May 6th
I had a 1/2 hour jump lesson with Erin the day after the jumper show which went not how I thought. He jumped clear with no refusals or rails at the show but the quality and rhythm just wasn't how it usually is. Luckily all the jumps were still up. Our warm up was okay but didn't feel perfect. We began with a small course just of cross rails so we could just work on the canter and rhythm. He was pretty good but we werefocusing of details so we kept doing it over and over until it was perfect. We then did many different courses at around 2'6. I was told to push him for the closer distance which was difficult for me since in my head I would collect for the close distance. I was frustrated because the tempo seemed fast and Carino took me asking for a bigger more ground covering stride as me asking for the long distance. There was good and bad moments. Not our best but just a lot of changes and details to figure out.
May 13th
I had an hour flat group lesson. Warm up was great and so was our warm up in front of Erin where it was great to hear her say our canter improved and was much better. So I knew my week of just dressage paid off. We worked on the walk and we spent the majority of the rest of the ride on shoulder in. Jenn the other rider was just learning shoulder in but Carino and I have been doing it for some time but it can become a difficulty for us at times. The shoulder in work resulted in me finally coming to the realization that I try and ask to much. I focus and ask for too much angle which lowers the quality of my shoulder in or just turns it into not shoulder in at all. So I finally after maybe a year began to focus less on the angle and more on the bend and him staying forward and not becoming tight or losing the rhythm. Still a concept that I will have to work on mentally though.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
April Lessons
April.19th
This lesson was a group xc school with about 4 other horse and rider pairs. It was cold bitter day but luckily the rain held off. Carino came became quite tense when we all had to begin to trot around the fields. He spooked, bolted and hopped especially when other were behind him. So for a good 10 min. I just worked on trying to get him to move forward and relax. He eventually let out a few big snorts and all was good. We began jumping and he was great. Even when he was unsure about a fence he was still forward and willing and jumped everything I asked him to in the front field. We then moved on to the banks and rock cradle that are on the trail on the way to the big field. We were all asked to go up the small bank in a line. It was a very small bank and as we approached he didn't look at it and seemed confident, however the pony in front of us took a look and few weird steps which then caused Carino to think maybe I should do the same. That was a bummer but now was for going down, similar thing happened down but he wasn't as willing. I just waited him out and kept asking and it just took him a min. we did it a few more times and no problem. We jumped the rock cradle and that was no issue. We then went into the big field. He was great over the ditch, tires, barns, barrels and logs. Had some difficulty with the up bank on the first attempt and a small log set on a peak of a hill making appear as a drop. But it only took him one little look or stop and then it wasn't an issue. The best part however was the one thing I was worried about was jumping into water but he did that with no stops! Right over the novice log into the water. It was a little bit of over jump, height and width wise and i got left behind just a tad since I leaned a little to far back in fear he was going to stop. But the fact that he did it made the whole lesson!
April.28th
I had a 1/2 hour private with Erin. It was pretty gross weather out that day so we rode in the indoor. We used counter bend at the trot and canter in order to try to encourage Carino to reach and push for the contact. It really helped us and It was the first time I really got a real and understood the canter Erin was trying to have us achieve. Even if we only got it for a circle at a time those moments were great! The following week I was unable to jump due to bad weather and no jumps being out so I worked and worked on dressage and of course mostly on that canter. I began to use counter bend whenever I felt he wasn't into the contact and it has proven itself to be the best tool for us. Our canter improved dramatically in just a week and I couldn't wait until our next flat lesson to show Erin.
This lesson was a group xc school with about 4 other horse and rider pairs. It was cold bitter day but luckily the rain held off. Carino came became quite tense when we all had to begin to trot around the fields. He spooked, bolted and hopped especially when other were behind him. So for a good 10 min. I just worked on trying to get him to move forward and relax. He eventually let out a few big snorts and all was good. We began jumping and he was great. Even when he was unsure about a fence he was still forward and willing and jumped everything I asked him to in the front field. We then moved on to the banks and rock cradle that are on the trail on the way to the big field. We were all asked to go up the small bank in a line. It was a very small bank and as we approached he didn't look at it and seemed confident, however the pony in front of us took a look and few weird steps which then caused Carino to think maybe I should do the same. That was a bummer but now was for going down, similar thing happened down but he wasn't as willing. I just waited him out and kept asking and it just took him a min. we did it a few more times and no problem. We jumped the rock cradle and that was no issue. We then went into the big field. He was great over the ditch, tires, barns, barrels and logs. Had some difficulty with the up bank on the first attempt and a small log set on a peak of a hill making appear as a drop. But it only took him one little look or stop and then it wasn't an issue. The best part however was the one thing I was worried about was jumping into water but he did that with no stops! Right over the novice log into the water. It was a little bit of over jump, height and width wise and i got left behind just a tad since I leaned a little to far back in fear he was going to stop. But the fact that he did it made the whole lesson!
April.28th
I had a 1/2 hour private with Erin. It was pretty gross weather out that day so we rode in the indoor. We used counter bend at the trot and canter in order to try to encourage Carino to reach and push for the contact. It really helped us and It was the first time I really got a real and understood the canter Erin was trying to have us achieve. Even if we only got it for a circle at a time those moments were great! The following week I was unable to jump due to bad weather and no jumps being out so I worked and worked on dressage and of course mostly on that canter. I began to use counter bend whenever I felt he wasn't into the contact and it has proven itself to be the best tool for us. Our canter improved dramatically in just a week and I couldn't wait until our next flat lesson to show Erin.
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