Well I had my lunge lesson...

[HaloHoney]

But with no lunge. Instructor had me warm up horse and then just said "I'm not going to put him on a lunge in this weather, he'll kill me. We'll do it without the lunge."

So she had me walking, no stirrups, fine. Then trotting without them. Got the hang of it in the end...

I think the thing I am finding it difficult to understand is the fine line between contact and "pulling his face". I need a MUCH stronger core. I found my seat though, and once I stopped gripping and started balancing, I was able to work on my elbows being in, reins being taut, shoulders back and a LOT shorter than I usually have them.

If you had told me that by the end of that 30 minutes I'd be cantering round the school with no stirrups (and therefore without my arse leaving the saddle), I'd have thought you were a mental. But it happened. And I'm chuffed!

I'll have a fiver on me being utterly baffled by stirrups on Sunday, and falling off or something. LOL.

 

[chunky monkey]

Well done it sounds like you've had a very worth while lesson.

 

[Skib]

That is a lesson. But it ist a lunge lesson. And most RIs who teach lunge lessons dont fear being killed by the horse. It is generally quite slow.

 

[HaloHoney]

That is a lesson. But it ist a lunge lesson. And most RIs who teach lunge lessons dont fear being killed by the horse. It is generally quite slow.

I know - I do think given the extreme heat, that she did the best thing for the horse.

 

[Jessey]

Its a good lesson on developing your seat though, its amazing how much we rely on the pedals and taking them away really teaches you to sit on your butt properly

 

[Jane&Ziggy]

Well done! Quite a lesson!

 

[HaloHoney]

I don't hurt as much as I thought I would this morning. Bonus!

Been meaning to say, my usual instructor is great at building confidence and getting a group of riders to build their skills. Firm but positive approach. She's great. This one was NOT my normal instructor. This one is incredibly direct, and with a very dry sense of humour (she's not scared of horses at all- it was more of a reference to the way you'd say it about a person - "mum's gonna kill me"). When you get it wrong she tells you so! No punches pulled. But she also tells you when you get it right.

Another thing she got me to do was to shut my mouth and stop talking to the horse. "You'll lose marks in a Dressage test if you're talking so shut up and ask him with your leg instead."

"He looks like he's about to fall down dead. Get
Him moving! Come on, my Nan could run faster than him! Quicker! Yes! YES! There you go!"

I've got her voice echoing round my head -
Elbows IN
Hands STILL
FORWARDS into walk
Ask PROPERLY
One, two, now STICK
Don't GRIP
Reins SHORTER
Thumbs towards EARS
YEEEESSSS!
GOOD correction

Had to keep reminding myself that shouting at me doesn't mean she's cross, she just doesn't sugar coat stuff. And doesn't give compliments where they aren't due.

All in all I can't wait for my regular lesson tomorrow.

 

[Hailz22]

Fantastic well done!!!

 

[chev]

Sounds like a really positive lesson! You might find you need to let your stirrups down a hole or two when you get them back - working without is great for deepening the seat and lengthening the leg.