Monday's Lesson
Right after work on Monday I went running to the barn to get to my 6PM lesson. I was presented with the pretty mare, Dede, who I promptly got clean and tacked up and waited a little while for the lady I was riding with to get her horse ready.
Once we were up I could see why the young beginner was struggling with the reins on Dede last week, she is strong and wants to pull you forward a bit. I had a pretty heavy contact when I first started and then she got lighter as time went on. Donna really likes the side to side motion with the bit, to get the horse "collected". It seems to work with her horses (she's trained both Dede and Magic) and I am sure she is very light and tactful while doing it but I just can't see how it helps when beginners or novices (me) are doing it.
I also must say that Dede does not know what to do when faced with a pole that is lifted several inches off the ground. She bunny hopped over a 5 inch pole when confronted with it twice and refused once. Again I can see why that beginner was having a problem the other night. My opinion is that someone with more skill should get on her and school her more over jumps rather than letting beginners hit her in the mouth every time she bunny hops over.
Ahh, but things are never the way we wish them to be are they? Besides, I am a horsey coddler and what do I know? : )
It felt pretty strange being up on a horse that actually wants to go as soon as you put on your leg. I think it made me a little nervous knowing that she hadn't been ridden all weekend and that I was the first one up on her all day. It made it hard for me to get that nice thigh contact when I was thinking about trying to get her to relax the whole time. Of course at the same time I was not wanting to put my leg on because it felt like she would shoot out from under me, I was thinking that I needed to get my leg on her and have some steady contact to reassure her. I think I was vascillating between the two extremes in the beginning but the more we trotted the better my leg felt and the calmer she became.
Donna is not the most organized of instructors. There doesn't really seem to be a progression of exercises but the exercises she does are interesting.
One exercise we did, she set up three cones in the shape of an L. Down the long side of the L we were to post the trot, then we were supposed to turn and sit the trot, and then we were supposed to stop right at the last cone. Not easy.
The other exercise/game we did, Donna set five cones equidistant from each other down the quarter line of the arena. I was positioned on one side facing the center of the arena and the other rider, Carolyn, was at the other. We were to weave, at the posting trot, through the cones, changing diagonals at each of the cones, meet at the center cone, and then come back through and do it again. It was pretty hard to keep track of diagonals, rate the speed just right to be able to meet Carolyn in the middle, and try to keep a nice even bend in the horse. Good grief, but it was fun!
So, even if she is not the most perfect instructor, there is plenty I can learn from her and I think I have some pretty good judgement for when her methods may not quite mesh with what I expect. Her horses seem happy and healthy, her set up is lovely, and I will make do with that for now : )
Once we were up I could see why the young beginner was struggling with the reins on Dede last week, she is strong and wants to pull you forward a bit. I had a pretty heavy contact when I first started and then she got lighter as time went on. Donna really likes the side to side motion with the bit, to get the horse "collected". It seems to work with her horses (she's trained both Dede and Magic) and I am sure she is very light and tactful while doing it but I just can't see how it helps when beginners or novices (me) are doing it.
I also must say that Dede does not know what to do when faced with a pole that is lifted several inches off the ground. She bunny hopped over a 5 inch pole when confronted with it twice and refused once. Again I can see why that beginner was having a problem the other night. My opinion is that someone with more skill should get on her and school her more over jumps rather than letting beginners hit her in the mouth every time she bunny hops over.
Ahh, but things are never the way we wish them to be are they? Besides, I am a horsey coddler and what do I know? : )
It felt pretty strange being up on a horse that actually wants to go as soon as you put on your leg. I think it made me a little nervous knowing that she hadn't been ridden all weekend and that I was the first one up on her all day. It made it hard for me to get that nice thigh contact when I was thinking about trying to get her to relax the whole time. Of course at the same time I was not wanting to put my leg on because it felt like she would shoot out from under me, I was thinking that I needed to get my leg on her and have some steady contact to reassure her. I think I was vascillating between the two extremes in the beginning but the more we trotted the better my leg felt and the calmer she became.
Donna is not the most organized of instructors. There doesn't really seem to be a progression of exercises but the exercises she does are interesting.
One exercise we did, she set up three cones in the shape of an L. Down the long side of the L we were to post the trot, then we were supposed to turn and sit the trot, and then we were supposed to stop right at the last cone. Not easy.
The other exercise/game we did, Donna set five cones equidistant from each other down the quarter line of the arena. I was positioned on one side facing the center of the arena and the other rider, Carolyn, was at the other. We were to weave, at the posting trot, through the cones, changing diagonals at each of the cones, meet at the center cone, and then come back through and do it again. It was pretty hard to keep track of diagonals, rate the speed just right to be able to meet Carolyn in the middle, and try to keep a nice even bend in the horse. Good grief, but it was fun!
So, even if she is not the most perfect instructor, there is plenty I can learn from her and I think I have some pretty good judgement for when her methods may not quite mesh with what I expect. Her horses seem happy and healthy, her set up is lovely, and I will make do with that for now : )
posted by shortround at 10:52 AM
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