Well we needed rain, but I was hoping it would be on non-lesson days and happen all at once rather than all week, but it looks like it is going to be a wet week and we will be stuck inside again. So for this week we are going to do some controlled work combining flat work and jumping.
I want to work on some bending exercises, and changing bend at the trot while maintaining the trot. We are going to do some leg yielding at the canter, and some mild counter canter loops. For jumping there will be some controlled bending lines to work on changing bend over fences, looking for the turns over fences, and keeping/getting the horses straight out of a bend. We will also be doing a fence on an angle which requires the rider to really hold the horse straight between leg and hand.
Remember, no lessons on Saturday!
Karen
Monday, May 26, 2014
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
this week in lessons
Today is the only day I think we might be stuck inside, but the rest of the week looks great! I don't really want to build a full course in both rings, so if we are inside tonight I will keep the lesson simple.
I think we will work on counting 3-2-1 to the jumps. Not just counting down to the jump, but also thinking about how our position changes as we approach the jump. We will also do some tighter turns, focusing on seeing our distance (counting down) as we approach on an arc as well as making sure we still meet the jump at a perpendicular angle.
There may also be some leg yielding, as making sure a horse is listening laterally to leg aids really helps be able to control the arc and keep the horse from collapsing in or bulging out.
See you soon!
Karen
I think we will work on counting 3-2-1 to the jumps. Not just counting down to the jump, but also thinking about how our position changes as we approach the jump. We will also do some tighter turns, focusing on seeing our distance (counting down) as we approach on an arc as well as making sure we still meet the jump at a perpendicular angle.
There may also be some leg yielding, as making sure a horse is listening laterally to leg aids really helps be able to control the arc and keep the horse from collapsing in or bulging out.
See you soon!
Karen
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
this week in lessons
This week in lessons I am hoping to teach all classes outside! Thursday and Saturday seem iffy though, but fingers crossed. It has been nice so far, and the horses seem happy to be in the larger ring and fresh air!
I kept the course simple with no related distances as I expected more naughtiness, but the horses so far seem to be staying focused. We have a serpentine to trot and then jump, and a simple course. Keeping the horses and riders turning and bending was meant to help keep the horses from getting stiff and strong, and to keep their focus on the exercise rather than giving them time to look around the countryside.
Karen
I kept the course simple with no related distances as I expected more naughtiness, but the horses so far seem to be staying focused. We have a serpentine to trot and then jump, and a simple course. Keeping the horses and riders turning and bending was meant to help keep the horses from getting stiff and strong, and to keep their focus on the exercise rather than giving them time to look around the countryside.
Karen
Thursday, May 8, 2014
More Adventures in horse shopping
Went to look at another horse yesterday. Sounded ideal in the ad: experience western & English. Trail ridden and jumped by a child. Cute, registered and a decent price. Useless pictures and no video, but close enough to be worth going to see.
So we pull up at the facility, and my first thought is that this place is way to chaotic for me to want to try out a horse! Children everywhere. On big horses in the dirt arena (gymkhana night apparently), running around playing, on horses in the pens....everywhere. It was like an after school care with horses program.
We manage to locate the horse and owner quickly, and it seemed odd, but the horse was already saddled, yet not really well groomed...still had little bits of "stuff" on its neck and back. Usually this is for a reason, and sure enough, when I felt under the saddle pad, she was thin. Not rack of bones thin like the one Rhiannon looked at, but definitely had no extra fat either. Seller's answer? "They all are". No idea what that means. Still, cute horse, albeit finer than I expected.
Seller led horse to the indoor which we hoped was quieter than the crazy outdoor, albeit very small. Unfortunately there were two more small children on big horses careening around what was pretty much large round pen, stirring up an insane amount of dust. You could literally hardly see the horses! Fortunately the children were willing to head outside so we could have the space to ourselves and the dust could settle a little.
Unfortunately, as those horses left and the seller started to pull down stirrups and such, the little mare leapt forward and spun around. She got a little better, but remained jumpy and spooky for the time the seller rode, and the seller couldn't really get her to canter. It hardly seemed like a horse that was being jumped by a young child! Still, the horse wasn't looking dangerous, and I kind of wanted to see how Jessie would look on such a refined horse, so she went to get her helmet.
Meanwhile one of the young riders came back to the arena to see if we were done:
"Are you riding Princess now?"
"Princess is actually my horse."
" Keyanna used to ride Princess but just couldn't stay on her. I don't know why, but she just kept coming off."
"Oh" (subtitle would read "please just go away and shut up little kid!)
I said nothing.
At that point Jessie came back with her helmet, and went to get on Princess, but again she went nutty, so we opted to not bother. I then filled Jessie in with what the little girl had said...out of the mouths of babes comes the truth! To be fair I don't know if the owner knew the kid that was jumping her was coming off her regularly, but her single syllable response made me think yes.
Sad thing is I think this was actually a nice horse, who at one point was a kind horse, but just couldn't handle her current environment and lost it. While the seller had been riding I had been standing just outside the door to avoid the dust and was half watching the "lesson" in the outdoor. It made me cringe on so many levels. Kids with toes down just hanging on by the safety of the big western saddle, yanking their mount around by the curb bits in their mouths. Cantering around with only semi control, likely kept safe mostly by the small confines of the arena. I don't imagine the jumping lessons were much more safety orientated.
I can see why the place was popular with parents though: just kids having fun on horses or running around, but I don't think the horses were having much fun. None of the kids looked mean or anything, just cruel through ignorance.
Still, I have to wonder...where did they find all those saintly big horses?
On to the next one!
Karen
So we pull up at the facility, and my first thought is that this place is way to chaotic for me to want to try out a horse! Children everywhere. On big horses in the dirt arena (gymkhana night apparently), running around playing, on horses in the pens....everywhere. It was like an after school care with horses program.
We manage to locate the horse and owner quickly, and it seemed odd, but the horse was already saddled, yet not really well groomed...still had little bits of "stuff" on its neck and back. Usually this is for a reason, and sure enough, when I felt under the saddle pad, she was thin. Not rack of bones thin like the one Rhiannon looked at, but definitely had no extra fat either. Seller's answer? "They all are". No idea what that means. Still, cute horse, albeit finer than I expected.
Seller led horse to the indoor which we hoped was quieter than the crazy outdoor, albeit very small. Unfortunately there were two more small children on big horses careening around what was pretty much large round pen, stirring up an insane amount of dust. You could literally hardly see the horses! Fortunately the children were willing to head outside so we could have the space to ourselves and the dust could settle a little.
Unfortunately, as those horses left and the seller started to pull down stirrups and such, the little mare leapt forward and spun around. She got a little better, but remained jumpy and spooky for the time the seller rode, and the seller couldn't really get her to canter. It hardly seemed like a horse that was being jumped by a young child! Still, the horse wasn't looking dangerous, and I kind of wanted to see how Jessie would look on such a refined horse, so she went to get her helmet.
Meanwhile one of the young riders came back to the arena to see if we were done:
"Are you riding Princess now?"
"Princess is actually my horse."
" Keyanna used to ride Princess but just couldn't stay on her. I don't know why, but she just kept coming off."
"Oh" (subtitle would read "please just go away and shut up little kid!)
I said nothing.
At that point Jessie came back with her helmet, and went to get on Princess, but again she went nutty, so we opted to not bother. I then filled Jessie in with what the little girl had said...out of the mouths of babes comes the truth! To be fair I don't know if the owner knew the kid that was jumping her was coming off her regularly, but her single syllable response made me think yes.
Sad thing is I think this was actually a nice horse, who at one point was a kind horse, but just couldn't handle her current environment and lost it. While the seller had been riding I had been standing just outside the door to avoid the dust and was half watching the "lesson" in the outdoor. It made me cringe on so many levels. Kids with toes down just hanging on by the safety of the big western saddle, yanking their mount around by the curb bits in their mouths. Cantering around with only semi control, likely kept safe mostly by the small confines of the arena. I don't imagine the jumping lessons were much more safety orientated.
I can see why the place was popular with parents though: just kids having fun on horses or running around, but I don't think the horses were having much fun. None of the kids looked mean or anything, just cruel through ignorance.
Still, I have to wonder...where did they find all those saintly big horses?
On to the next one!
Karen
Monday, May 5, 2014
This week in lessons
I keep hoping that we will be able to move outside for lessons, but it looks like nature has other plans...hopefully soon though! Alberta weather is such a tease.
Meanwhile I am being tortured by a Robin that is attacking our house from 5:25am until nightfall. Thunk thunk thunk. This is the reason for the garbage bag décor in front of the house. Sadly it just finds a different window. At least the cats are entertained as indicated for the window screens pulled off the windows, however I am sleep deprived. Robin stew anyone?
For lessons this week we are going to do some work on leg position both on the flat and over fences. We want the heals stretched down, with the heel below the hip. The inside of the entire leg should drape along the horse's side. The leg should be secure regardless of what your body is doing.
We will do bounces and one strides to help work on this, and some of you may find your stirrups tied to the girth to help you feel where your leg should be. We may also play with stirrup length as I think some riders might be helped by a shorter stirrup over fences.
Karen
Meanwhile I am being tortured by a Robin that is attacking our house from 5:25am until nightfall. Thunk thunk thunk. This is the reason for the garbage bag décor in front of the house. Sadly it just finds a different window. At least the cats are entertained as indicated for the window screens pulled off the windows, however I am sleep deprived. Robin stew anyone?
For lessons this week we are going to do some work on leg position both on the flat and over fences. We want the heals stretched down, with the heel below the hip. The inside of the entire leg should drape along the horse's side. The leg should be secure regardless of what your body is doing.
We will do bounces and one strides to help work on this, and some of you may find your stirrups tied to the girth to help you feel where your leg should be. We may also play with stirrup length as I think some riders might be helped by a shorter stirrup over fences.
Karen
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
