Lesson report and pic over load!

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Hallo2012

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Midget and I took ourselves off for a lesson with Calum Whitworth yesterday....

He was his usual cucumber like self hacking through hay cutting madness to get there (6 tractors,double decker bus,oil tanker,Edward scissorhands-mobile for hay spreading and hundreds of hay trailers ).... he just doesn’t even blink now!

Stood and watched the previous lesson for a bit and then we were up...

Straight away got stuck in to the fact that because Raf is very good off leg and always motoring I ride with my leg off a lot so it’s hard to develop a better connection needed to go up the levels......The old adage of riding a hot horse with the leg on really!

So I had to close my calves a bit generally to keep my leg there, and every time he curled up BTV just push him forward and not get in to the habit of riding with a super light leg.

Down to walk and keep my hand leg seat all engaged until he stops offering piaffe or if he jogs forward away from me make him do a step by step super slow walk but always with all 3 aids engaged to make him accept them.... so again not sitting light and pretty but having to pray!

Canter left rein need to think of my left hip pointing at his right ear to make me straight and then how bizarre... my pony is straight!!!! no inside bend in either canter keep nose middle of shoulder blades and show off the inside of my pony.

Oh...and look UP !!!!!

I rode the majority of the lesson with reins upside down ( so going in under thumb and out under palm) to improve my upper arm tension and thus the connection- this worked brilliantly as you can see in the pictures how much more uphill but steady in the hand he was i think?

Feel much more prepped for Hartpury with a good warm up plan in my head :)

lesson1.JPGlesson2.JPGlesson3.JPGlesson4.JPGlesson5.jpglesson6.jpglesson8.jpglesson9.jpglesson10.jpg
 
ihatework said:
That’s the best frame I’ve seen him in to date 👍
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thanks I'm REALLY pleased with how the small tweaks helped me(and thus him) so nicely, i just need to make sure i implement it all on sunday and dont go in to daydream mode!!!
 
Gorgeous photos! He’s such a little superstar!

Has he grown? Looks to be taking up more of your leg here than in previous photos...or maybe I’m just imagining it!
 
Lexi_ said:
Gorgeous photos! He’s such a little superstar!

Has he grown? Looks to be taking up more of your leg here than in previous photos...or maybe I’m just imagining it!
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I agree, I was going to ask the same question. You're looking really great on him as he moves bigger, H2012.
 
I think it’s a combo of two things....1. He’s definitely bulked out wider so my leg hangs less and 2. He’s put on a lot of muscle over his back so I sit in less of a hammock (the tale behind that is a cautionary one- saddles that seem to fit stood up or in light hacking may not fit AT ALL once you ask the pony to engage his core! Raf REALLY rounds his back up as he schools so although he looks fairly typically Welsh dippy and slightly croup high at rest,once moving his alignment straightens a LOT and his previous curvy tree prestige had actually caused a bit of muscle wastage. Although the Wintec looks like it bridges slightly at rest once in motion it contacts all along and he is 500x happier in it and looks far less dippy. The change in his posture is remarkable! He never really complained and still worked well but I can’t thank the saddler who sorted it enough,it’s made a huge difference to him. Sorry tangent essay!)

We are first in at 8am so early doors prayers please! 2.30am start to plait as I have commitments Saturday and can’t go down overnight!!! Who needs sleep......
 
Genuinely love this pony so much. I follow you on Facebook and whenever he pops up, my heart just melts
 
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J_sarahd said:
Genuinely love this pony so much. I follow you on Facebook and whenever he pops up, my heart just melts
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Same, he's a wee cracker :D

I hope that the lessons (and gorgeous pictures!) have helped with the mission to find the fire in your belly again!

Good luck for Sunday, have fun
 
J_sarahd said:
Genuinely love this pony so much. I follow you on Facebook and whenever he pops up, my heart just melts
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Ditto this! I have followed you and your sister on here and FB for many years now, and it is so lovely to see you enjoying things after such bad luck horse wise.
 
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Hallo2012 said:
I think it’s a combo of two things....1. He’s definitely bulked out wider so my leg hangs less and 2. He’s put on a lot of muscle over his back so I sit in less of a hammock (the tale behind that is a cautionary one- saddles that seem to fit stood up or in light hacking may not fit AT ALL once you ask the pony to engage his core! Raf REALLY rounds his back up as he schools so although he looks fairly typically Welsh dippy and slightly croup high at rest,once moving his alignment straightens a LOT and his previous curvy tree prestige had actually caused a bit of muscle wastage. Although the Wintec looks like it bridges slightly at rest once in motion it contacts all along and he is 500x happier in it and looks far less dippy. The change in his posture is remarkable! He never really complained and still worked well but I can’t thank the saddler who sorted it enough,it’s made a huge difference to him. Sorry tangent essay!)

We are first in at 8am so early doors prayers please! 2.30am start to plait as I have commitments Saturday and can’t go down overnight!!! Who needs sleep......
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The saddle fitting part is so true and our exact problem with Topaz (6 saddles in 6 months was problematic!) until we found a fitter who understood this part, she is a completely different shape stood to when shes engaging!

I shall hopefully watching via the live streaming if your class is in one of the two being shown, super good luck and glad you seem a bit more firey now! It's taken me ages to get going with Skylla but I finally feel that pull to start taking her out, I shall show her Raf and remind her he's 3 years younger :p:cool:.
 
AlexHyde said:
The saddle fitting part is so true and our exact problem with Topaz (6 saddles in 6 months was problematic!) until we found a fitter who understood this part, she is a completely different shape stood to when shes engaging!

I shall hopefully watching via the live streaming if your class is in one of the two being shown, super good luck and glad you seem a bit more firey now! It's taken me ages to get going with Skylla but I finally feel that pull to start taking her out, I shall show her Raf and remind her he's 3 years younger :p:cool:.
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shes 7?! holy crappoly where does time go!!!!
 
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