Monday 17 August 2009

Quick Update!

Went for a hack on Saturday and BOOHOO!! the fields are now ploughed! So not quite as much galloping as we had been doing! But we found a new track to go down and canter back YAY! And because she is SOOOO eager homeward bound we had a really lovely walk to canter transition :-)

This morning we rode in the indoor school. First circling in walk and asking for a bigger circle by leg yielding out to try and get that inside leg / outside rein connection. Then we did some trot work and on the right it was quite nice! But on the left it felt really rubbish - I had nothing in the outside rein at all and was falling into the trap of fussing with the inside rein. So I quit the trot work, got a long whip, put both reins inthe outside hand so I couldnt faff with the inside rein and worked on activating the inside hind with the whip until I felt her come into the outside rein give me an inside flexion without using the inside rein ;-) Once I had this, I did a little work in trot to get the same feeling - inside bend without the inside rein!
What a difference it makes - much better feel to it. So ended on a good note :-)

Must practice the one handed riding more often, the difference it makes is really obvious.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

One handed is a good idea - it does prevent the fussing - which I'm very prone to myself.

epona said...

I should do it more often! Often I dont even realise my unconscious nagging of the inside rein GRRRRR!!!! But today I realised what I was doing only because of the lack of feeling in the outside rein! It is a good way for me to remind myself of the feeling of a true connection from inside leg to outside hand ;-)

HorseOfCourse said...

Problem is that we do everything else in our life with our hands. It is not easy to let them be!

Cabruze said...

Another guilty inside-rein puller here!!! Wouldn't our horses be wonderful if only we could be perfect!! (haha!)

Cabruze said...

... and just on the offchance ... P clinic this Sunday!

epona said...

Ive got a 5K fun run this Sunday Jane!! ARRGHH!! I never seem to get to see Patrice!