LiffWee93
Well-Known Member
It been ages since we have managed to post anything here 
(last time was december)
We havent been up to a humungous amount, lack of facilities and daylight and dry ground stopped play for a good while!
January she had a week off, then lots of in hand work as that was all that the ground would allow, working on making her more responsive to sideways aids and more supple through her body, this has paid off in dividends for the ridden work! Alongside hacking at the weekend..
Half way through the month she tweaked something in her back, cue massage and lots of stretches and paranoia from me to make her okay! No riding for a week again, just gentle inhand stretches and a hack at the end..
The next week, got on to take her down to the school, heading down the road and she slipped on the ice and we both hit the deck
carried on down to the school and she was a little stiff so just walked and trotted her off, no lameness luckily... cue more massage, stretches and in hand work...
We were booked in for dressage at wellington the following weekend, lola seemed fine to ride, if requiring a little more warm up that normal, so we headed off just to have a ride through novice 39 and get her back in the boards. It was far from perfect, very safe and a bit stuffy, but we made it through it and didnt come last!! 62.95 and 5th in a low scoring class, so not bad considering all the issues! no pics as all on video..
pic of the makeshift plait i had to do on her horrifically thick new forest mane!
After this, we have spent the rest of the winter hacking and school hiring!
Had a lesson with a new instructor at the end of january, and although lola was very through by the end of it, i really couldnt get on with how backward she was having me ride lola, the week following we school hired using the same techniques and she just felt awful in the contact, evasive and horribly bunched up behind...
after which i had a major wobble thinking i had ruined her, we werent ever going to do well even at novice and we were just wasting our time, i cant ride so we should just stick to hacking and not push lola into doing dressage when she finds it hard ... along with the fact the darkness was never ending and i was having to just in hand or do tiny sessions in the field and just hack at the weekends meant i ended up in quite a rut..
so she had another week off while i toyed with the idea giving up..
Got back on and took her for a hack and she was sweet but soooo bunched up again so we have now started her on a vitamin e and selenium supplement, and its changed her all over!!
loads more in hand work and hacking getting her moving along and me sitting quieter working on her sharpness
then on to another lesson with another new instructor to the area .... has ridden to gp. By golly it was a revalation! for the first time ever i was allowed to ride lola FORWARD (because she doesnt rush as much any more) I rode awfully the whole session and just kept cramping for no reason, so i didnt get as much good work as i was hoping, but i REALLY rated this guys approach, and well, this is just a couple pictures of lola from the lesson compared to the last outing..
he also said he reckons lola could go out and do an easy elementary now, which was nice to feel supported in that way, despite having had such a bad time recentlyy..
Well, that lesson kicked my bum into gear and since then its all been positive!!
Lola went for a run at the gallops!
again, loads more hacking between things..
Then off for more school hire last weekend!
I am SO chuffed with these pics, again, far from perfect, but this new way of riding i think really works for us! im able to sit quieter, not over think things and just ride FORWARD, half halt, FORWARD!
over the moon with the progress already! So much so im contemplating having a go at an elementary in this half of the year..
more hacking, then yesterday, i was feeling awful and just wanted a sort sweet ride, so popped down to the school, which we have avoided all winter as its been so deep, and just played around with transitions, particularly walk/canter canter/walk, which we both really struggle with! she does them better if i dont over think things, as i tend to tense up and block her resulting in a joggy tense transition down, but i was working hard and yesterday we had a couple of passable ones! definitely better than previous and the upwards were a lot sharper ended up popping some jumps for the first proper time all winter (that wasnt logs and ditches out hacking!)
she was wicked!
So our next plans are a last minute entry to some dressage to music on the 19th, then out school hiring on the 22nd, then im off to canada for two weeks while a friend keeps lola ticking for me, she will have a massage also, then we have a lesson when i get back, then the week after we have the Novice Champs at Wellington Riding, so im hoping we go out and can at least scrape 65 %
all feeling positive at the moment!!
sorry this has been long and the pictures are huge!!
(last time was december)We havent been up to a humungous amount, lack of facilities and daylight and dry ground stopped play for a good while!
January she had a week off, then lots of in hand work as that was all that the ground would allow, working on making her more responsive to sideways aids and more supple through her body, this has paid off in dividends for the ridden work! Alongside hacking at the weekend..
Half way through the month she tweaked something in her back, cue massage and lots of stretches and paranoia from me to make her okay! No riding for a week again, just gentle inhand stretches and a hack at the end..
The next week, got on to take her down to the school, heading down the road and she slipped on the ice and we both hit the deck
carried on down to the school and she was a little stiff so just walked and trotted her off, no lameness luckily... cue more massage, stretches and in hand work...
We were booked in for dressage at wellington the following weekend, lola seemed fine to ride, if requiring a little more warm up that normal, so we headed off just to have a ride through novice 39 and get her back in the boards. It was far from perfect, very safe and a bit stuffy, but we made it through it and didnt come last!! 62.95 and 5th in a low scoring class, so not bad considering all the issues! no pics as all on video..
pic of the makeshift plait i had to do on her horrifically thick new forest mane!
After this, we have spent the rest of the winter hacking and school hiring!
Had a lesson with a new instructor at the end of january, and although lola was very through by the end of it, i really couldnt get on with how backward she was having me ride lola, the week following we school hired using the same techniques and she just felt awful in the contact, evasive and horribly bunched up behind...
after which i had a major wobble thinking i had ruined her, we werent ever going to do well even at novice and we were just wasting our time, i cant ride so we should just stick to hacking and not push lola into doing dressage when she finds it hard ... along with the fact the darkness was never ending and i was having to just in hand or do tiny sessions in the field and just hack at the weekends meant i ended up in quite a rut..
so she had another week off while i toyed with the idea giving up..
Got back on and took her for a hack and she was sweet but soooo bunched up again
so we have now started her on a vitamin e and selenium supplement, and its changed her all over!! loads more in hand work and hacking getting her moving along and me sitting quieter working on her sharpness
then on to another lesson with another new instructor to the area .... has ridden to gp. By golly it was a revalation! for the first time ever i was allowed to ride lola FORWARD (because she doesnt rush as much any more) I rode awfully the whole session and just kept cramping for no reason, so i didnt get as much good work as i was hoping, but i REALLY rated this guys approach, and well, this is just a couple pictures of lola from the lesson compared to the last outing..
he also said he reckons lola could go out and do an easy elementary now, which was nice to feel supported in that way, despite having had such a bad time recentlyy..
Well, that lesson kicked my bum into gear and since then its all been positive!!
Lola went for a run at the gallops!
again, loads more hacking between things..
Then off for more school hire last weekend!
I am SO chuffed with these pics, again, far from perfect, but this new way of riding i think really works for us! im able to sit quieter, not over think things and just ride FORWARD, half halt, FORWARD!
over the moon with the progress already! So much so im contemplating having a go at an elementary in this half of the year..
more hacking, then yesterday, i was feeling awful and just wanted a sort sweet ride, so popped down to the school, which we have avoided all winter as its been so deep, and just played around with transitions, particularly walk/canter canter/walk, which we both really struggle with! she does them better if i dont over think things, as i tend to tense up and block her resulting in a joggy tense transition down, but i was working hard and yesterday we had a couple of passable ones! definitely better than previous and the upwards were a lot sharper
ended up popping some jumps for the first proper time all winter (that wasnt logs and ditches out hacking!)
she was wicked!
So our next plans are a last minute entry to some dressage to music on the 19th, then out school hiring on the 22nd, then im off to canada for two weeks while a friend keeps lola ticking for me, she will have a massage also, then we have a lesson when i get back, then the week after we have the Novice Champs at Wellington Riding, so im hoping we go out and can at least scrape 65 %
all feeling positive at the moment!!
sorry this has been long and the pictures are huge!!
