Thelwell_Girl
Well-Known Member
Had two FAB lessons today!
First lesson:
Bonnie Coblet's Version!
"I was absolutely horrid to TG today
I did NOT want to bend to the right and was being very willfull and mean to her. It was great fun! Eventually I realised how amazing and wonderful TG is, so I was a teensy bit good 
TG also took me into a very small person's lesson, to show her TROTTING YAY!
Then she gave me a banana and I hit her in the face"
My Version:
Got to the yard and found I was on my beloved So off I toddled to the indoor, beastly pony in hand, to begin the lesson!
Hopped on, spent aaaages fiddling with my stirrups and started warming up. Now, today we had a new instructor teach us, Z. She's lovely, and enjoys shouting and doing small dances when the occasion calls.
Bonnie was SUCH a cow! She was being all moody, deciding that no she was NOT going to bend nicely to the right, she just thought that tanking off with me to the back of the ride was WAY more fun. So, we had to trot past the ride, get into canter, and canter past the ride and rejoin the back. GAH!!! She just did not want to play nice, she was being so horrid
However, I got her moving, turning her away from the others, and not letting her go back till she bloomin well did what I said!
Apparently, my instructor was heard shouting "LEGS REINS LEGS REEEEEINS LEEEEGS!!!" from the office!
(Cavblacks and Yunalesca know how far that is!)
EVENTUALLY she decided to behave, and we got some good work out of the naughty pony. We even got to show off a bit, and went into one of the little one's lesson to demonstrate how to trot!
Then we played a few games, Red Light Green Light didnt go so well, specially as Id had my stirrups taken away... Then, because I failed, had to do round the world I didnt fall off, so I guess thats good
All in all, a difficult lesson, but rewarding at the end! And I love the new instructor, shes so nice, and ever so slighty mad, but hey, the best ones are!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Helpers Lesson:
Because there weren't many helper's today, and there was some confusion with the timetable, I wasnt originally going to have a helper's lesson. However, they did manage to squeeze me into a group in the afternoon, so thank you Sue!
We had L for our instructor. Now, she's really tough on me, but I need that to help me get my ass in gear. She was a bit hard on me at the beginning, but it got better!
I was on lovely fatty boy coblet, Albert Now, I love this lad, hes soo comfy, but has the weirdest canter EVER! Its all, "LOOOK AT MEE!! I AM HANDSOME! Watch as I toss my head in the air like I just dont care, and almost passage cos im JUST THAT COOL!". Yes, that really is what his canter's like!
Steering did go a bit funny at time, and I was the most experienced rider there, so found it a bit hard when i kept on almost running over small people when they couldnt keep an active walk or trot, but I do understand, as I have been there (not THAT long ago...)
Albert was going so well! Lovely active trot, though my stirrups felt uneven/too short so Ill work on that, as I know it'll help me get my legs in the right place. His canter (see previous description!) is weird, but mysteriously comfy, and we had much better steering in canter than I had with Bonnie earlier! Absolutely FLEW down the long sides, he was really going for it Think I need to work on just giving with my hands in canter though, and not wiggling my shoulders oddly
And theeeeeeen.... We had our stirrups taken away again!
Now, I was apprehensive. I never really seem to 'get' trot without stirrups, or sitting trot in general, without ending up in the sand
However today was different We did LOADS of trot sans stirrups, and I didnt fall of once! I remembered the HHO-ers advice, let my hips open, legs hang long and soft, pretended my feet were super heavy etc, and by HECK we did it! I still had a handful of mane to anchor me, but I could actually steer and did try to have periods without holding onto mane. It was GREAT!
AT the end of the lesson, L spoke to us individually. When she came to me, she said "I really like the way you ride him. You dont let him get away with anything!" and she even used me as an example, saying how because I was hard on him, he went better, i.e. didnt just flibble about with my whip, actually used my legs, and all of this helped get him going nicely. I was so happy These comments mean a lot to me, especially from her, as I know how tough she can be!
All in all, two fab lessons, and wouldnt ya know, Albie even broke a sweat bless him
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Right, now for the optimism about next week!
I know Ive been piddling around about it, worrying and being silly. Well, I am READY! Ive asked if i can canter in the field while the others do XC (Bonnie might be taken for the XC!), and hopefully there will be a horse I can do this on. If there isn't, this is NOT the end of the world, I will be a fab fence judge, and soak up all that I see, and watch the other riders. We get our dressage test on Tuesday, and have to do it THE NEXT DAY! I am worried, but I'll try my best, and if I really struggle remembering, Im sure I can drag someone in to call the test to me!
I am worried about the jumping, but Im gonna work my flippin bum off, and work on relaxing, having a good leg position, and just going with the movement and staying balanced. There will of course be tons of pics!
~
Thank you guys for all your help, advice and kicks up the backside I need them!
I will keep you all updated as to how it goes. There's gonna be some early starts and some laaate finishes
You are all fab!
TG xx
First lesson:
Bonnie Coblet's Version!
"I was absolutely horrid to TG today
I did NOT want to bend to the right and was being very willfull and mean to her. It was great fun! Eventually I realised how amazing and wonderful TG is, so I was a teensy bit good TG also took me into a very small person's lesson, to show her TROTTING YAY!Then she gave me a banana and I hit her in the face
"My Version:
Got to the yard and found I was on my beloved
So off I toddled to the indoor, beastly pony in hand, to begin the lesson!Hopped on, spent aaaages fiddling with my stirrups and started warming up. Now, today we had a new instructor teach us, Z. She's lovely, and enjoys shouting and doing small dances when the occasion calls.
Bonnie was SUCH a cow! She was being all moody, deciding that no she was NOT going to bend nicely to the right, she just thought that tanking off with me to the back of the ride was WAY more fun. So, we had to trot past the ride, get into canter, and canter past the ride and rejoin the back. GAH!!! She just did not want to play nice, she was being so horrid
However, I got her moving, turning her away from the others, and not letting her go back till she bloomin well did what I said!Apparently, my instructor was heard shouting "LEGS REINS LEGS REEEEEINS LEEEEGS!!!" from the office!
(Cavblacks and Yunalesca know how far that is!)EVENTUALLY she decided to behave, and we got some good work out of the naughty pony. We even got to show off a bit, and went into one of the little one's lesson to demonstrate how to trot!
Then we played a few games, Red Light Green Light didnt go so well, specially as Id had my stirrups taken away... Then, because I failed, had to do round the world
I didnt fall off, so I guess thats good All in all, a difficult lesson, but rewarding at the end! And I love the new instructor, shes so nice, and ever so slighty mad, but hey, the best ones are!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Helpers Lesson:
Because there weren't many helper's today, and there was some confusion with the timetable, I wasnt originally going to have a helper's lesson. However, they did manage to squeeze me into a group in the afternoon, so thank you Sue!
We had L for our instructor. Now, she's really tough on me, but I need that to help me get my ass in gear. She was a bit hard on me at the beginning, but it got better!
I was on lovely fatty boy coblet, Albert
Now, I love this lad, hes soo comfy, but has the weirdest canter EVER! Its all, "LOOOK AT MEE!! I AM HANDSOME! Watch as I toss my head in the air like I just dont care, and almost passage cos im JUST THAT COOL!". Yes, that really is what his canter's like!Steering did go a bit funny at time, and I was the most experienced rider there, so found it a bit hard when i kept on almost running over small people when they couldnt keep an active walk or trot, but I do understand, as I have been there (not THAT long ago...
)Albert was going so well! Lovely active trot, though my stirrups felt uneven/too short so Ill work on that, as I know it'll help me get my legs in the right place. His canter (see previous description!) is weird, but mysteriously comfy, and we had much better steering in canter than I had with Bonnie earlier! Absolutely FLEW down the long sides, he was really going for it
Think I need to work on just giving with my hands in canter though, and not wiggling my shoulders oddly And theeeeeeen.... We had our stirrups taken away again!
Now, I was apprehensive. I never really seem to 'get' trot without stirrups, or sitting trot in general, without ending up in the sand
However today was different
We did LOADS of trot sans stirrups, and I didnt fall of once! I remembered the HHO-ers advice, let my hips open, legs hang long and soft, pretended my feet were super heavy etc, and by HECK we did it! I still had a handful of mane to anchor me, but I could actually steer and did try to have periods without holding onto mane. It was GREAT! AT the end of the lesson, L spoke to us individually. When she came to me, she said "I really like the way you ride him. You dont let him get away with anything!" and she even used me as an example, saying how because I was hard on him, he went better, i.e. didnt just flibble about with my whip, actually used my legs, and all of this helped get him going nicely. I was so happy
These comments mean a lot to me, especially from her, as I know how tough she can be!All in all, two fab lessons, and wouldnt ya know, Albie even broke a sweat bless him
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Right, now for the optimism about next week!
I know Ive been piddling around about it, worrying and being silly. Well, I am READY! Ive asked if i can canter in the field while the others do XC (Bonnie might be taken for the XC!
), and hopefully there will be a horse I can do this on. If there isn't, this is NOT the end of the world, I will be a fab fence judge, and soak up all that I see, and watch the other riders. We get our dressage test on Tuesday, and have to do it THE NEXT DAY! I am worried, but I'll try my best, and if I really struggle remembering, Im sure I can drag someone in to call the test to me!I am worried about the jumping, but Im gonna work my flippin bum off, and work on relaxing, having a good leg position, and just going with the movement and staying balanced. There will of course be tons of pics!
~
Thank you guys for all your help, advice and kicks up the backside
I need them!I will keep you all updated as to how it goes. There's gonna be some early starts and some laaate finishes
You are all fab!
TG xx
Or so my instructor says to me, just me mind you!!
