Starting Again

[Surbie]

I have good news!......Today I got my leg over!!! ....ahem! sorry, I forgot myself!! What I mean is that I have conquered Mount Cantle!! Yayyy.....having had a great lesson on Big Beau I was convinced that it would end with the ridiculous spectacle of one leg caught on the cantle. On the never ending slide down to the ground I automatically assumed that my instructor had unhooked my right leg from the saddle but she was in front of me. All this must be very trivial to those of you who can jump on and off their nags with ease. So many apologies for boring you all...but it's made my day! I shall keep doing the exercises and battle on regardless!

So pleased to read this! Well done you! Hope Mount Cantle is still defeated. How is it going?

I have finally rebooked the mechanical horse for next week. Slightly nervous about what it will show. Taking your own saddle isn't something that would have crossed my mind, but it makes perfect sense. Top tip Tiddlypom.

I got my instructor to video me this week, and it's really helpful to see how I'm sitting and which bits are in the wrong place/move that shouldn't (bum sticking out, lower leg wiggling...)

 

[Rumtytum]

Good luck next week! Am really looking forward to your views.
I’ve had videos taken by my instructor, after the first viewing I always want to press ‘delete’ they look so bad, then the next day I try to be a bit more constructive. Wiggly lower legs - yes, know all about them ... and elbows sticking out too

 

[Surbie]

I really liked these - they are a series of very short clips (10-20 seconds) with my instructor outlining what I need to practise position-wise as my homework before I see her again. They show when I'm not doing what she thinks is ideal and when I am doing better so I can see the difference.

We pretty much stayed in walk the whole lesson (Archie loved it!) and despite that, the next day it was ouchy to walk upstairs.

 

[JenniD]

So pleased to read this! Well done you! Hope Mount Cantle is still defeated. How is it going?

I have finally rebooked the mechanical horse for next week. Slightly nervous about what it will show. Taking your own saddle isn't something that would have crossed my mind, but it makes perfect sense. Top tip Tiddlypom.

I got my instructor to video me this week, and it's really helpful to see how I'm sitting and which bits are in the wrong place/move that shouldn't (bum sticking out, lower leg wiggling...)

Sorry for late reply Surbie....not too bad with Mount Cantle...but not at all elegant! Had a bit of a shock on the way to lesson when a man and white van plus trailer nearly took off my wing mirror! I still had the lesson but I couldn't get it together and got a little flustered, but Beau was a gentleman as usual and seemed to sense I wasn't up to much. Hopefully next time I'll be back to normal! What does the mechanical horse feel like? Is it anything like the real thing? Looking forward to hearing about it. Good luck.

 

[Surbie]

After my big cob the simulator feels very skinny!

I did half the session with the dressage saddle fitted to the simulator and half with my GP saddle. I did a position test 3 times and some lessony-bits around that.

With the dressage saddle I am very obviously sitting to the right, not balanced and moving a lot front to back. My left hip is so stuck I find it almost impossible to sit centrally. On the first test I was sitting so far over that my left leg was on all the time and my right rein was used more than my right.

With the GP I sit straighter (though still to the right), reins are neutral and my legs aren't on, though there is still too much wobble front to back.

It was really interesting - am going again in a month or so.

 

[JenniD]

Wow..that simulator certainly picks up on the tiniest imperfection doesn't it? Do you think it's too fastidious? I would have thought that every human body is different regarding symmetry - and also horses! But it seems to be giving you answers and is helping you. It's food for thought isn't it? It's good that you're enjoying it, and I'll be interested to hear if it's paying dividends.

 

[Rumtytum]

Thanks for the comprehensive summary! Hope my instructor will be as in-depth as yours, sounds like money well spent. I really want to have a go but the website for my local one sends me off to a weird place... will have to take a drive over to the stables and book a session face to face.