tda
Well-Known Member
That was a lovely report and so pleased you have both made this progress. I steered well away from "schooling" because of some of the things instructors have tried to make me think was right, but this has restored my faith ?
Joe Midgely Clinics
- Thread starter Ample Prosecco
- Start date
Ample Prosecco
Still wittering on
He’s a very impressive horseman. I feel lucky to be able to have regular lessons. I’m just kicking myself for not doing this a year ago! I resisted my sharers suggestions we get him over for ages. Oh well at least we are on the right track now.
Caol Ila
Well-Known Member
YCBM and AE, I am so jealous of you guys.
SaddlePsych'D
Well-Known Member
What a fabulous update - great that things have clicked for you both and brought some ease to the work. The bit about turning her out was really touching.
Ample Prosecco
Still wittering on
You are welcome to come and stay for the next one! I am also mulling over a Somerford camp with him. Long way to travel but …..
Red-1
I used to be decisive, now I'm not so sure...
BH and I had our second lesson this afternoon.
I'd done our homework on the groundwork yielding and, although sideways is still unsatisfactory, I rode as the other things are improved. I actually asked for a demo as I learn better like that, I think Joe was BH's 5th person ever to sit on him.
Head is spinning as I have so much whirring round in there. It was all beautifully explained but I am really slow at picking new stuff up!
We worked initially at walk. Picking my energy up before setting off. Then having my movement of my body keep the walk rather than my leg. If the leg is used, it is used positively and then not used again. I was to initiate an inner bend with open fingers, open and raised hand. My leg on the inside was in time with the inside fore leaving the floor, to ask the inner shoulder to lift and go between the tracks. This made him bendy and light. Once he was bendy and light, if the walk had died, I had to straighten and reset the pace, then go again.
I did an exercise where I did the above, then walked a curve to the other rein, keeping the softness to the original side but moving my body (rotation) to pick up a curve to the other rein. My new leg brought the new shoulder round. Open fingers kept the original bend. I then changed back, again keeping the original bend, but rotating my body back to the original side to initiate the new bend, then using the original leg to re-establish the original bend with a slight yield.
This blew my mind and he must wonder how I ever held down a responsible job as my brain did struggle to wrestle all of these things. It looked so simple when he did it! Whenever I got confused, BH offered to stop, bless him. It is his default for many situations.
I had a little trot, to find the softness but mainly to get the go to ask for the softness as BH has some go lacking. Once I did manage some go and softness a couple of times, I stilled my seat and he did a beautiful halt.
I now have 2 weeks to practice and make sense of that before my next lesson. I may pull a bit of the CCTV to have another look.
2 weeks seems like a long time away as I really think this will help BH and I to get it together in a beautiful way and I wish I could do more!
I'd done our homework on the groundwork yielding and, although sideways is still unsatisfactory, I rode as the other things are improved. I actually asked for a demo as I learn better like that, I think Joe was BH's 5th person ever to sit on him.
Head is spinning as I have so much whirring round in there. It was all beautifully explained but I am really slow at picking new stuff up!
We worked initially at walk. Picking my energy up before setting off. Then having my movement of my body keep the walk rather than my leg. If the leg is used, it is used positively and then not used again. I was to initiate an inner bend with open fingers, open and raised hand. My leg on the inside was in time with the inside fore leaving the floor, to ask the inner shoulder to lift and go between the tracks. This made him bendy and light. Once he was bendy and light, if the walk had died, I had to straighten and reset the pace, then go again.
I did an exercise where I did the above, then walked a curve to the other rein, keeping the softness to the original side but moving my body (rotation) to pick up a curve to the other rein. My new leg brought the new shoulder round. Open fingers kept the original bend. I then changed back, again keeping the original bend, but rotating my body back to the original side to initiate the new bend, then using the original leg to re-establish the original bend with a slight yield.
This blew my mind and he must wonder how I ever held down a responsible job as my brain did struggle to wrestle all of these things. It looked so simple when he did it! Whenever I got confused, BH offered to stop, bless him. It is his default for many situations.
I had a little trot, to find the softness but mainly to get the go to ask for the softness as BH has some go lacking. Once I did manage some go and softness a couple of times, I stilled my seat and he did a beautiful halt.
I now have 2 weeks to practice and make sense of that before my next lesson. I may pull a bit of the CCTV to have another look.
2 weeks seems like a long time away as I really think this will help BH and I to get it together in a beautiful way and I wish I could do more!
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Red-1
I used to be decisive, now I'm not so sure...
Rode out round the village today, trying to straighten up in my head what we have to do for our homework. I was frightened in case Joe didn't want to come back as I find new stuff tricky, but hope that if we do our homework all will be forgiven.
We had a super ride out. I was very attentive to the forward, not using my leg before my seat, no nagging, having the correct feel in my rein, doing bends and transitions, rein back if the feel in the rein was stodgy.
I can feel the improvement already.
Lessons are FAB!
We had a super ride out. I was very attentive to the forward, not using my leg before my seat, no nagging, having the correct feel in my rein, doing bends and transitions, rein back if the feel in the rein was stodgy.
I can feel the improvement already.
Lessons are FAB!
Red-1
I used to be decisive, now I'm not so sure...
First arena session since my lesson. TBH, I was a little disappointed in myself as I could see what I should be doing, kind of, but was getting in a tangle, especially with ground work - sideways.
The ridden was good on the right rein in walk, not so good on the left and not brilliant in trot. However, we are making progress, got the job done, just not as harmoniously as I would have liked, and the feel is kind of the point.
Because I was feeling a bit down about it, I pulled the CCTV and was happy to say it looked a lot better than I'd felt about it. Then, I pulled the CCTV from my lesson, when Joe was handling the horse. I could see that he was running across the same issues as I had, but is so quietly confident that my memory had glossed over that bit. TBH, in many ways, progress has been made.
Progress is all I really want, so now I am happy! Still can't wait for my next lesson!
Did anyone go to the demo today? I would have liked to go, but Saturday morning is my time to go swim in a cold lake
I would be interested to know how it was.
@chaps89 were you going?
The ridden was good on the right rein in walk, not so good on the left and not brilliant in trot. However, we are making progress, got the job done, just not as harmoniously as I would have liked, and the feel is kind of the point.
Because I was feeling a bit down about it, I pulled the CCTV and was happy to say it looked a lot better than I'd felt about it. Then, I pulled the CCTV from my lesson, when Joe was handling the horse. I could see that he was running across the same issues as I had, but is so quietly confident that my memory had glossed over that bit. TBH, in many ways, progress has been made.
Progress is all I really want, so now I am happy! Still can't wait for my next lesson!
Did anyone go to the demo today? I would have liked to go, but Saturday morning is my time to go swim in a cold lake
I would be interested to know how it was.@chaps89 were you going?
chaps89
Well-Known Member
The thing I’ve had to accept about learning is that it’s a messy process. I think we’d all like to be perfect at something new straight away but for the vast majority of us that won’t be the case. It’s handy you’ve got the footage to refer back to.
Im sure the clinic is Sat 11th, next week?! If it was today I’ve missed it and I’ll be gutted.
I still haven’t heard back from him, I emailed a lesson enquiry on 17th Jan, I’m hoping he’s just a bit behind on admin
the clinic page said to make your donation then message for attendance confirmation, which I did on 21st Jan and haven’t heard anything back on that either 
If it is next week can you swim first then head over, it looked like an all day thing so I’m sure you’d be fine to join part way through?
Im sure the clinic is Sat 11th, next week?! If it was today I’ve missed it and I’ll be gutted.
I still haven’t heard back from him, I emailed a lesson enquiry on 17th Jan, I’m hoping he’s just a bit behind on admin
the clinic page said to make your donation then message for attendance confirmation, which I did on 21st Jan and haven’t heard anything back on that either If it is next week can you swim first then head over, it looked like an all day thing so I’m sure you’d be fine to join part way through?
Ample Prosecco
Still wittering on
Another update.
Today Lottie was a bit more challenging - I arrived just as Amber was being turned out. And the 2 in the field next to the arena were also cavorting around as they had just gone out. Monday was a fast 12 miler with a lot of cantering. And yesterday was a rest day. So she was very on her toes and fresh with a 'forward' mentality. I used groundwork to get her brain back in her head which worked very well and after 5 minute odf calm focused work (instead of 20 of lunging!) she was ready to get on. Walk and trot felt good. In the first canter she softened much more quickly but reacted to a release by speeding up. So we were in canter for aaaaaages going: slow, then soften, release then speed up, put pressure on again still she slows etc. Once we had SOFT AND SLOW on a loose rein I ended it there and repeated on the other rein with much the same pattern. It felt like a backwards step but actually she was just very, very forward today and it gave me a chance to correct and show her what I wanted. So probably moved us on a bit!
Ended in trot and she was even pushing foward in trot which she has not down for a while. And afterward when I turned her out she was marching to the field and trying to go faster than me. Which I never allow but rarely have to correct these days. But today I needed to stop and back her up about 6 times from the yard to the field as she kept coming past my shoulder. So I think conditions/context were challenging today and I had made it as hard for as her as possible to chill (not intentionally but I ride when I need to ride and she has to just get on with it). So all useful progress I think.
Today Lottie was a bit more challenging - I arrived just as Amber was being turned out. And the 2 in the field next to the arena were also cavorting around as they had just gone out. Monday was a fast 12 miler with a lot of cantering. And yesterday was a rest day. So she was very on her toes and fresh with a 'forward' mentality. I used groundwork to get her brain back in her head which worked very well and after 5 minute odf calm focused work (instead of 20 of lunging!) she was ready to get on. Walk and trot felt good. In the first canter she softened much more quickly but reacted to a release by speeding up. So we were in canter for aaaaaages going: slow, then soften, release then speed up, put pressure on again still she slows etc. Once we had SOFT AND SLOW on a loose rein I ended it there and repeated on the other rein with much the same pattern. It felt like a backwards step but actually she was just very, very forward today and it gave me a chance to correct and show her what I wanted. So probably moved us on a bit!
Ended in trot and she was even pushing foward in trot which she has not down for a while. And afterward when I turned her out she was marching to the field and trying to go faster than me. Which I never allow but rarely have to correct these days. But today I needed to stop and back her up about 6 times from the yard to the field as she kept coming past my shoulder. So I think conditions/context were challenging today and I had made it as hard for as her as possible to chill (not intentionally but I ride when I need to ride and she has to just get on with it). So all useful progress I think.
Alibear
Well-Known Member
That sounds like a great update to me AE , its all very well being able to do these things under perfect circumstances. The key is being able to do them whatever the circumstances, so you had a good training opportunity and made the most of it.
Flowerofthefen
Well-Known Member
Are there any dates for 2023 yet?
musk
Well-Known Member
TPO where is the clinic in Scotland being held? I am going to try and come to spectate as his work sounds fantastic
TPO
🤠🏴
Will PM you
chaps89
Well-Known Member
Clinic day today, and I’ve had an email confirming he does teach in the area on a Friday. I’m loving reading AE and Red updates so I’m very much looking forwards to my own lessons now
Red-1
I used to be decisive, now I'm not so sure...
What was the clinic like? What did you learn?Clinic day today, and I’ve had an email confirming he does teach in the area on a Friday. I’m loving reading AE and Red updates so I’m very much looking forwards to my own lessons now
I had my 3rd lesson today. Biggest joy was that BH is obviously better in many ways. It was a 2 week gap and he is more forward and more flexible. I had got well and truly stuck on the bending exercise from ^^^ but had practiced elements of the whole thing, plus more ground work.
Today, I did less riding. We talked through some things we'd come across this week; Joe looked at video and gave his opinion. That in itself was helpful. Then riding myself and having feedback that things really had improved as much as I thought was helpful. Then, trying the dratted bending exercise was NOT helpful, as my left leg is simply weak and uncoordinated and I still couldn't manage! Lifting my hands did help, but it was still like wading through treacle so I asked for a demo.
Joe got aboard and showed the exercise again. then, I asked for him to ride all 3 gaits to feel what I was, and this was fabulous for me. Part of it was to see BH trying the same evasions, and I had been concerned that I was correcting in too strong a manner, as BH is rather unreactive, but I am now reassured that my resolutions have been appropriate - I can get my self doubt away.
I felt like I have loads to go forward with, especially with a lesson next week, so I didn't get back on.
I like that he would pack the lesson but, having been told that this is not helpful for me, he has adapted his style to allow me more talk and think time. BH enjoys the standing still too
JGC
Well-Known Member
I don't know how I'd missed this thread, but I have a mare who's been formatted in canter to jump, she has always done a sort of boingy on the spot canter (she's about 2 hands higher than my other mare and adds at least a stride extra in a related distance ...) which I think was designed to be amateur friendly. And the other was an RS cob, who didn't know what a contact was. She's made huge leaps in progress, well they both have, but the first offers no contact, but in a rigid set neck and set back kind of way and the other I still have too much contact. Both in the canter.
This thread confirms that what I'm looking for exists. I'll continue to follow with much interest, shame I'm in the wrong country for a lesson!
This thread confirms that what I'm looking for exists. I'll continue to follow with much interest, shame I'm in the wrong country for a lesson!
Ample Prosecco
Still wittering on
So have pushed on again and added a jump at E and at B. Circling on a loose rein till we have a nice steady canter then staying on a loose rein, and steering with legs to the fence then circling again. So not surprisingly she launched at the fence and accelerated afterwards too. She’s been better recently in letting me ride her over jumps but again the issue I have is how much pressure I need to keep her under control. Removing ALL pressure showed me I have been simply managing the problem, not addressing it. She improved a lot and the next day I took her to a jumping lesson and she was much more controlled. Hurrah.
Still very much a work in progress but that’s fine. I’m convinced I am finally on the right path x
Still very much a work in progress but that’s fine. I’m convinced I am finally on the right path x
TPO
🤠🏴
You look so improved on her and over the fence. So happy it's all working out with Joe and coming together for you
Ample Prosecco
Still wittering on
You look so improved on her and over the fence. So happy it's all working out with Joe and coming together for you
Thank you. Being forced to use legs far more has also meant she’s more upright on the turn. All instructors have told me to get her on her line with leg not hand but that message is much clearer with a loose contact!
fidleyspromise
Well-Known Member
Could you let me know too as would love to spectate?
AE and Red - your updates are fantastic and inspiring.
TPO
🤠🏴
Ample Prosecco
Still wittering on
And the changes keep coming. Saw my vet physio today. She is not on HHO, has no idea about Joe. She has known Lottie since I've had her as I do routine maintenance sessions every few weeks.This was our first session since that canter lesson on 21st Jan. Less than 5 weeks ago. She always starts by assessing her all over, looking for any tight bits. Immediatley said all the muscles on the underside of her neck are looser and softer than she has ever know them. And she is tighter behind the saddle, over the quarters, consistent with using her back end more. Which she probably isn't used to.
This totally fits with how she is being ridden. When ridden into a firm contact she braced against it and those muscles strengthened. Now she is soft in front, not bracing, and is working through from behind. Other RIs have said she needs to work from behind, stetch forwarrd and work over her back rather than bracing using the underside of the neck. But despite all their input and advice, (and them actually schooling her regularly) she physically remained quite similar. More muscled generally - especially after our 6 week pole work block - but always with those neck muscles in use. Less than 5 weeks after Joe, and she is physically transforming.
Her demeanor was nicer too: she let the physio do more than she normally does, with lots of licking, chewing and yawning. Not sure why, but a welcome change as before now she has been quite defensive about being touched/massaged.
This totally fits with how she is being ridden. When ridden into a firm contact she braced against it and those muscles strengthened. Now she is soft in front, not bracing, and is working through from behind. Other RIs have said she needs to work from behind, stetch forwarrd and work over her back rather than bracing using the underside of the neck. But despite all their input and advice, (and them actually schooling her regularly) she physically remained quite similar. More muscled generally - especially after our 6 week pole work block - but always with those neck muscles in use. Less than 5 weeks after Joe, and she is physically transforming.
Her demeanor was nicer too: she let the physio do more than she normally does, with lots of licking, chewing and yawning. Not sure why, but a welcome change as before now she has been quite defensive about being touched/massaged.
Ample Prosecco
Still wittering on
Got the physio's report. I am not imagining this!:
"Lottie was globally more relaxed today and allowed me to work more of her back and lumbar area, when she has previously been guarded. Particularly soft at base of neck and shoulder area, suggesting pullling less with the FLS. Hypertonicity in her expaxial muscles may reflect her adpatations to these changes in her way of going and will be monitored.....Movement straighter."
Super happy with that. x
"Lottie was globally more relaxed today and allowed me to work more of her back and lumbar area, when she has previously been guarded. Particularly soft at base of neck and shoulder area, suggesting pullling less with the FLS. Hypertonicity in her expaxial muscles may reflect her adpatations to these changes in her way of going and will be monitored.....Movement straighter."
Super happy with that. x
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twiggy2
Well-Known Member
Qoq, that sounds like quite extensive changes in a very short space of time.
Flowerofthefen
Well-Known Member
Is there anyone like Joe in the South lincs area?
Ample Prosecco
Still wittering on
Yes, Joe!
Flowerofthefen
Well-Known Member
Can't find his calendar so have emailed him.
shortstuff99
Well-Known Member
I emailed a few weeks ago and never heard anything. Is he normally slow answering emails or is it best to Facebook message?
Flowerofthefen
Well-Known Member
It does say it can take a fortnight due to high demand