Pigeon
Well-Known Member
My new years resolution was to get some lessons, and so I dutifully booked myself in for several with the Riding Club, only for Pip to have a drama in the trailer and lame himself 
So I took Sims, and it was fantastic!! The instructor picked up on some habits I'd gotten into that were really easy to fix and made a huge difference instantly. Always a good start!
There were so many scary things going on, but he stayed so focused, such a good pony! Pip would have been a nervous wreck (a rider fell off in the lesson and loose horse started galloping about, horse in the field next door went crazy and had to be caught and brought in because it was threatening to jump out, and then got loose in the yard and was charging around) I'm not sure he even noticed
The main focus of the lesson was getting him to carry himself a bit better, and he's actually been very good recently (apart from canter which is still a bit dire) but I definitely noticed an improvement within the lesson. We did a lot of transitions within trot, shortening and lengthening his stride, which made a huge difference, and also lowering his frame and bringing him back up again.
He's still very unbalanced and green, but honestly he was so light in the hand for pretty much the whole time, I can't fault him. He's a bit of a tank, and goes in a gag for hacking/hunting/xc, so I was really pleased with the lightness! I think the leaning is a lack of balance, he's grown so much, I think he's still getting used to his legs!
He's just such a nice cheerful guy to ride, and very energetic - apparently his top lip wiggles when he's concentrating which is very cute. If you ride him properly he goes properly (I know that should be common logic, but easier said than done!!) and we definitely had moments of that today. I'm having to be so strict with myself to be really, really soft with my hands, because if you give him ANYTHING to lean against, he will, and then you've lost him and you will be going a million miles an hour
Some pics:
Little bit of lengthening where he doesn't totally faceplant. His head looks huge in this one, poor soul.
Canter was unfortunately more like:
With moments of:
But we will get there, and canter is a million times better at home, it's just all a bit exciting in a new place with other horses. I need to keep his attention!
The pictures make me laugh because in some of them he looks dinky, and in others like a giant!
This would be one of the latter -
But yes, so pleased with him. Every time I ride him I feel he improves (definitely a reflection on his attitude rather than my riding) and that is just the best feeling in the world.
And the cripple <3 He's been going out in the arena because it's dry (farrier didn't want him going out in the field/lake until his foot had healed a bit) and although he spends most of the time eating the grass under the fence, there are moments of energy.
So I took Sims, and it was fantastic!! The instructor picked up on some habits I'd gotten into that were really easy to fix and made a huge difference instantly. Always a good start!
There were so many scary things going on, but he stayed so focused, such a good pony! Pip would have been a nervous wreck (a rider fell off in the lesson and loose horse started galloping about, horse in the field next door went crazy and had to be caught and brought in because it was threatening to jump out, and then got loose in the yard and was charging around) I'm not sure he even noticed
The main focus of the lesson was getting him to carry himself a bit better, and he's actually been very good recently (apart from canter which is still a bit dire) but I definitely noticed an improvement within the lesson. We did a lot of transitions within trot, shortening and lengthening his stride, which made a huge difference, and also lowering his frame and bringing him back up again.
He's still very unbalanced and green, but honestly he was so light in the hand for pretty much the whole time, I can't fault him. He's a bit of a tank, and goes in a gag for hacking/hunting/xc, so I was really pleased with the lightness! I think the leaning is a lack of balance, he's grown so much, I think he's still getting used to his legs!
He's just such a nice cheerful guy to ride, and very energetic - apparently his top lip wiggles when he's concentrating which is very cute. If you ride him properly he goes properly (I know that should be common logic, but easier said than done!!) and we definitely had moments of that today. I'm having to be so strict with myself to be really, really soft with my hands, because if you give him ANYTHING to lean against, he will, and then you've lost him and you will be going a million miles an hour
Some pics:
Little bit of lengthening where he doesn't totally faceplant. His head looks huge in this one, poor soul.
Canter was unfortunately more like:
With moments of:
But we will get there, and canter is a million times better at home, it's just all a bit exciting in a new place with other horses. I need to keep his attention!
The pictures make me laugh because in some of them he looks dinky, and in others like a giant!
This would be one of the latter -
But yes, so pleased with him. Every time I ride him I feel he improves (definitely a reflection on his attitude rather than my riding) and that is just the best feeling in the world.
And the cripple <3 He's been going out in the arena because it's dry (farrier didn't want him going out in the field/lake until his foot had healed a bit) and although he spends most of the time eating the grass under the fence, there are moments of energy.
