Firstly, I was so much more comfortable at being on my own. At the start of the lesson I go into the school and Gemma starts setting up the jumps, which takes about 10 minutes, so she basically says 'get on and just start doing your own thing. Start going around doing stop-starts, trot and canter'.
Now usually in the group we only get to canter when she says and it's usually only one or two laps of the school due to space and time and the fact that it's quite a big group. but when in a private lesson and for the first part am told that i can canter when i wish it's a lot more comfortable because i have a thing about people watching me in a group.
So I learned to relax more, which ultimately makes it so much easier to get a canter and I found that after a while it didn't take much to get canter from halt or walk. We found last night that Oliver is also capable of having a very bouncy canter, which is a lot better for jumping because it means that they are working from behind and containing energy, resulting in a better jump that is less forced or rushed.
So we were improving that, which also forced me to keep my legs firmly around him in canter (which is where they should be).
I have also found that a technique that is so much more effective than kicking. If the horse and you both know that the horse is capable of doing what you want then there is no point in digging your heels in or being too firm. You don't want them to become jumpy or skittish because you're jabbing them in the side when they would do exactly what you asked if you just asked politely.
So rather than putting pressure on with the heel in a horizontal movement I have worked out that a more 'stroking' technique with the heel, pushing up with the heel gently, is better. It is also good because if you increase the pressure of the strokes or the speed it works more as encouragement into the pace that the horse knows it is capable of doing rather than saying 'right now go!' and making them jumpy and probably saying to themselves 'Christ you could have just asked nicely!' Not only does this make for smoother transitions but you dont get the jumping the back up when going into trot, which ultimately tends to lead to rushing or lifting of the head.
So I feel that I am learning a lot of new things. I am very tempted to start having more prviate lessons, even if just half hour sessions (which would be the same kind of price as the group hour session) because it definately increases my concentration and allows me to become more comfortable. It's less about where you are in the school compared to others and more about you talking to the horse and being less conscious that you're being watched.
I definately feel a lot more accomplished after my private lessons so it would probably make sense to follow that and have more of them. The groups are fine when there aren't so many of you but the last few times there have been 6 or 7 of us and it's just not the same, especially as the horses get a lot less focused when around so many others.
So, I miss next week because of going to see Mika (6 days!!!!), but the week after I will have another private, whether it be half an hour or an hour or half an hour jumping, it just feels so much better.
An amusing quote: "It's a lot like nuts and bolts - if the rider's nuts, the horse bolts!" ~Nicholas Evans
No comments:
Post a Comment