Pram-pusher coming through!!!

[sherry90]

Hi.... Newbie here

I am a self-confessed lurker...I had been riding for around 10 years but at 22 years old I recently returned after a 5 year gap (college uni etc got in the way). I have loaned previously, worked in RS', schooled friends horses etc and mainly done alot of hacking but having non-horsey parents means that I have never owned my own.

I am now riding at a really good local RS who have a grading system that they will assess you against when you first have a lesson there, from grade 1 up to 6. I am currently working at grade 5/6 (elements of both) but I was originally assessed at grade 4 so I feel some improvement. Below are the grade guidelines just so you know what sort of things my weekly lessons entail:


Grade 5 – Flatwork

4 Loop serpentine
Increasing / Decreasing circles
20m circles in canter

Grade 6 – Flatwork

10m circles in walk
Increasing / Decreasing stride in trot
Canter without stirrups

I recently saw a picture of myself when I first started back almost a year ago and I was shocked at my hands
They were like motorbikers and I did not have the desired bend at the elbow.

Now I am not sure whether I am still doing this as I haven't a recent picture, but I have mainly been working on my seat, lower leg position, impulsion, working from the hindquarters, outline etc so perhaps with this my hands have improved?

I am conscious of keeping my contact but at the same time not also pulling at the mouth. I am guilty of giving too much over a jump for this very reason because I could not bare to sock poor horse in the mouth

What could I do to improve this awful habit??

Also as a side question: In your opinion you would class someone like myself as a novice? No particular reason for me asking, I will not be offended if anyone says yes, just a general musing.

 

[Shooting Star]

Hellooo & welcome!

No real advice to give, sounds like you've worked out what needs working on which is always a good start and personally I think there's nothing quite like getting a little bit of video of yourself every now and then if you can to be a bit of a mental reminder.

re. what's a novice, that's a pretty regular topic that comes up on the forum. Personally I'd still call myself a novice, I've owned horses for around 20 yrs now and had a bit of a go at all disciplines some affiliated, some not but the definition is different for everybody

 

[sherry90]

thanks for the welcome!
The only reason I ask re: novice is due to the fact I will in the near future be looking to buy my first horse and a lot of ads tend to state 'no novices'. I suppose like you say many definitions vary and the fact someone is stating that in their ad would mean the horse perhaps is not suitable for a first horse whether I was defined as a novice or not

I hope I know what I need to do to improve, I have a lesson tomorrow so I am going to funnel all my energy concentrating on the things I appear to have mastered whilst also honing in on my hands to keep them in check!