Lesson yesterday

[Kelly1982]

Just thought i would bore you all some more with my lesson report

Well the day started badly!!! Got up late so rushed down the yard, fed horses etc only to find my friend had got up even later so we was running an hour behind

Through horses on box where Senza proceeded to head butt me and stamp on my foot

Then we hit a massive diversion and was running half hour late so decided to ring my instructor. Luckily she hadn't realised the clocks had gone forward

so we ended up being early in the end as she put all her lessons back an hour.

Tacked up and Senza warmed up really nicely, i need to keep more contact in my outside rein though and push her into the bridle more as she is not using her back end properly

Anyway onto the jumping, my instructor put up some grids for us with lots of poles and i really thought Senza would struggle as we dont do a lot of pole work (lack of jumps at home) but after a couple of times she really got the hang of it and was jumping lovely. We was jumping 1mtr Oxers by the end and i know this doesn't sound that big or anything but considering she was continually knocking 2'9 the other week i really feel this is a major improvement. She was really using her shoulders and back and giving the jumps loads of room.

My instructor actually said though that i wasn't chucking my reins at her, i was holding her back to much causing her to fight against me and rush

therefore she wasn't using her shoulders or back end cause she was thinking about getting away from me rather than the jump!!! She said that she thinks the Myler is a bit to sharpe for her and thats also what is causing this reaction so suggested i invest in a rubber bit and alternate the two and i have to sit as quietly as possible and let Senza do the work.

I have a strong feeling that her teeth are also a major issue here too so i have booked the dentist for Saturday and have order a rubber snaffle off of ebay to see how we get on.

Oh and on the way back as we pulled into the lane to the yard the horsebox ran out of diesel and we ended up rolling to the yard

How lucky was we that we wasn't still on the motor way!!

My friends dad didn't see the funny side though like me and my friend did

 

[Rambo]

Sounds like you had a very fruitful lesson....despite the mis-timing

Are you planning some follow-up lessons too ? I think you would both benefit from having someone on the ground for a while...and obviously someone with the facilities (and poles !) to do what you need

I can see why V's dad wouldn't be too happy about the diesel though....it costs a bit to bleed the system of air and get it restarted unless he knows what he's doing and can do it himself

 

[Kelly1982]

I am hoping to have a lesson once a month from now on, would love to have more but obvioulsy without my own transport i have to rely on others. If i cant get a lift anymore though then i have a few numbers of some instructors closer to home that i will try. Just want to stay with Lisa for now though as she has been giving me lessons from the start so knows what progression has been made etc.

Hopefully the 'summer jumps' should be coming out again soon so we will have more poles to play with

We have got a few poles in the school so i can make a grid but it may just have to be a smaller one for the time being.

Not sure if Vicky managed to get the box sorted as she rang her boyfriend to come and help so i left as there wasn't anything i could of done to help. I have emailed her this morning but she hasn't replied yet.

My OH knows how to do it though (he is a lorry fitter) so said he will do it for her for nothing if she hasn't managed to do it already.

 

[RobinHood]

Sounds like you had a very constructive lesson and definitley a good idea about the dentist.

I couldn't help but laugh when you said about running out of diesel. Much to my father's horror we have done it about 5 times (including on the motorway

) and every time we've shoved diesel in and it's worked without bleeding it, we must be very lucky

Hopefully your friend won't have too much trouble with hers.

 

[Tempi]

sounds like you had an eventful day!! Im glad she went well in your lesson tho x

 

[Kelly1982]

Dont think my friend is gonna be that lucky!!

They put diesel in it last night but it still wouldn't start so she has asked if my OH can do it for her.

It was funny though, just as we turned the corner it died and we rolled it all the way down the lane he he