When the penny drops...

[milliepops]

Isn't it great? When the penny drops and you or the horse suddenly 'get' something? I think those eureka moments are hugely addictive It's what makes me pull on my jods on a soggy winter morning, what takes away the pain of the frozen toes and burning chillblains Was talking about it with another livery I was helping and we concluded that we're always leaping from one eureka to the next, chasing the next high

Had one this morning which has set me up for the day. A few times I've been sitting in a demo with young horses with my trainer and he's said to the rider that they need to 'teach the horse what it means to go in a straight line' or round a corner or whatever, because the young horse doesn't understand that as a concept, he's just freewheeling around the arena.
Yes, yes, nod, nod, it all makes sense doesn't it?

This morning I understood that with a new level of clarity Kira is doing well with her sideways, she is now competing medium and is happy with it all. But today I taught her how to do it properly she's been doing the moves, as in she has been moving off my leg, following my seat, bending as I've asked, but this morning I felt that she understood what a half pass really *was* as an abstract concept. The penny dropped and she started to take herself along in half pass independently when asked. It felt different to simple obedience I'd actually taught her what the exercise should be.

Duhhhh. Pennies dropped for both of us! I've never trained a horse quite like her, for the way she thinks about things - she grumbles about stuff until she learns the pattern and then she's so willing. Reminds me of myself as a child I hated doing things that I didn't understand properly. Really not one for anthropomorphism but she's SO different to Millie whose issue was really just one of submission.

Anyone else living for the eurekas?

 

[Casey76]

Yes absolutely.

The first time T "got" medium trot was a real Eureka moment. It wasn't just the lengthening of the gait, or the sit of the HQ or the lift of the shoulder, but the whole package in one perfect moment. It felt so amazing I could have cried.

Before our current hiatus we were really getting the idea of keeping a soft even contact on both reins, oh, and self carriage - no change of pace or carriage on g&r. I now hate figure-8s and serpentines with a passion after so many hours, but they are great exercises!

At the moment we had out last eureka just yesterday when T was really stretching down into the "bridle" *in canter* even though we were lunging in a normal flat headcollar. Hallelujah... miracles can happen!

My next eureka moment if going to be travers... at the moment I just can't coordinate my own hands and legs. Once I have my own eureka, I'm sure T will fid it much easier lol!

 

[tatty_v]

We are not as advanced in our schooling so the eureka moments tend to be more me than Spook, but yesterday we had such a lovely schooling session in which the penny dropped that if I didnt keep tipping to the inside and dropping my inside hand, we could ride a lovely 20m circle in trot on a consistent contact. He rewarded me with some medium walk without being rude, so win-win!

 

[HufflyPuffly]

I had a lovely moment yesterday, we managed to loose our flash before our test and actually our contact has improved so much it wasn't a big a deal as expected . In the last couple of weeks/ months our connection has come on so much but I'd not fully connected it with maybe we no longer need the flash :lol:.

 

[Under-the-radar]

Yes absolutely.

The first time T "got" medium trot was a real Eureka moment. It wasn't just the lengthening of the gait, or the sit of the HQ or the lift of the shoulder, but the whole package in one perfect moment. It felt so amazing I could have cried.

Before our current hiatus we were really getting the idea of keeping a soft even contact on both reins, oh, and self carriage - no change of pace or carriage on g&r. I now hate figure-8s and serpentines with a passion after so many hours, but they are great exercises!

At the moment we had out last eureka just yesterday when T was really stretching down into the "bridle" *in canter* even though we were lunging in a normal flat headcollar. Hallelujah... miracles can happen!

My next eureka moment if going to be travers... at the moment I just can't coordinate my own hands and legs. Once I have my own eureka, I'm sure T will fid it much easier lol!

After my last horse was very adamant that she couldn't extend her trot (except when trotting up towards the hunt kennels of course...), it is lovely to find with my younger horse that she *has* a medium trot! It is something that I work on a little bit when we are out hacking, but we hadn't done any work on lengthening in our lessons, as we have had such a job working on creating and maintaining the connection. Last weekend though - well we had our first bash at medium trot in a lesson.

For such a sensitive horse, she's been quite tricky to get moving forward off the leg easily - but when I asked her to lengthen - wow did she lengthen for me. Being a bit weak behind she has a tendency to widen behind at the moment, but she has the idea of what to do and it is so so so lovely! Trainer was suitable impressed with her ability to lengthen and how much she offered

Finally feels like all the hard work and dreadful lessons over the winter have been for something and she's going somewhere!

 

[crabbymare]

I used to get them but for some reason I always felt that the horse was almost saying sure I can do it and if you had got your act together and asked properly we aould have been there a lot sooner

 

[Bernster]

I read this earlier and thought, hmm, nowt I can add to this thread. Haven't really had any recent moments, probably because I've been a bit patchy in having lessons. And then bingo, not a eureka moment as such, but a light bulb moment in my lesson today. F is a bit behind the leg and lazy, and realised today that I nag him, my leg is on every stride and he's ignoring it ofc. Practised legs off today, and then giving a clear definite aid just once. And a tap of the whip if he didn't respond properly. Ofc it felt so much better, I didn't need to work as hard, and he worked harder. Duuuuuuuhhhhh. It'll take a while to crack that as it's clearly a habit but at least now I'm conscious of it.

 

[scats]

Diva massively struggles with her canter in the school because, for something that is only 14h, she eats the school up with these absolutely humongous canter strides (relatively small school doesn't help), trying to get her to sit back on he really hocks and not charge off has been a real issue.

This week, something just clicked and she gave me some of the nicest canter work I have ever felt. No doubt on Monday at our instructors, she will revert back!