Daisy again

[raingodz]

So for any of you who are wondering where my usual lesson post was last week, it was not there becasue I didn't have a lesson, and was I grumpy about it or what

Anyway I had a lesson this weekend, the weather was really nice, I was in a T-shirt (and BP) and for some reason the rest of my group had coats on and kept saying I was odd

I was on Daisy again, which I have now sadly got preconcived problems in my mind about. The lesson was not too bad but I did loose a stirrup in sitting trot which was annoying becasue this hasn't happened for over three months.

I still am not happy with my ability to control Daisy while cantering, which I was also annoyed about but after my lesson I did remeber that I was having problems like this with trotting Daisy in November and I now have no problems at all with controlling Daisy at trot, so there is still hope that I can sort this out.

When I was picking Daisy's front right hoof out after the lesson she tried to kick me in the head with her back leg - luckaly she forgot that she was only on three legs at the time it wasn't too sucessful (when working with daisy I do tend to keep my hat and BP on )

Sadly my two favorite horses, Katie and Muddle, are lame at the moment so it looks like I will be on Daisy even more

The good news is that I have a lesson with the other helpers on Tuesday evening, which I like because they are all better than me so there is less expectations for me to be at the same level as the others in the group but I get the oppertunity to work in a higher grade group so I get to do loads of stuff I don't normaly do - like jumping 2 foot + and I find just being in a lesson with better riders quite useful since I can watch how they do things.

Anyway heres a photo of Daisy so you all finaly know what she looks like:

 

[raingodz]

Woops I forgot to put the question I had:

When changing the rain across the menage at which point do you swap the whip over? Should it be as you go across the middle or should it be when you get back to the track on the new rein?

 

[nikkiandsharief]

its different for different people, i got told at my rs yrs and yrs ago it was at x. but now i wait until i'm on the track on the new rein and around the corner to change the stick and thats what i tell folk i teach now 2!

i love the look of daisy!!

 

[cvb]

Raingodz

in general you are going to change whip, diagonal etc as you actually make the chnage of direction (or mid way between) but..

often that creates a bit of a wobble, and you don't want to wobble at X on the diagonal when a judge etc has full view (not so bad on serpentines.

So my own general rule, should I be carrying a whip, is that I would change it towards the end of the change, when I am commited to the new direction, but with enough time ahead so that I am able to ride the turn properly. On a diagonal that is going to be after X, but maybe 2-3 metres before the quarter marker. Actually I would change diagonal after X as well, but before I was asking the horse for the "new" bend i.e. in the last stride or so that I was riding straight.

When riding by myself, if I only swap direction for a short while I don't always bother swapping. But obviously a riding instructor is looking for you to change it all over

 

[katieB]

I was on Daisy again, which I have now sadly got preconcived problems in my mind about. The lesson was not too bad but I did loose a stirrup in sitting trot which was annoying becasue this hasn't happened for over three months.

Dont be so hard on yourself, you want to see the state of me doing sitting trot with stirrups, they either end up round my ankles or bouncing round Millys sides

 

[raingodz]

its different for different people, i got told at my rs yrs and yrs ago it was at x. but now i wait until i'm on the track on the new rein and around the corner to change the stick and thats what i tell folk i teach now 2!

i love the look of daisy!!

She didn't like me taking that photo...
It does seem to be another of thoes things that have changed since my lessons in the 80's

in general you are going to change whip, diagonal etc as you actually make the chnage of direction (or mid way between) but..

often that creates a bit of a wobble, and you don't want to wobble at X on the diagonal when a judge etc has full view (not so bad on serpentines.

So my own general rule, should I be carrying a whip, is that I would change it towards the end of the change, when I am commited to the new direction, but with enough time ahead so that I am able to ride the turn properly. On a diagonal that is going to be after X, but maybe 2-3 metres before the quarter marker. Actually I would change diagonal after X as well, but before I was asking the horse for the "new" bend i.e. in the last stride or so that I was riding straight.

Thanks cvb that does make sence. I have to always carry a whip in lessons at the moment, even if I don't use it, just to get used to holding it since I never used to use one as a child (since the pony I mostly rode had a whip phobia) so I am a bit awkward with one.

 

[raingodz]

Dont be so hard on yourself, you want to see the state of me doing sitting trot with stirrups, they either end up round my ankles or bouncing round Millys sides

Thanks, I know that when I don't make an obviouse step forward in a lesson I feel a but disappointed, but I also know the better I get the less chance there is of me getting stuff right first or seccond time. This is all connected with me still not being back to the level I was at when I stopped 16 years ago - which, again, I know is not really a valid thing to think since I do think that in the five months I have been riding again I have come along way, and I do really love riding so much, so I am aware that these things are nothing more than an example of a personal mini Seldon Crises.

 

[katieB]

This is all connected with me still not being back to the level I was at when I stopped 16 years ago - which, again, I know is not really a valid thing to think since I do think that in the five months I have been riding again I have come along way, and I do really love riding so much, so I am aware that these things are nothing more than an example of a personal mini Seldon Crises.

That is totally me! I only had a small break (3 years) and in that time lost so much confidence, skill, balance etc and im always comparing myself to the old me. When I have lessons I just feel like there should be some huge noticeable difference and when there isnt one I get annoyed.
We'll get there!

 

[cvb]

try changing whip with two pairs of reins in each hand

I was trying out the new toy I bought for mum and her pony at the weekend - but on my mare. Its an enduro bridle (from lodge ropes) and the idea was that she could use it under the bridle and start with main control being the bitless (thats how Rosie was backed) and then gradually transfer over to the bit.

The reason being that Rosie is still a little uncertain and inconsistent about the bit, and mum is (normally) quite a nervous rider (tho she's been very good with Rosie). So the bitless would give them both a "safe" option.

But mum was a bit uncertain about her handful of reins on the Saturday, so I thought I'd try it out myself. So I had: round skinny rope reins from the enduro, long webbing reins from my snaffle bridle, and a dressage whip

The problem was that in the whip hand, I couldn't split the reins, lock them with my thumb AND hold the whip, so it sure stopped me having too much contact

 

[raingodz]

try changing whip with two pairs of reins in each hand

sounds like an interesting challange to say the least. I have never ridden with anythin other than the normal reins with a snaffle.

OK, so the related question is, when you change your whip over do you send it over the top or slip it underneath the reins? I tend to pass it underneath (I use a short whip) but I noticed that most of my group kind of spin it over the top (so it goes in an arc pointing streight up as it passes the middle). Maybe it doesn't matter

When I have lessons I just feel like there should be some huge noticeable difference and when there isnt one I get annoyed.
We'll get there!

Yes we will get there! Sometimes I pretend to myself that I never really rode before, and then taking 5 months to get where I am now sounds good (I know it's self deluding but )

 

[ALP]

I also ride on a lesson of riders far more advanced than me and I find it a great help. Thankfully nobody cared that I was not as good as them and I have learned so much in that 2 1/2 years. As for changing the rein and whip it is entirely personal as nikkiandsharief said previously. I tend to cross my whip and change my diagonal at the same time, so when I return to the track I am just ready to carryon.

Alison xx

 

[cvb]

short whip should be pulled up and swapped that way (i.e. pull it up out of the "old" hand with the "new" hand)

long whip is rotated over the top from hand to hand.. thats always the one people find hard to get. Its like riding a bicycle tho - once you get it, you keep that skill