Had a great lesson yesterday!

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I had a lesson with Spencer yesterday after quite a big break in them... I felt a bit nervous which is completely ridiculous, after all it is only two months ago that I had one with him
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Anyway, Grace felt really quite fresh when I got on her, so I went in and did some warming up while the previous rider was finishing her lesson. It is lovely working in an arena with mirrors because you get the chance to criticise your own position, and see how your horse is going. I never really get a chance to see Grace being ridden (unless Andy videos me) and I couldn't believe how mature she looked yesterday
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Anyway, Spencer said she was looking really well and had muscled up nicely behind her saddle and over her hindquarters. The last time we had a lesson he noticed she was still very weak in that area and prescribed lots of deep and low work, which is what we have been doing, and I am absolutely thrilled he noticed the change in her
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He asked me what I felt we needed to work on, and I explained that in a few Novice tests I have received the comment, "Needs more jump in the canter", so he asked me to canter on both reins so he could have a look. When we came back to walk he said it was no where near as bad as I was making out, and in fact she had a lovely natural pace in the canter. However, he said we now needed to manufacture more lift in the shoulders and more stepping under in the hind legs.

We worked on squares in canter... really getting an acute angle and absolute straightness on the sides. It was really hard to begin with on the left rein, but then when Spencer asked me why I was not looking where I was heading, and I started to look, it all fell into place
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She started stepping under with the inside leg on the turns which then made her more lifted in the shoulder on the straights. She felt absolutely fantastic!

We came back to trot, and her trot was elevated and springy! I have never felt her move like that before, only seen it on the lunge and in the field
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It felt so great, I couldn't stop grinning. Spencer just said if I could feel such a change after just one session, imagine what she will feel like in a month or twos time
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So, I have lots of homework before our lesson next week with him... and we are competing on Sunday over at a new venue but I am determined to ride her like I did in that lesson. More often than not I let her get away with the bare minimum because she has lovely natural paces (Spencer commented on this fact!) and therefore need to ride her in the warm up and the test to ask more of her not accept what she finds easy
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Sounds fantastic Becki! You are obviously making amazing progress. Well done you and Grace!

Where do you go for your lessons btw? It is fantastic riding with mirrors and makes such a difference to be able to see what your body is doing.
 
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Sounds fantastic Becki! You are obviously making amazing progress. Well done you and Grace!

Where do you go for your lessons btw? It is fantastic riding with mirrors and makes such a difference to be able to see what your body is doing.

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I go to Arkenfield Equestrian for the lessons with Spencer... I really like having mirrors, it makes you so much more aware of what you are doing!
 
wow sounds like a great lesson...my trainer has just started us working on the square exercise ..really hard to get the straight on the short side if you riding a thumping great 16.3 in normal arena but boy does it make us work and think...when you got back on the circle the work feels really nice doesnt it!!!..I had a lesson last week (remember Im only a novice prelim rider compared to you lot) and got our first few strides of big trot!!..was grinning like a school kid at the end...as you say makes you motivated to work through the winter doesnt it!!!...mind you will probably work him tonight and feel its all gone away again but thats horses isnt it!!..keep up the progress report its lovely to hear hows shes doing !
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Thanks W1... we have a long way to go yet before we are ready for the Petplan Novice Finals, I am still umming and ahhing about whether to just do the Prelim there
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Im really glad she went so well in your lesson. Fingers crossed she goes well on the weekend too - im sure she will xx

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Thanks honey... I just hope I find the place ok
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I am determined to ride her properly not 'wishy washy' as I sometimes find myself doing
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Dont be silly, you cant do just the prelim - by the time you get to the novice finals she'l be working at at least medium level and you will be more than ready for it!
 
That sounds all good, she sounds like a great horse too, is that the foal in your signature pic? Or the mum?

You do seem wonderfully enthusiastic. I need some of that to rub off on me.... my horse is just lame, tweaked a leg in field I believe, I am willing her to get better, looked sound this morning in the field, and I am giving her one more week before looking again. Then I will get a lesson, fingers crossed.
 
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Dont be silly, you cant do just the prelim - by the time you get to the novice finals she'l be working at at least medium level and you will be more than ready for it!

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Hmmmm
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It's great to hear your trainer comment on something you have been working on isn't it! At least you know all that work you have been doing is paying off.
Squares seem to be the way forward...!!
 
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That sounds all good, she sounds like a great horse too, is that the foal in your signature pic? Or the mum?

You do seem wonderfully enthusiastic. I need some of that to rub off on me.... my horse is just lame, tweaked a leg in field I believe, I am willing her to get better, looked sound this morning in the field, and I am giving her one more week before looking again. Then I will get a lesson, fingers crossed.

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Grace has been though quite a bit of lameness issues recently... at first it was na abscess and that was 3 weeks off, then she suddenly went lame after tripping and that was because he she had moved so another 3 weeks off work
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The horse in my avatar is the mum of my foal... The two of them are on the right of my signature.
 
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It's great to hear your trainer comment on something you have been working on isn't it! At least you know all that work you have been doing is paying off.
Squares seem to be the way forward...!!

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But they are also bloody hard work on the legs
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Well, yes but no
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The one in the Avatar is my IDxTB mare, Hannah... she is just being brought back into work now after weaning her foal, Troy who is now 7 months.

The one I have been having the lessons with is the chesnut in my signature... she is 6 years old, but a very immature 6 years as she was backed at 4 yrs and I rebacked her at 5 yrs after a year break to mature.
 
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Im really glad she went so well in your lesson. Fingers crossed she goes well on the weekend too - im sure she will xx

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Thanks honey... I just hope I find the place ok
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I am determined to ride her properly not 'wishy washy' as I sometimes find myself doing
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im sure you will be fine !!! just smile then the judge will think you are confident !! xxx
 
Aw sounds like you had a great lesson
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I love the canter squares exercise although it's been a long time since we've done it having started back at the begining again
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We walk a stride into the corner and ask for the canter mid turning the corner. It really does get the inside hind working!
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(Although it gets Mr D a bit excited!)

I take it you get a lot out of your lessons... we've got a clinic here tomorrow with Spencer, I was thinking of going to watch some of it
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I find he can pick up on something and then it just comes together... He also explains things really well in layman terms and what you should be feeling etc.
 
I am soooo jealous. I really fancy a lesson with Spencer, I wanted to go to Arkenfield but as they only do them mid week its out of the question for now.
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Sounds like you had a great time. Dont worry about sunday, I will be there to kick your ass into shape!
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