lex2501
Well-Known Member
Many of you will know that I was lucky enough to be awarded the incredibly generous sponsorship for grassroots riders by Horseware earlier this year. The sponsorship includes training sessions with other members of the Horseware rider team which leads us nicely into my blog from last friday...
Being offered the opportunity to have a lesson with Sam Watson is pretty awesome, but to be having that lesson during the Irish squad’s final boot camp up at Attington Stud, the week before the World Equestrian Games made it seriously special!
I arrived just as Sam was finishing up a dressage session on the legendary Horseware Bushman, and I managed to make myself useful by holding him and helping get him untacked, which felt a little surreal having watched this wonderful gent of a horse eating up countless Badminton and Burghleys and making it look easy!
The photographer arrived and the horses and riders lined up in the arena for the official squad photos. The sun was shining and they all looked fabulous in their Horseware kit. The atmosphere was friendly and relaxed, with plenty of laughter and it felt like we were in the presence of a team who are ready to go and give it their best, and hopefully bring back some medals!
I think Horseware Bushman was pretty keen to get on the road
I had decided that it would be best to take my 5 year old mare Jam who I bought straight from the racetrack last year. Having just made a successful debut to affiliated eventing I thought it would be a really great experience for her as despite being as keen as mustard she is as green as grass so I was really looking forward to seeing what Sam thought of her, and picking up some tips to help me continue to produce her up through the levels.
Sam asked what I wanted to work on so I mentioned that she could get strong across the country and I was thinking about trying new bits… In the politest way possible he told me that it probably wasn’t a horse or bit problem and so our aims for the session were quickly established!
We started off in the arena and Sam spent a bit of time talking through what I need to work towards with her. He explained that every time we use the rein we are in effect making the horse stronger. The cardinal sin is therefore to hold on to a horse, allowing it something to pull against and become stronger. He used the phrase “use the rein aid and then lose the rein aid” which is a very useful mantra to take away. As I warmed up in canter he would ask me to collect her but soften immediately. Each time I collect her I need to be working towards using less and less of a rein aid, until she is responsive enough to respond to me bringing my upper body back. To illustrate this he asked me to think about how it appears as though the likes of William Fox Pitt and Andrew Nicholson do nothing when riding across the country – and that is because they don’t need to do much because they have done the homework and their horses respond to the smallest of aids. The process we worked through in the school needs to be replicated out on the cross country course and he pointed out that it is far better to come home with a load of time penalties at this stage in her career and ensure that she is responding properly as it will mean that when it really matters I can take the handbrake off and have confidence that I will have a responsive horse.
Note Portersize Just a Jiff grazing in the background!!
Sam put two poles down for me to canter over which either could be ridden on 6 or 7 strides. I started off on 6 strides which Jam found quite easy being bold by nature. The first time I attempted the 7 strides I hadn’t quite collected her enough and we got there on 6.5 strides so I collected her a little more and she went down the line easily on both reins. Sam kept reminding me to soften the hand as soon as I had collected her and he also explained that in order for a horse to collect they have to be able to get their bums underneath them and round over the back but if you are holding onto their mouth they are unable to do that. Sam liked how expressive she was over the pole and said it was lovely to see as it is a good indicator of a careful and athletic horse. It was a great exercise to give me the feel of what Sam had been explaining so it was time to head out onto the cross country course to see if I could replicate it out there…
We started off with a plain flower box and she was quite keen first time showing a definite increase in pace in the last few strides. I came round again and Sam asked me to focus on keeping the rhythm. The rhythm was much better the second time and I held for the extra stride rather than allowing her to increase and Sam agreed that it was the right decision. He pointed out that it is really important to teach a young horse to put in a small stride – if you always place them perfectly they will struggle to cope if you make a mistake when it really matters. The third time to the fence she came on a lovely rhythm and found a great spot so we moved on down to the coffin.
It was a reasonably big ditch so I came to it on its own first time and Jam initially was a bit spooky and tried to nap away. We agreed that in this scenario it was better to circle away and re-present rather than to turn her back in the direction she had come away from as it meant that I was keeping her forwards, and avoiding an argument. Ideally you need to try and correct the nap by turning back in the direction the horse has come away from but every horse is different and Sam explained that you need to pick the arguments you know you can win. Ultimately the horse needs to learn that they cannot get away with it, but sometimes it is more productive so keep the horse forward from the aids.
I represented and Jam jumped easily over the ditch a few times so we introduced the other 2 elements. The first time felt a bit sticky and I didn’t feel completely secure in my position so Sam stressed the importance of keeping my upper body back, and also using my peripheral vision to allow me to focus on the elements ahead and not on each one as I get to them as that tends to draw your eye line down, which tips the shoulders forward. There are two issues with having your shoulders forward – the weight comes ahead of the movement, and the lower leg swings back. The combination of these two factors leaves the rider in a very vulnerable position.
TBC...
Being offered the opportunity to have a lesson with Sam Watson is pretty awesome, but to be having that lesson during the Irish squad’s final boot camp up at Attington Stud, the week before the World Equestrian Games made it seriously special!
I arrived just as Sam was finishing up a dressage session on the legendary Horseware Bushman, and I managed to make myself useful by holding him and helping get him untacked, which felt a little surreal having watched this wonderful gent of a horse eating up countless Badminton and Burghleys and making it look easy!
The photographer arrived and the horses and riders lined up in the arena for the official squad photos. The sun was shining and they all looked fabulous in their Horseware kit. The atmosphere was friendly and relaxed, with plenty of laughter and it felt like we were in the presence of a team who are ready to go and give it their best, and hopefully bring back some medals!
I think Horseware Bushman was pretty keen to get on the road
I had decided that it would be best to take my 5 year old mare Jam who I bought straight from the racetrack last year. Having just made a successful debut to affiliated eventing I thought it would be a really great experience for her as despite being as keen as mustard she is as green as grass so I was really looking forward to seeing what Sam thought of her, and picking up some tips to help me continue to produce her up through the levels.
Sam asked what I wanted to work on so I mentioned that she could get strong across the country and I was thinking about trying new bits… In the politest way possible he told me that it probably wasn’t a horse or bit problem and so our aims for the session were quickly established!
We started off in the arena and Sam spent a bit of time talking through what I need to work towards with her. He explained that every time we use the rein we are in effect making the horse stronger. The cardinal sin is therefore to hold on to a horse, allowing it something to pull against and become stronger. He used the phrase “use the rein aid and then lose the rein aid” which is a very useful mantra to take away. As I warmed up in canter he would ask me to collect her but soften immediately. Each time I collect her I need to be working towards using less and less of a rein aid, until she is responsive enough to respond to me bringing my upper body back. To illustrate this he asked me to think about how it appears as though the likes of William Fox Pitt and Andrew Nicholson do nothing when riding across the country – and that is because they don’t need to do much because they have done the homework and their horses respond to the smallest of aids. The process we worked through in the school needs to be replicated out on the cross country course and he pointed out that it is far better to come home with a load of time penalties at this stage in her career and ensure that she is responding properly as it will mean that when it really matters I can take the handbrake off and have confidence that I will have a responsive horse.
Note Portersize Just a Jiff grazing in the background!!
Sam put two poles down for me to canter over which either could be ridden on 6 or 7 strides. I started off on 6 strides which Jam found quite easy being bold by nature. The first time I attempted the 7 strides I hadn’t quite collected her enough and we got there on 6.5 strides so I collected her a little more and she went down the line easily on both reins. Sam kept reminding me to soften the hand as soon as I had collected her and he also explained that in order for a horse to collect they have to be able to get their bums underneath them and round over the back but if you are holding onto their mouth they are unable to do that. Sam liked how expressive she was over the pole and said it was lovely to see as it is a good indicator of a careful and athletic horse. It was a great exercise to give me the feel of what Sam had been explaining so it was time to head out onto the cross country course to see if I could replicate it out there…
We started off with a plain flower box and she was quite keen first time showing a definite increase in pace in the last few strides. I came round again and Sam asked me to focus on keeping the rhythm. The rhythm was much better the second time and I held for the extra stride rather than allowing her to increase and Sam agreed that it was the right decision. He pointed out that it is really important to teach a young horse to put in a small stride – if you always place them perfectly they will struggle to cope if you make a mistake when it really matters. The third time to the fence she came on a lovely rhythm and found a great spot so we moved on down to the coffin.
It was a reasonably big ditch so I came to it on its own first time and Jam initially was a bit spooky and tried to nap away. We agreed that in this scenario it was better to circle away and re-present rather than to turn her back in the direction she had come away from as it meant that I was keeping her forwards, and avoiding an argument. Ideally you need to try and correct the nap by turning back in the direction the horse has come away from but every horse is different and Sam explained that you need to pick the arguments you know you can win. Ultimately the horse needs to learn that they cannot get away with it, but sometimes it is more productive so keep the horse forward from the aids.
I represented and Jam jumped easily over the ditch a few times so we introduced the other 2 elements. The first time felt a bit sticky and I didn’t feel completely secure in my position so Sam stressed the importance of keeping my upper body back, and also using my peripheral vision to allow me to focus on the elements ahead and not on each one as I get to them as that tends to draw your eye line down, which tips the shoulders forward. There are two issues with having your shoulders forward – the weight comes ahead of the movement, and the lower leg swings back. The combination of these two factors leaves the rider in a very vulnerable position.
TBC...
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