Okay, my LouiseM report...

[kirstyhen]

If Ecrozier and NR99 are going to badger me that much, here you go

Moot and I (and MamaHen!) made the trek over to Baydale's yesterday for our lesson with LouiseM.

First of all I will say it was totally and utterly worth it, anyone who is having a lesson this week - Louise is lovely, manages to explain everything really well and pushes you without you ever feeling pushed!

We warmed up and I felt totally and utterly unable to ride! Moot is developing her Diva attitude more and more each day (we are renaming her Sasha Fierce, she has the booty, the 'fro and the 'tude!) and I seemed to have a brain fart moment! Louise wanted her to slow down and stretch her topline, which Mally thought seemed like much harder work than she actually wanted to do. We did make some progress, but it's something I need to work on everytime I ride, to push her out of her little box!

My lesson really worked on getting Mally to work in relaxtion, which was bloody hard work for me as I had to do as little as possible basically! I have (unwittingly I will add) been driving her far too much, so our canter has become very busy without actually getting anywhere. However I have always had and ridden (and preferred) big, thug horses that need bullying around, so for me to now have to sit still and let her do the work is rather unsettling, although when I 'got' it the difference was amazing!

We did the same exercises as Kerilli. I have to say the fences crept up rather more than I was expecting, which wasn't an issue for me when it was at the end of a 'grid' however the single big oxer did give me the willies, especially when I was having to 'do nothing' into it!!

When we got it right, Moot's jump just about clean knocked the wind out of me, her shoulders were about cracking me in the chest! It made me like this

See...

You can see her jumping better as I start waiting more instead of driving her along the row - again, I wasn't intentionally driving her, it would just seem I am a tad stronger than I thought!!

http://youtu.be/RyPQo_jq31Q

Massive thank you to Louisem, if she is ever this way again I will move heaven and earth to have another lesson with her! Also thanks to Baydale for letting us use her facilities (I've already told her I am coming to live with her!) and also Tarr Steps and Kerilli for being my PMA coaches

I am positive I have missed lots of stuff out, however I have spent the day riding and teaching in the sweltering heat, I am fairly sure my brain has turned to mush and been sweated out by now

 

[measles]

Sounds like a great lesson. Every time I see M she has improved and looks increasingly athletic. Once again, great production

 

[only_me]

Wow, cracking jump!
Looks like LousieM is fantastic and gives great lessons! Pity I live so far away!

 

[jess_asterix]

Getting rather excited about tomorrow now!!

moot looks cracking, check those shoulders out!!

 

[jenbleep]

OMFG that jump is as big as me! Well done, sounded like an excellent lesson

 

[NR99]

Finally

Ha ha, more videos I see the more I am looking forward to them being put through their paces on Friday. Louise's exercises are really interesting. Love that Mally is to renamed Sasha Fierce, bless her you need a bit of that for the background music in the next vid

WOW Baydales place is fab, what a great arena!

 

[kirstyhen]

Sounds like a great lesson. Every time I see M she has improved and looks increasingly athletic. Once again, great production

It really was, in someways totally different to my lessons with JB, but a lot of was down the same route. Thank you, I am very proud of her

Wow, cracking jump!
Looks like LousieM is fantastic and gives great lessons! Pity I live so far away!

She really does! Maybe she'll do an Irish leg of her tour

Getting rather excited about tomorrow now!!

moot looks cracking, check those shoulders out!!

It was fab I was extremely jealous of those that got to have another lesson with her today!

OMFG that jump is as big as me! Well done, sounded like an excellent lesson

Which is why you need Tarr Steps and Kerrilli on the Ground putting the Jumps up and down, the pair of them are tall enough to make most fences look small

Finally

Ha ha, more videos I see the more I am looking forward to them being put through their paces on Friday. Louise's exercises are really interesting. Love that Mally is to renamed Sasha Fierce, bless her you need a bit of that for the background music in the next vid

WOW Baydales place is fab, what a great arena!

I should imagine Pig and R will have similar things to work on to Moot and I!
Single Ladies may be the sound track to her life...

Baydale's place is amazing, I didn't want to leave, her arena is gorgeous!

 

[KatB]

Looks fab! what are the distances on the grid? doesnt look the same as the exercise I saw...!

 

[Lolo]

Love Mally, she's a cracker And your position... So jealous- you're textbook!!

Mum and I are about 5'1, so when we put fences up they look much bigger. Maybe we need stilts?!

 

[kirstyhen]

Looks fab! what are the distances on the grid? doesnt look the same as the exercise I saw...!

Kerilli was straight after me and I don't think they changed the distances, although I could be wrong, so the same as in her post (13.1 yards I think she said)

Love Mally, she's a cracker And your position... So jealous- you're textbook!!

Mum and I are about 5'1, so when we put fences up they look much bigger. Maybe we need stilts?!

Thank you

My OH is 6ft4, when he does my jumps they end up ginormous before I realise! However my friend is tiny, so she can put a 1m fence up for me and I think it looks unjumpable

 

[ecrozier]

Sasha Fierce!! Brilliant!
She looks great hope I can get a pic like that out of my lesson on Thurs!

 

[KatB]

Hm, that was Kerrillis exercise today, which was much smaller fences so not sure would be right with the pole on landing...will ask Louise! :-D thank you though.

 

[dafthoss]

Ha so thats my problem I only have short people to put fences up

Moot looks fab as always but I think if louisem puts the fences up that big for us we will go under them .

 

[kirstyhen]

Sasha Fierce!! Brilliant!
She looks great hope I can get a pic like that out of my lesson on Thurs!

I hope everyone enjoys their lessons as much as I did.

Hm, that was Kerrillis exercise today, which was much smaller fences so not sure would be right with the pole on landing...will ask Louise! :-D thank you though.

Yep, I just looked, like I said, it's been a LONG day! TS said the sheet said 14m to 14m but they pushed them out a bit and 'may' have been 15m to 15m. The pole on landing was to get Mally to stretch the first stride so I could wait the last two rather than a short first stride and drive the last two.

Ha so thats my problem I only have short people to put fences up

Moot looks fab as always but I think if louisem puts the fences up that big for us we will go under them .

That is clearly your problem! We did go around one at one point, but that was my hideous turn and line rather than anything else

 

[SW3]

That oxer is mahusive, but your position is fantastic over it (and your Mally is really lovely too)! Thanks so much for the fab report.... really looking forward to our lesson with Louise on Fri (and hope we are up to the challenges ahead!)

 

[alwaysbroke]

K you put me to shame jumping that big! thank goodness Louise kept them smaller for daughter and me, although it sounds like we worked on very much the same things, stretching the top line, Lydi's and I relaxing and not driving 2 strides out, sitting and waiting, such a difference in both our horses, I have never seen Ls mare so relaxed jumping a course, Louise really got the measure of all 4 of us, I would quite happily get up at 4.45 to get to another lesson with her.
This has been a really good example of what a nice place this forum can be, Baydale letting us all invade her yard, Tarrsteps being amazing to talk to, could have spent hours listening to her, catching up with Kerilli, and Louise's teaching techniques, just sorry I didn't get more time to chat to/say and watch your lesson

 

[kirstyhen]

That oxer is mahusive, but your position is fantastic over it (and your Mally is really lovely too)! Thanks so much for the fab report.... really looking forward to our lesson with Louise on Fri (and hope we are up to the challenges ahead!)

You will be! I think Louise is a cracking judge of where to set the challenge.

K you put me to shame jumping that big! thank goodness Louise kept them smaller for daughter and me, although it sounds like we worked on very much the same things, stretching the top line, Lydi's and I relaxing and not driving 2 strides out, sitting and waiting, such a difference in both our horses, I have never seen Ls mare so relaxed jumping a course, Louise really got the measure of all 4 of us, I would quite happily get up at 4.45 to get to another lesson with her.
This has been a really good example of what a nice place this forum can be, Baydale letting us all invade her yard, Tarrsteps being amazing to talk to, could have spent hours listening to her, catching up with Kerilli, and Louise's teaching techniques, just sorry I didn't get more time to chat to/say and watch your lesson

I think L realised that Mally was a bit of a cocky cow and needed something to make her work!
Next time (hoping L will come again!) I will work on the boss and see if we can organise something at our yard, bit closer for us then! Was nice to see you fleetingly, although I never did get any Rocky Road in the end, by the time I'd finished riding all I could think of was drinking (water I hasten to add!) glad you had such a good lesson and I hope it helps Lydi on sunday.

How are Luna and E?

 

[JFTDWS]

wow, that picture is perfection sounds like a very worthwhile lesson!

 

[alwaysbroke]

Next time (hoping L will come again!) I will work on the boss and see if we can organise something at our yard, bit closer for us then! Was nice to see you fleetingly, although I never did get any Rocky Road in the end, by the time I'd finished riding all I could think of was drinking (water I hasten to add!) glad you had such a good lesson and I hope it helps Lydi on sunday.

How are Luna and E?

That sounds a fab idea, hope your boss agrees!
That not fair not getting any Rocky Road, promise to make you some next time it looks like we could get together.
E was bit down today, worried about Luna having the laser treatment, he perked up no end when she came home this evening, but did make me laugh, he knows she will be off work for a while, so has asked when he can sit on D

 

[TarrSteps]

Sorry, I think I'm responsible for the lack of rocky road, I just popped it in the tackroom, safe for Baydale's return. Someone should have said!

I did laugh at your comment about listening to me all day, ab! There is a chorus of people rolling their eyes . . .

 

[Scarlett]

Thank you for putting a report up - looking forward to my session now

 

[KatB]

KH, that makes more sense, thank you! Im another one who looks forward to Louises next visit!

 

[Tempi]

Mally looks great - how old is she now? I remember when you were first starting out with her.

 

[Nats_uk]

Looking fantastic Would love to get a lesson next time Louise visits

 

[jules89]

what a jump! phwoar!

 

[kirstyhen]

wow, that picture is perfection sounds like a very worthwhile lesson!

It really was! I schooled her this morning keeping everything in mind and she was much nicer, her trot was totally different!

That sounds a fab idea, hope your boss agrees!
That not fair not getting any Rocky Road, promise to make you some next time it looks like we could get together.
E was bit down today, worried about Luna having the laser treatment, he perked up no end when she came home this evening, but did make me laugh, he knows she will be off work for a while, so has asked when he can sit on D

It will probably mean a bit more expensive unfortunately, she doesn't like to hire the school out usually, but hopefully I can sell the idea to her!
Bless him, hope Luna bounces back as quickly as ours did and he can get back riding her.

Sorry, I think I'm responsible for the lack of rocky road, I just popped it in the tackroom, safe for Baydale's return. Someone should have said!

I did laugh at your comment about listening to me all day, ab! There is a chorus of people rolling their eyes . . .

Don't worry, like i said, when I got off all i could think of was water! Serious dry mouth, food was last on my list!

Thank you for putting a report up - looking forward to my session now

Have fun

KH, that makes more sense, thank you! Im another one who looks forward to Louises next visit!

Hopefully we haven't scared her off this time!

Mally looks great - how old is she now? I remember when you were first starting out with her.

She is a big girl 6 now, with the attitude to match

Looking fantastic Would love to get a lesson next time Louise visits

Thank you, they are well worth it!

what a jump! phwoar!

I know

 

[dressagecrazy]

She looks fab, love that pic.

Sounds like you got a lot out of your session with Louise.

 

[kirstyhen]

It's a great picture of her I love it too

I got a lot out of it, mainly about how my big lanky body affects my riding!!

 

[Princess Jess]

Wow sounds like an amazing lesson...that fence is HUGE but Mally made it look easy
You should definately get that picture blown up and put on a canvas, its lovely

 

[Worried1]

Blimey that's a fence and a half! Fab front end!!!!