Today I try an exercise that I wanted to do with Mairi ever since I tested it. If you are curious about it, please see Aspire blog post with more info here: https://aspireequestrian.wordpress.com/2015/07/03/forward-thinking-hand-continued-exercise-with-a-bridleless-bit-to-improve-riders-perception/
Video:
What I didn't mention in Aspire post and what I think I love the most in this exercise is how it focuses the rider...as if all of a sudden it made a perfect sense that the hands are just a connection between the seat talk and the horse's mind...Look how attentive the mare is when turning at C down the centre line to leg-yield, how Mairi is careful not to go in front of the movement and how, a few steps later, she succumbs to her old habit of more inside rein than necessary and the mare loses her posture...
It's an ingenious method and I will be using it more for sure.
In the morning, I ride Oscar and he feels good. His owner and I set a little lesson so she can see what I work on and so we can aim at the same thing and not confuse the horse. It's always very difficult to have any lasting results with a horse if he is schooled differently one day to the other so I am over the moon at how our session goes. Oscar is able to do most of the exercises I do with him with his owner and they are both looking good.
I struggle to see sense in schooling any horse without training the owner so I feel happier now knowing we walk similar path.
Moira rides a new pony because I want her to experience his canter that is a rocking horse like, confidence giving and requires a little work rather. They do well and I look forward to seeing how a new feel transfers back to her usual loan horse.
185: Saturday
Focusing on feel and energy today :) Loving the results. Some concepts are so hard to explain, so hard to experience for the first time but once it happens, even if it takes 20 well focused lessons, it stays with the rider forever.
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| Developing the feel of independence between a "working" thigh and passive lower leg |
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| Back to Start Programme for the next few sessions for Alicia. Here learning about weight and energy transfer from seat bone, through the thigh bone to the knee and understanding the importance of it |
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| Understanding pelvis and upper body position on circles, the relationship between the two and how that changes in relation to direction of travel |
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| Caitlin learning the basics of groundwork with Jasper - today: understanding passive energy to higher energy transitions within handler, changing directions, asking for quality walk and trot on circles and straight line, respect for space and acceptance of the touches of the whip so it becomes a tool rather than a punishment. Really great first proper session with both learning very fast :) |
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| The theme for Indra for this month is "re-discovering harmony with the horse" smile emoticon She swapped horses for a month with Caitlin as Tilly is the best bareback teacher there is :) |
Rest day!
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