Ceriann
Well-Known Member
Regular lessons and lots of riding are paying dividends - my seat is way better (having suffered with being quite crooked) and Im far less passive (confidence) and really try and ride every step with my mare.
Instructor (who I see every fortnight) is now demanding much more (which is great) and is clear my mare can and I should now be asking her to work through regularly and consistently. Shes is not a fiddle fan and big advocate of leg to hand, with lots of work to encourage softness. In one of our recent sessions we worked on my mares occasional tendency to brace her neck - from the ground she showed me how to flex her to ask her to release this, giving the minute my mare gave. This is an exercise of flexion and counter flexion. This really works for my mare and I find if she doesnt soften with warm up etc this does the trick and she then works nicely. The flexion asked for to do this is slightly more than needed to see corner of her eye, is not a fiddle but a clear request to flex and yield. Having done some internet trawling, there appear to be different schools of thought as to whether this exercise is long term good for schooling, with some suggesting it results in over flexion, which causes issues with more advanced movements? Any thoughts? Ive got a lesson Friday so will be asking instructor too!
Instructor (who I see every fortnight) is now demanding much more (which is great) and is clear my mare can and I should now be asking her to work through regularly and consistently. Shes is not a fiddle fan and big advocate of leg to hand, with lots of work to encourage softness. In one of our recent sessions we worked on my mares occasional tendency to brace her neck - from the ground she showed me how to flex her to ask her to release this, giving the minute my mare gave. This is an exercise of flexion and counter flexion. This really works for my mare and I find if she doesnt soften with warm up etc this does the trick and she then works nicely. The flexion asked for to do this is slightly more than needed to see corner of her eye, is not a fiddle but a clear request to flex and yield. Having done some internet trawling, there appear to be different schools of thought as to whether this exercise is long term good for schooling, with some suggesting it results in over flexion, which causes issues with more advanced movements? Any thoughts? Ive got a lesson Friday so will be asking instructor too!