Lesson report number 2!

[tonitot]

I posted last week about my lesson which went well and today I had another one

Well, as soon as I got Ethel in I knew she had her "I'm a bit of myself so I'm not going to listen to anything you say!" hat on She was fidgeting the whole time I was grooming and tacking up which isn't fun when she can walk the whole way round the post she's tied to! Anyway, I was kind of dreading our lesson as when she is in that kind of mood we tend to end up in an argument as we are as stubborn as each other and neither of us give in!

Thankfully my YO could see she was in "that" mood and so kept us busy with figures of eight, serpentines, circles and some polework and eventually we did some lengthening in trot which Ethel LOVES doing. As soon as we started the lengthening work she switched on and really listened to me and I got some nice work out of her. With our leg yeilding we've found out that to start with a need to give her a good boot to get her responsive as although she does respond to me squeezing she moves over in her own time, not when I've asked her to. A few goes of that and she got the idea and started to move off my leg really nicely when asked

Our polework wasn't great, she got a bit excited so kept speeding up over the poles and was being lazy with her feet and was sending them a bit all over the place We tried to sort that out with going into walk just before the poles or making her trot really steady over them but she still bashed the poles and every time I gave her a squeeze before the poles she just sped off so that's something to work on.

I have a video of our lengthening work but after watching it I realised it feels a lot better than it looks She feels like she's really lifting her shoulders and striding out but she looks like shes just rushing to me though a more experienced eye may see what I feel here's the video ..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X04qKMDsvC8&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Hopefully it works! Im riding a bit racing style which I didn't realise until I watched the video so I'll work on that.

Any CC is welcome but please dont rip me or my pony apart! Heres a picture of her after the lesson scoffing her face

 

[tonitot]

Video.isn't working I'll try to get that sorted.

 

[Lolo]

I can't see the video but she looks so well Clever pony with the lengthening- Reg says that he doesn't like doing that at all!

 

[tonitot]

YouTube is being a bum and wont show the video for some reason :/

Thank you I looked at her today and thought she actually doesnt look podgey anymore! Still a lot of toning up to do though She loves lengthening, now it's clicked what it is I'm asking her to do she feels me prepare for it and off she goes!

 

[tonitot]

In case anyone is interested, I got my video working! Turns out I'm the bum, not YouTube, as I didn't check that I'd set it as private

We have had a third lesson since then, I put a flash on her as her way of avoiding coming back to me is to open her mouth, lean and run through the bit. It wasn't on tight, just enough that she couldnt open her mouth as much and she was a lot better Have decided its only for schooling though, hacking she can go without it. We did pretty much the same as in lesson 2 so not much to report on unfortunately!

 

[tonitot]

Bumping up, would like some CC

 

[be positive]

Interesting to see a video, she is going forward fairly well, not lengthening really but moving in a positive way, not too rushed most of the time just needing to start having some structure to work towards. What is your instructor aiming for now, she keeps telling you to rise higher and presumably wants to see a more open stride but if you go on any more she will lose her balance and go more onto her forehand then creating a new problem to deal with.
Having only seen the short video and read your thread I would, if I was teaching you, start with the open forward trot to get her moving off the leg then introduce exercises to start getting some lateral flexion, this should help her to soften, lift her back and start to use herself more correctly, if she stops going forward go back to that trot but maintain more contact and actually make some use of it, a few strides then back to you and ride a turn or small circle rather than firing down the long side and drifting round the corner at the end which wastes the energy that is created.
Until you have a bit more control of her pace polework will probably be difficult she has a naturally flat trot so will be inclined to speed up over them rather than slow down and take time to lift her feet higher, I would not trot until you can bring her back to you a little more easily, trot then walk poles, trot after them keep doing lots or circles and transitions then walk the poles again, keep repeating then try them at trot once she has really settled, is waiting for you
and is listening.

 

[tonitot]

Thank you be positive The video show her at the end of the lesson when she was tired and not lengthening anywhere near as well as she was the first time, will try to get a video of that tomorrow When I rise higher she tries really hard to lengthen and gets it really well for a few strides, I'd only really got the hang of it in our last lesson which was after the lesson the video is from.
We do already do trot, walk over poles, trot away but we change it around to get her listening as she starts to anticipate and does it all herself! So sometimes we walk, trot over the poles, keep the trot, walk over poles, walk, trot over poles then walk away etc.

Thank you for all your advice, I will put it to practise and see how we get on, hopefully she'll Starr using herself properly

 

[Rouletterose]

Interesting to see a video, she is going forward fairly well, not lengthening really but moving in a positive way, not too rushed most of the time just needing to start having some structure to work towards. What is your instructor aiming for now, she keeps telling you to rise higher and presumably wants to see a more open stride but if you go on any more she will lose her balance and go more onto her forehand then creating a new problem to deal with.
Having only seen the short video and read your thread I would, if I was teaching you, start with the open forward trot to get her moving off the leg then introduce exercises to start getting some lateral flexion, this should help her to soften, lift her back and start to use herself more correctly, if she stops going forward go back to that trot but maintain more contact and actually make some use of it, a few strides then back to you and ride a turn or small circle rather than firing down the long side and drifting round the corner at the end which wastes the energy that is created.
Until you have a bit more control of her pace polework will probably be difficult she has a naturally flat trot so will be inclined to speed up over them rather than slow down and take time to lift her feet higher, I would not trot until you can bring her back to you a little more easily, trot then walk poles, trot after them keep doing lots or circles and transitions then walk the poles again, keep repeating then try them at trot once she has really settled, is waiting for you
and is listening.

Really good reply