Friday, 2 February
While the choice of school horse for the previous lesson had left me particularly satisfied, the same was not true tonight. My teacher was Astérix, it's not like I don't like him, or feel that my lessons with him are less productive (just the opposite in fact!), it's just that with Astérix I get less results with a lot more work
. That is all part of the learning and I specially like having the possibility of ridding several different horses. From the over-eager Pipas to the sensitive Mefisto, slow Jubileu and lazy Lord, crafty Catraia and dodgy uncomprehending Astérix. Never the less, lessons on "slow" or "difficult" horses are (understandably) more taxing than lessons on more willing and more schooled ones.
Anyway, we went to the arena to start the lesson. Today Francisco had a couple of new challenges to us, both consisting in doing things against the instinct or experience of the horses. The first one consisted in going down the length of the arena in trot while one third of the width away from the closest side. Poor Astérix, used to the support of the wall, was at a loss to what was expected of him. First he assumed we were changing rein so he drifted towards the far side, when I pulled him the other way he concluded that the manoeuvre had been a dud and I now wanted him to get back in track. When I corrected him again he really lost it and we wriggled uncontrollably all the way down! The third or forth attempt was a lot better, he was getting some notion of the objective of the exercise, and I was using more leg and less hand to keep the trajectory.
The second exercise was interesting - in theory! We formed a trotting circle on one side of the arena, then each one on is turn would leave the circle and make a lap around the arena in canter, entering the circle on the other side. When that pair entered the circle again, the next in line would leave the circle and repeat the exercise. Looks simple doesn't it? Yes it does, but no it isn't! First of all the horses would resent leaving the circle and going away from their friends, secondly they were not thrilled of having to work harder while the others just trotted leisurely around ("Why do I have to canter? They are not cantering! They are just trotting, it's not fair! Not fair!"). With the other horses I've been ridding I thing I could get over it, but I have a difficulty in communicating with Astérix. I think that in all the times I've ridden him (not exactly that many - but you get the point) I have not been able to accomplish one decent transition to canter while we are alone or in front of the line. Part of the problem comes from him being the least schooled horse around, the rest comes from my inability to give him clear indications. We always end up racing around in trot instead of cantering. The first time around in this new exercise none of us was able to get the horses to canter, the other tries went better, and the third time around I managed to get us into canter - past halfway around the arena! After that we did some canter in single file on both reins. This time, because I was last in line, we didn't have any communication problems and Astérix cantered when I asked and he saw the others in front doing the same.
With the lesson finished we proceeded to take the horses to their boxes and clear them of the tack. When I finished I noticed Mefisto's box was empty, getting back to the arena I found out that Francisco had taken him with just a halter and was working him loose on the arena with just the lunge whip. The arena being small enough to pose for a round pen, we were all treated to Mefisto's display of equestrian nobility. What a trot! He looked so pleased and so proud, trotting around the arena. He went past us, the three leaning on the railings, with a high action to the trot, tail held high flowing with the motion. His head well up, slightly sideways, looking at us as if to say "Hey! Look at me! I'm smashing!" - and he was! The four of us (Francisco no less than the others) just stood there drooling over Mefisto. What a sight!
Pedro Fortunato
Lisbon, Portugal
While the choice of school horse for the previous lesson had left me particularly satisfied, the same was not true tonight. My teacher was Astérix, it's not like I don't like him, or feel that my lessons with him are less productive (just the opposite in fact!), it's just that with Astérix I get less results with a lot more work
. That is all part of the learning and I specially like having the possibility of ridding several different horses. From the over-eager Pipas to the sensitive Mefisto, slow Jubileu and lazy Lord, crafty Catraia and dodgy uncomprehending Astérix. Never the less, lessons on "slow" or "difficult" horses are (understandably) more taxing than lessons on more willing and more schooled ones.Anyway, we went to the arena to start the lesson. Today Francisco had a couple of new challenges to us, both consisting in doing things against the instinct or experience of the horses. The first one consisted in going down the length of the arena in trot while one third of the width away from the closest side. Poor Astérix, used to the support of the wall, was at a loss to what was expected of him. First he assumed we were changing rein so he drifted towards the far side, when I pulled him the other way he concluded that the manoeuvre had been a dud and I now wanted him to get back in track. When I corrected him again he really lost it and we wriggled uncontrollably all the way down
! The third or forth attempt was a lot better, he was getting some notion of the objective of the exercise, and I was using more leg and less hand to keep the trajectory.The second exercise was interesting - in theory! We formed a trotting circle on one side of the arena, then each one on is turn would leave the circle and make a lap around the arena in canter, entering the circle on the other side. When that pair entered the circle again, the next in line would leave the circle and repeat the exercise. Looks simple doesn't it? Yes it does, but no it isn't! First of all the horses would resent leaving the circle and going away from their friends, secondly they were not thrilled of having to work harder while the others just trotted leisurely around ("Why do I have to canter? They are not cantering! They are just trotting, it's not fair! Not fair!"). With the other horses I've been ridding I thing I could get over it, but I have a difficulty in communicating with Astérix. I think that in all the times I've ridden him (not exactly that many - but you get the point) I have not been able to accomplish one decent transition to canter while we are alone or in front of the line. Part of the problem comes from him being the least schooled horse around, the rest comes from my inability to give him clear indications. We always end up racing around in trot instead of cantering. The first time around in this new exercise none of us was able to get the horses to canter, the other tries went better, and the third time around I managed to get us into canter - past halfway around the arena! After that we did some canter in single file on both reins. This time, because I was last in line, we didn't have any communication problems and Astérix cantered when I asked and he saw the others in front doing the same.
With the lesson finished we proceeded to take the horses to their boxes and clear them of the tack. When I finished I noticed Mefisto's box was empty, getting back to the arena I found out that Francisco had taken him with just a halter and was working him loose on the arena with just the lunge whip. The arena being small enough to pose for a round pen, we were all treated to Mefisto's display of equestrian nobility. What a trot! He looked so pleased and so proud, trotting around the arena. He went past us, the three leaning on the railings, with a high action to the trot, tail held high flowing with the motion. His head well up, slightly sideways, looking at us as if to say "Hey! Look at me! I'm smashing!" - and he was! The four of us (Francisco no less than the others) just stood there drooling over Mefisto. What a sight!
Pedro Fortunato
Lisbon, Portugal
