Annagain
Well-Known Member
I have owned Archie for 5 years. Before I had him all he'd done was hunt and although I've ridden for years I had a very fizzy but easy been there done that pony. When I was 16 I thought I was amazing (i wasn't, he was) but uni, then an old pony by the time I finished who could only hack meant I had 10 years of not doing much. Then when I got Arch I realised how bad I was!
He's never been easy, never quite got going in circles and would put in filthy stops when jumping and can get very upset if he doesn't understand things. He's also very very strong. But he's also fab in traffic and a pleasure to hack which is the only reason he stayed. That and being so soppy that he would be very hard to say goodbye to
18 months ago he went lame, some of might remember his saga. Basically he has very poor foot conformation which has caused all sorts of problems but thankfully no changes to bones. He had 6 months in the field and came back into work last November. Since then he's just hacked, which has made him much less tense in general and he's a much happier horse, as I think he's not expecting things to hurt like they used to, but recently he's shown signs of being a bit bored so I was thinking I'd try doing a bit more with him.
I've been sharing a friend's gent of a horse who I compete. He's restored my confidence after Arch knocked it, through no fault if his own bless him. M had a hard day yesterday doing a ODE with his owner, and I had a lesson booked today which I'd forgotten about until this morning- too late to cancel, so I decided to bite the bullet and ride Arch instead on Monty. This was A's first time in the school for 18 months and my first flat lesson on him for about 2 1/2 years. My instructor has only taught me on M but watched A for five minutes and then asked me if I was happy to take my stirrups away. Gulp. In 5 years I've never ridden A without stirrups, I've always been too worried he would react badly and I'd never stop him and would get bounced off. I said I'd give it a go but that I'd never done it before. We started with a few strides, then a few more, then half a circle. By the end of the lesson we were cantering figures of 8 with simple changes, all without stirrups, all calmly and even in a decent outline most of the time. I can't believe how happy it has nDe me. He was a real star.
I admitted to my instructor that I suppose I've always been a bit hard on him, thinking he can't do it and half the reason is that I lack confidence in my own ability to teach him things. As he hadn't done anything lke this before I had him and I taught him what he knows now, it can't possibly be any good
It didn't help that my old instructor spent years telling me he was a thug and too strong for me. Then I knew he wasn't a thug but thought he was in too much pain so. didn't ask him to do it, but tonight it just felt like the brain and body were both ready for it. I still can't believe we did a whole hour without stirrups. It's such a small thing to most people but I am so proud of him...and me.
Won't be able to move in the morning though.
He's never been easy, never quite got going in circles and would put in filthy stops when jumping and can get very upset if he doesn't understand things. He's also very very strong. But he's also fab in traffic and a pleasure to hack which is the only reason he stayed. That and being so soppy that he would be very hard to say goodbye to
18 months ago he went lame, some of might remember his saga. Basically he has very poor foot conformation which has caused all sorts of problems but thankfully no changes to bones. He had 6 months in the field and came back into work last November. Since then he's just hacked, which has made him much less tense in general and he's a much happier horse, as I think he's not expecting things to hurt like they used to, but recently he's shown signs of being a bit bored so I was thinking I'd try doing a bit more with him.
I've been sharing a friend's gent of a horse who I compete. He's restored my confidence after Arch knocked it, through no fault if his own bless him. M had a hard day yesterday doing a ODE with his owner, and I had a lesson booked today which I'd forgotten about until this morning- too late to cancel, so I decided to bite the bullet and ride Arch instead on Monty. This was A's first time in the school for 18 months and my first flat lesson on him for about 2 1/2 years. My instructor has only taught me on M but watched A for five minutes and then asked me if I was happy to take my stirrups away. Gulp. In 5 years I've never ridden A without stirrups, I've always been too worried he would react badly and I'd never stop him and would get bounced off. I said I'd give it a go but that I'd never done it before. We started with a few strides, then a few more, then half a circle. By the end of the lesson we were cantering figures of 8 with simple changes, all without stirrups, all calmly and even in a decent outline most of the time. I can't believe how happy it has nDe me. He was a real star.
I admitted to my instructor that I suppose I've always been a bit hard on him, thinking he can't do it and half the reason is that I lack confidence in my own ability to teach him things. As he hadn't done anything lke this before I had him and I taught him what he knows now, it can't possibly be any good
It didn't help that my old instructor spent years telling me he was a thug and too strong for me. Then I knew he wasn't a thug but thought he was in too much pain so. didn't ask him to do it, but tonight it just felt like the brain and body were both ready for it. I still can't believe we did a whole hour without stirrups. It's such a small thing to most people but I am so proud of him...and me.Won't be able to move in the morning though.
