for him to look at but he stayed pretty focused.
Bobby quickly sussed out what we have to work on- mainly keeping him round through transitions and keeping him around my inside leg on the right rein. After a few walk-trots making extra sure he stayed round his hind legs started coming through much quicker, result
That will help us with driving too as though he does stay round in upwards transitions pulling a carriage from halt-trot in a stride whilst keeping working over the back is hard work.We then worked on getting him bending right- he has a tendency to be too 'straight' driving, and this is really emphasised riding in a snaffle and becomes wrong bend. Worked on leg-yielding him into the corners and having an open inside rein, giving whenever he comes soft to help him become less strong- he's currently a bit too strong in a snaffle, having been driven in a pure curb contact most of his career. he wasn't overly happy about this but we made good progress and I could really feel when it came right.
concentrating hard on getting him around my inside leg with an open inside rein
Then we got to play with canter transitions- such fun when you're a driving pony and canter is usually to go fast! She noted that my transitions were more hope and pray than an actual aid so we over emphasised the aid by bringing inside leg forwards whilst outside goes back. On the left rein this caused some confusion- he tends to do one nice transition, then after being brought back to a slow trot rhythm thinks you've got all confused and why would you want to canter when you clearly don't want to go fast. Finished on a few good clear round transitions on the left. Finally on to the right rein which made me concentrate very hard. Leg yielding him out to the transitions really helped. First time he still managed to con me into letting him go wrong bend and got the wrong strike off. 2nd time fab, 3rd time confused but then he got it.
Finished off with some stretching- he'd worked hard enough he really gave so it must have been hard work!
Things to take home were to do transitions to warm up, but during the session when walking always aim for free walk as he's naturally quite tight. Work to still be done on the right rein for both of us but he should soon do it automatically, and once this is easier he should also come lighter in the contact.
Overall it was fab, very clear lesson working on the basics to really establish that. Pretty much all directly transferable to driving too so it's easy to see how it will benefit us to get the foundations in place before we start trying to crack the advanced dressage test this summer.
He also behaved like a pro- stayed pretty focused, barely spooked, didn't hot up at all, other than after a few canters came back straight away to a steady riding trot rhythm and in general I didn't nearly fall off once- phew!
Looking into taking him out at the end of the month to some dressage, will be much more confident to really work him this time and I think he's gaining trust in me so we should see an improvement upon our dire scores last time.
