Queenbee
Well-Known Member
I forgot to post an update... I know you're all just dying to hear how Ben and I got on in our fourth lesson 
, which is incidentally (I've realised) only my sixth lesson in about 20 years!!! Well, Ben and I are simply loving the lessons and the progress we make week on week is simply amazing! Flat work wise he is coming on so much, especially the canter, he is getting the correct leg on his bad rein a lot faster, and cantering a fairly balanced and steady 20m circle and softening quite nicely for it too. However, his strike off into canter when he moves up into canter mode is simply gobsmacking in comparison to last week! We did some one stride double work, and strung on a couple of other singles after that, at the moment whenever there is a new jump coming into play I trot a circle so he sees it then we jump it. So, I trot my 20m circle at A to come around on the left rein (his weaker rein) to take the double, and what I started to do was ask for canter as we were about to hit f, and this technique (kind of running him towards toe edge of the school worked sooo well (someone on here suggested it in another thread, I can't remember who but thank you!!,) he power skipped into canter from the most contained trot and on the correct lead consistently!
Double wise, he could get the strides perfectly with two ground poles and the second jump, but not as a double, as a double his batteries died inbetween jumps, however, not too fussed about that as I know he CAN do it, he did it well last year, over a cross pole then an upright, this time it was two straight bars, and I'm sure that by next week we will have it nailed... He's good like that. He's getting his bum nicely underneath him in canter after a jump, making steering so much easier for both of us.
Finally - the very best bit up is yet to come, not content with producing so many highs throughout his lesson, (seriously impressive leg yielding out of the circle in walk and trot, canter 100 times better, and much more contained trot to walk transitions), Ben simply wowed everyone and took their breath away (I was so proud even if I did almost lose my breakfast!). YO/instructor set up a scary Mary jump with fillers and everything
, to me fillers have always been a bit scary and Ben has never done them, although recently when schooling over ground poles I've used them like wings for him to go through. They are about 2ft 3 and white with playing card symbols on them, ontop of that yo put a normal pole. I circled once and and I have to say I felt myself losing impulsion, so I made the decision to circle again as I needed to use the time to kick myself up the backside I'm incredibly proud of myself as I managed to do this asked for canter and came around to the jump, he was going at a good pace but I even heard myself growling in a commanding voice 'gooooowaaaaan!' Lest he should back off 
which my stunning super doooooooper dude didn't even consider doing, he cleared it at a good height, and kind of sucked himself a foot higher than he needed to while he was in mid air (causing me to nearly up chuck my food) as we were mid air, I could hear my yo whooping with glee and as his hooves landed the other side, my eyes were bulging out on stalks and I shouted something that rhymes with 'duck me!' And gave him the biggest pats and fusses ever, apparently he jumped it as if it were a good foot higher than it was
My little man is EPIC and had the most deserved day off today. I couldn't be more happy with him, he's progress at the moment is amazing, this week we've had some lovely time doing a variety of fun and new stuff from hacks along the helford river, to schooling on grass, jumping fillers, nailing some canter issues and just generally enjoying it all.
Finally, for all you Ben lovers out there, a collage of some of my favourite pics, in the background of one of the jumping photos you can see the scary Mary fillers
, which is incidentally (I've realised) only my sixth lesson in about 20 years!!! Well, Ben and I are simply loving the lessons and the progress we make week on week is simply amazing! Flat work wise he is coming on so much, especially the canter, he is getting the correct leg on his bad rein a lot faster, and cantering a fairly balanced and steady 20m circle and softening quite nicely for it too. However, his strike off into canter when he moves up into canter mode is simply gobsmacking in comparison to last week! We did some one stride double work, and strung on a couple of other singles after that, at the moment whenever there is a new jump coming into play I trot a circle so he sees it then we jump it. So, I trot my 20m circle at A to come around on the left rein (his weaker rein) to take the double, and what I started to do was ask for canter as we were about to hit f, and this technique (kind of running him towards toe edge of the school worked sooo well (someone on here suggested it in another thread, I can't remember who but thank you!!,) he power skipped into canter from the most contained trot and on the correct lead consistently! Double wise, he could get the strides perfectly with two ground poles and the second jump, but not as a double, as a double his batteries died inbetween jumps, however, not too fussed about that as I know he CAN do it, he did it well last year, over a cross pole then an upright, this time it was two straight bars, and I'm sure that by next week we will have it nailed... He's good like that. He's getting his bum nicely underneath him in canter after a jump, making steering so much easier for both of us.
Finally - the very best bit up is yet to come, not content with producing so many highs throughout his lesson, (seriously impressive leg yielding out of the circle in walk and trot, canter 100 times better, and much more contained trot to walk transitions), Ben simply wowed everyone and took their breath away (I was so proud even if I did almost lose my breakfast!). YO/instructor set up a scary Mary jump with fillers and everything
, to me fillers have always been a bit scary and Ben has never done them, although recently when schooling over ground poles I've used them like wings for him to go through. They are about 2ft 3 and white with playing card symbols on them, ontop of that yo put a normal pole. I circled once and and I have to say I felt myself losing impulsion, so I made the decision to circle again as I needed to use the time to kick myself up the backside I'm incredibly proud of myself as I managed to do this asked for canter and came around to the jump, he was going at a good pace but I even heard myself growling in a commanding voice 'gooooowaaaaan!' Lest he should back off which my stunning super doooooooper dude didn't even consider doing, he cleared it at a good height, and kind of sucked himself a foot higher than he needed to while he was in mid air (causing me to nearly up chuck my food) as we were mid air, I could hear my yo whooping with glee and as his hooves landed the other side, my eyes were bulging out on stalks and I shouted something that rhymes with 'duck me!' And gave him the biggest pats and fusses ever, apparently he jumped it as if it were a good foot higher than it was My little man is EPIC and had the most deserved day off today. I couldn't be more happy with him, he's progress at the moment is amazing, this week we've had some lovely time doing a variety of fun and new stuff from hacks along the helford river, to schooling on grass, jumping fillers, nailing some canter issues and just generally enjoying it all
.Finally, for all you Ben lovers out there, a collage of some of my favourite pics, in the background of one of the jumping photos you can see the scary Mary fillers
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