I've been having lessons at a new riding school and have been paired with a mare - not usual for me as I tend to prefer geldings. Anyhow, I've found the last few weeks difficult and I've felt a few times like ringing and saying I can't come. My new RI has been fab and every lessons works on control and getting me and the mare to work together.
She - the mare I've been riding - does a few things that unnerve me. She naps a lot at the gate and then shakes violently when you try to move her forward. She also dances round with her back legs and when asking her to go forward, she throws her bum about sometimes and drops her head in transitions and then flings her bum a bit which makes you think she's going to buck. She hasn't - but she can do a little leg kick.
So today was my third time riding her. First I had my assessment in which I tried to canter and almost pooed myself. Second I did pony club type game type activities so I could remember why I got into riding. And today I did leg yielding and control in walk and trot. She then told me to do sitting trot for a while, changing the rein etc. Then she said she had no concern with my balance and I have a good seat so nothing this horse would do was going to unseat me so we were going to canter.
I tried not to panic and kept my good position I'd been focusing on in the sitting trot and she really started to give a good forward trot. She said she wouldn't go by the gate as she's nappy but as she got there we realised she was going to do I pushed her in and kept my hands up and as still as I could and we had a slightly unbalanced but fairly acceptable canter. After, she said what's nice is that today I've got to know the horse better and she's got to know me better and we really worked as a team for a while there. I got a huge feeling of elation - here was a horse that I couldn't say was a plod or anything and who I knew had the potential to do something but I still went ahead and pushed for it. That says a lot for my new instructor too. I grinned all the way home.
Still want a gelding though! Haha.
She - the mare I've been riding - does a few things that unnerve me. She naps a lot at the gate and then shakes violently when you try to move her forward. She also dances round with her back legs and when asking her to go forward, she throws her bum about sometimes and drops her head in transitions and then flings her bum a bit which makes you think she's going to buck. She hasn't - but she can do a little leg kick.
So today was my third time riding her. First I had my assessment in which I tried to canter and almost pooed myself. Second I did pony club type game type activities so I could remember why I got into riding. And today I did leg yielding and control in walk and trot. She then told me to do sitting trot for a while, changing the rein etc. Then she said she had no concern with my balance and I have a good seat so nothing this horse would do was going to unseat me so we were going to canter.
I tried not to panic and kept my good position I'd been focusing on in the sitting trot and she really started to give a good forward trot. She said she wouldn't go by the gate as she's nappy but as she got there we realised she was going to do I pushed her in and kept my hands up and as still as I could and we had a slightly unbalanced but fairly acceptable canter. After, she said what's nice is that today I've got to know the horse better and she's got to know me better and we really worked as a team for a while there. I got a huge feeling of elation - here was a horse that I couldn't say was a plod or anything and who I knew had the potential to do something but I still went ahead and pushed for it. That says a lot for my new instructor too. I grinned all the way home.
Still want a gelding though! Haha.
