HHO virtual clinic week 5a + b

[Kat]

So I had another play last night.

Did the hexagon in walk again, felt good, I think we managed to move the shoulders in the turn a bit more than last time. The leg yeild was pretty good.

Then decided to try the walk-trot-walk-trot-canter. This didn't go well. After a couple of repetitions L got very giddy and we lost anything resembling a proper walk and the trot started to get silly too. Tried to rescue it with some halts but decided it wasn't for us.

Returned to the hexagon which got the walk functioning again, allowed me to get my leg on and softened her nicely.

Decided to try the snowman again so we could have a more positive trot - canter experience. Again this exercise went well, I had to work a bit harder to keep the trot together and stop her falling through the outside shoulder in the trot circle, as she was feeling a bit excitable. This exercise went well again though and we got some really nice canter work. We tend towards a rather small flat canter and this helped us add power without rushing or losing rhythm or losing the trot.

Mixed it up a bit by doing a figure of eight in trot to change the rein and then working on alternate reins which really made her wait and listen.

Finished off with some bigger shapes in trot to consolidate.

Really pleased with her at the moment. We have found some new exercises that work a treat and she seems to be improving.

 

[Surbie]

Cobbus and I did lots of the walk-trot-walk-trot-canter last night and he tried his heart out. By the end of the 20 mins we had correct canter leads each time and the softest, smoothest transitions upwards that I've ever had from him, it was brilliant! His canter has changed so much from being a forehand lob-a-long to often being a gorgeous uphill flick which is an absolute joy!

I am having to work more on planning my next moves better & sitting more quietly as he is so keen to do well/canter he anticipates upward transitions & bowls along at any opportunity.

Definitely need to work more on the downward transitions as the canter-trot is very jolty & he's so pleased with praise for going up correctly that he speeds around at peak driving trot.

And obviously the moment my YM was watching I got nervous & unbalanced, cobbus was confused, broke canter & went back on wrong lead & I lost all his focus. So something else I need to work on if I am going to have a stab at competing!

 

[Wheels]

We did the walk trot walk trot canter a few times on a circle last night to 'wake him up' before the straight line canter departs and it worked really well.

 

[Walrus]

Love this thread! We tried the hexagon in walk, really like it and felt her shoulders coming up and getting better control of the shoulders. We usually do quite a lot of walk at the start of our schooling sessions to try and get her bum underneath and shoulders up and we will definitely be incorporating that one into our toolkit. Didn't try it in trot as I think we would get in a knot, I know my (very low) limits of leg and hand coordination!

Canter exercises look good too - going to try those tomorrow when we have our riding slot.

 

[milliepops]

Cobbus and I did lots of the walk-trot-walk-trot-canter last night and he tried his heart out. By the end of the 20 mins we had correct canter leads each time and the softest, smoothest transitions upwards that I've ever had from him, it was brilliant! His canter has changed so much from being a forehand lob-a-long to often being a gorgeous uphill flick which is an absolute joy!

I am having to work more on planning my next moves better & sitting more quietly as he is so keen to do well/canter he anticipates upward transitions & bowls along at any opportunity.

Definitely need to work more on the downward transitions as the canter-trot is very jolty & he's so pleased with praise for going up correctly that he speeds around at peak driving trot.

And obviously the moment my YM was watching I got nervous & unbalanced, cobbus was confused, broke canter & went back on wrong lead & I lost all his focus. So something else I need to work on if I am going to have a stab at competing!

sounds good Surbie. If the W-T-W-T-C worked well for the upward transitions, maybe you could add on the small circle of the snowman one for the downward transitions? having to trot a small circle should help him understand not to just leg it in trot

as for the watching... can you video yourself? Maybe that would be a way to practice being "watched" but in a way you can control. If you wanted to you could share some clips, and if you don't want to you don't have to

 

[Crazy_cat_lady]

Can I be cheeky and ask for this weeks early? I mainly hack but YO is only allowing riding in the school while lock down is on so trying to do something different each time to stave off the boredom! I enjoyed the circles at k f h etc from the previous week and did the snowman as well. I also tried the hexagons.

I also did the walk trot walk trot canter and by accident asked for counter canter in one of them so that could be a way to mix that one up with the canter part vary between counter canter or canter.

Something that encourages forward would be great as he sucked behind the leg a bit on the hexagons. Or perhaps something for flying changes as he can do them, got excellent ones using that multiple circle exercises but as soon as he starts to predict it he locks his neck and tries to run through, often causing him to be late behind/ stay disunited. He even started to predict them on the circle exercise on about the 3rd time I tried it not even the same day as well!

An exercise I quite like as it's fun but not very dressagy is putting 2 poles out, canter through in normal canter and count the strides then try and reduce and increase the number between them.

I've actually found these exercises more enjoyable than having lessons as while I'm not probably technically correct I'm more into hacking anyway

Also would love links to weeks 1 2 and 3 as think different people post them each time so cant find them want to see what exercises they have

 

[milliepops]

who wants to pick some for next week?

 

[JFTDWS]

Yesterday I was doing the circle fest from the other week's clinic. Got some lovely trot work out of Captain Carrot - relative to her QH conformation (which is as slopey as a ski slalom) and her level of dressage education (which is as ropey as a cowboy's lasso) - and some lovely canter right. We had some really solid canter circles on the slope in my field, and canter transitions on the downhill side without resistance in the transitions, loss of bend or contact. It felt really strong, balanced and promising.

Canter left resulted in a complete breakdown as it's her less good side for canter, the less good rein for footing/topography and apparently I carry my whip like a weirdo in my left hand. Carrot's idea of a breakdown is a dead stop and a freakily impressive rein back. Largely corrected by putting my whip in my outside hand and not poking her randomly with it where she can't do anything about it. Poor mare. If she had a halfway competent idiot on top, everything would be so much easier

 

[Matafleur]

Can I be cheeky and ask for this weeks early? I mainly hack but YO is only allowing riding in the school while lock down is on so trying to do something different each time to stave off the boredom! I enjoyed the circles at k f h etc from the previous week and did the snowman as well. I also tried the hexagons.

I also did the walk trot walk trot canter and by accident asked for counter canter in one of them so that could be a way to mix that one up with the canter part vary between counter canter or canter.

Something that encourages forward would be great as he sucked behind the leg a bit on the hexagons. Or perhaps something for flying changes as he can do them, got excellent ones using that multiple circle exercises but as soon as he starts to predict it he locks his neck and tries to run through, often causing him to be late behind/ stay disunited. He even started to predict them on the circle exercise on about the 3rd time I tried it not even the same day as well!

An exercise I quite like as it's fun but not very dressagy is putting 2 poles out, canter through in normal canter and count the strides then try and reduce and increase the number between them.

I've actually found these exercises more enjoyable than having lessons as while I'm not probably technically correct I'm more into hacking anyway

Also would love links to weeks 1 2 and 3 as think different people post them each time so cant find them want to see what exercises they have

If you just search HHO virtual Clinic then they should come up

Last week's has been really helpful for my green horse to get control of his shoulders and improve the canter. I must use this one more as it's very simple but effective.

 

[Wheels]

So... who has ideas for tomorrow's new clinic?

I saw this a while ago on horsequesthub - 8 poles, 10 exercises. Some of them are pretty difficult, some not so much and most don't involve going over the poles, only through and around. If you don't have poles you could use something else to mark out the floor plan. We could pick a couple of exercises and / or people can just pick whichever suits them and their horse

what do people think?

https://www.horsequesthub.co.uk/post/8-poles-10-exercises

 

[Roxylola]

Another pole related one, 2 pairs of poles an equal distance apart - down each long side or across diagonals 12 or more human strides ideally. Then in a balanced working rhythm ride over a couple of times, counting strides between poles. Once you've got it consistent use one set of poles to shorten, one to lengthen and see how much difference you can get between the two. Obviously back to working rhythm in between.
Should help with more go, and would also help with collection and in turn downwards transitions.
Make it harder by riding poles and getting a change of pace in before the next lot of poles - so collected over the poles, canter trans, trot trans, lengthen for the next poles

 

[catkin]

We've had a bit of a quiet week as not been quite in the right frame of mind for schooling for some reason so just been hacking for exercise. Whether it's a bit of cabin fever or spring fever I don't know - the ponies have been 'off' in spirits too - so I've got a bit of catching up to do with this week's exercises.........

Poles may help us as they represent a bit of 'normality' as we usually work in a school full of poles, cones and other toys.

Another pole related one, 2 pairs of poles an equal distance apart - down each long side or across diagonals 12 or more human strides ideally. Then in a balanced working rhythm ride over a couple of times, counting strides between poles. Once you've got it consistent use one set of poles to shorten, one to lengthen and see how much difference you can get between the two. Obviously back to working rhythm in between.
Should help with more go, and would also help with collection and in turn downwards transitions.
Make it harder by riding poles and getting a change of pace in before the next lot of poles - so collected over the poles, canter trans, trot trans, lengthen for the next poles

also can do the stride counting on a circle - put 4 poles out in a cross shape and change stride length each quarter.

 

[Roxylola]

I like the 4 on a circle, I use it a lot, but thought if people wanted more go 2 straights might be better

 

[Walrus]

We tried the canter exercises today, it was boiling and we were both sweating at the end of it!! Used the walk hexagon in our warm up, think that will definitely become a regular one as it really helps get her shoulders up.

Did the walk trot walk trot canter on a circle, found it quite useful, we have been doing lots of walk to canter recently so she was anticipating that so it did her good to trot first. Helped to smooth out the canter transitions and get them more forward as sometimes we get a bit stuck and end up going into canter with a bit of an over the top head toss!

Love the snowman, really felt it helped the trot, it got me focussing on using my legs and seat. Lots to improve with that one so we will be doing that one again.

Finished with the leg yield to canter, I'd like to progress this one to the canter being on a straight line but today we turned across the school as we went into canter to make it a bit easier. Also realised from my video that my legs yields are a bit trailing and look like diagonal lines so definitely need to work on that! ?

Thanks so much for these threads, I found it the most positive schooling session in ages, I normally really depend on my lessons and this gave me a good focus!