Lesson report - the good, the bad and the knobber *pics*

[Trish C]

Monty and I had our second lesson tonight. He had a big fat grass belly after eating himself stupid in the field all day (and also a very runny, sore looking eye, poor boy ) and I had a big fat swollen knee where an old injury has flaired up. So I rode like a complete numpty and really struggled to concentrate in parts as all I could think was 'OW'!

He's also been less of a knobber and something of a superstar this week, so I was expecting him to have saved up a lot of knobberism especially for today. I was right. He decided that the school is now NOT fun and went round like a giraffe with an ASBO for a while:

ASBO giraffe

But anyways, there were some good points. Mainly that his inside flexion is slowly but surely improving, and he's got over the 'canter is the new everything' idea and didn't anticipate/run on today

We started off by working on keeping the impulsion and engagement in his stretchy walk:

warm up

Then trying to get him working through and swinging a bit in trot. He tends to get very forehandy and tend to over-collect him. So we did more 'ignore the front end and loads of impulsion' work, the plan being that when he muscles up more we'll get his front end back with the impulsion then. At the moment it's kinda either nice shape OR impulsion, not both

NOT flexing

Nice action when he wants to work!

And eventually, a nice shape in front as well

I showed some fantastic examples of bad elbows, inconsistent contact, leaning forwards and bad lower leg

How not to ride

Then, since one of his revelations this week has been that halting is actually quite nice, it was a bit of work on turn on the forehand and rein-back. Turn on the forehand was alright... not a disaster but not amazing. He just didn't really understand the question, so it's going to be lots of work on the ground for that.

We've been working on his rein-back out on hacks and he's just starting to get it. He's very good on the ground and moves backwards on voice command, but it's not translating perfectly to under saddle. However, he's getting there... there was a lot of backwards and sideways today though

MAJOR positive: he did a trot to halt transition. WOO! For a horse that even a week ago didn't have a reliable halt, I was DELIGHTED with this

He countered this positive by deciding that the fence was going to eat him

Fence monsters


Then we did some canter work. His canter is getting better. I've been a very bad student this week and haven't done much schoolwork (have done plenty of canter on hacks though ) but still it was definitely better than last lesson. So we started off with a half-seat and giving the contact to send him forwards, then bringing him back and introducing the idea of collection in canter using half-halts. Also started canter 'circles'. We did an artistic impression of a circle that involved fairly straight lines and very fally-in corners

My canter position is getting a bit better but it's still fairly abysmal... stoopid toes! (Although I'm not beating myself up quite as hard as normal because by this point I thought someone was putting electric shocks through my crappy knee )

Canter 1 and canter 2


Then two of his buddies went out into the field beside the arena, and he objected to having to work whilst they ate. Knobber horse!

Got him back for a nice canter after that, then just a nice long stretch in a good active walk

Over all, very happy with how he's coming on. I have to keep reminding myself that we're still not quite three and a half months together (with a few weeks off ridden work at that), and he hadn't done anything in the school for a couple of years beforehand. Thing is I love him so much and have such trust in him already that I forget we're only new to each other! Just wish I could remember how to ride... in the several years I've had off riding it feels like I've forgotten everything!!

Gratuitous handsome Monty pics
Gorgeous ginger

He is turning into a little bit of a mummy's boy

I can offer vodka or Mickey Finn's, with Pringles for anyone who fancies them

 

[blood_magik]

I love reading about monty's escapades
loving the fence monsters picture
I 'forgot' how to ride during my 4 year break so your not alone. my left leg refuses to do stay put and we both can't bend on the left rein
you don't look that bad anyways

pretty ginger knobber

 

[0ldmare]

Always enjoy your posts! Monty is a naughty boy but he is a handsome lad. Loving the fence monster photo and his objection about his friends going out to play without him!

 

[kizzywiz]

Love it! Well done, I thought you dealt with that very well. If its any consolation I told my coach at the start of last weeks lesson "Oh yes, we've been practising shortening & lengthening, bla bla bla changes bla bla, really pleased she's going really well"

Fleur then proceeded to drop off the bridle, behind my leg & no lengthening unless I galloped, squealed & changed only in front, bucked, squealed & dropped behind my leg every time we cantered past the gate, did I feel like such a complete div.....!! Don't you just love them?

 

[Trish C]

Thanks all! My knee has come up huge this morning so it's going to be groundwork for a few days for us. Which is no bad thing - I'm going to work on his leg yield, turn on the forehand and shoulder-in in hand, and also may try and find some fun stuff for us to do

B_M - my lower leg seems to have developed a complete detachment from the rest of my body and now just does its own thing. I half expected it to p1$$ off and get itself a beer halfway through the lesson yesterday But thanks, we're not looking as bad as we did anyways... between myself and knobhead, we will eventually make something passable!

Oldmare - thanks! Sometimes it's a very good job he's so handsome - he can charm his way out of a lot of naughtiness

kizzywiz - haha, that sounds about right! Why do we bother eh! The shoulder-in that we've been developing since last lesson had suddenly disappeared and poncy dutch dressage instructor was less than impressed with stompy knobby irish horse!

One of the signs for me that I've found a great match in him, is that when he has his naughty moments (fence monsters and objections ) I don't tense up or panic like I used to - I laugh and push him on. When I realised that I smiled for days!

And just because I'm uber proud of our other acheivements this week: for the last week and a half he has stood stock still for me to get on, first time, just with someone standing at his head (not holding him). Few more days of someone standing at his head, then I'll progress to someone standing further and further away until hopefully, I'll be able to just hop on by myself first time I have in writing that, of course, now cursed us and he'll return to his old ways

Also, we went for a nice long hack with a buddy on Friday and we explored a new bog track. They had a great time splashing and paddling, but then we came to a very narrow, nasty looking metal bridge. Our buddy partnership have been together for years and have been through a huge amount and are the closest thing to actually being horse/rider as one as I've ever seen. But buddy horse was NOT having anything to do with the bridge. He put on a huge show and really acted up like I've never seen before from him. So I said I'd see what Monty made of it and give them a lead. Monts looked straight down his nose at buddy horse, sighed and just walked over lovely and calmly. He then stood and waited for buddy horse to gallop/leap/snort/buck over it (and pass us at high speed) and remained calm for the whole thing. I was so proud of him!