As long as I have faith and don't fiddle it works! It's amazing. I've never felt his back so springy and active before.
On Thursday he was still being pathetic and spooky about the drive side of the school so Vicki suggested that I leg yield along the fence pointing out towards the drive. So effectively doing what he wanted to do only more so and making him work. Only had to do this a few times before he was begging to be allowed to go straight.
Saturday, 15 June 2013
Wednesday, 12 June 2013
12th June
Well I thought I'd try riding with a whip between my thumbs to keep my hands still and together, I think it keep them too ridgid as Xaile hated it. So I went back to just concentrating on it. I listened to a play on my phone to occupy my mind so I didn't need to fiddle. But it took ages and ages for him to give when in trot. I began to think it wasn't going to work, but I had faith and stuck with it and the miracle happened again. When he really relaxes into the contact I can do anything with him. We even managed a very bendy serpentine without him bringing his head up on the change of bend. I concentrated very hard on sitting as well as I could and he is certainly lighter on his forehand when I manage to sit up.
I stopped to talk to Vicki for about 5 mins half way through which was a good test of Xaile. He was more resistant when we started again but did relax and then went beautifully.
Vicki read somewhere to imagine that you have elastic braces running from your hands to the back of your breeches. Its very odd, but it seems very effective at keeping the shoulders back and the bottom tucked under.
Last night I was re-reading bit of the Reiner Klimke recommended by Bento and these two quotes particularly struck me.
I stopped to talk to Vicki for about 5 mins half way through which was a good test of Xaile. He was more resistant when we started again but did relax and then went beautifully.
Vicki read somewhere to imagine that you have elastic braces running from your hands to the back of your breeches. Its very odd, but it seems very effective at keeping the shoulders back and the bottom tucked under.
Last night I was re-reading bit of the Reiner Klimke recommended by Bento and these two quotes particularly struck me.
Tuesday, 11 June 2013
11th June
Xaile was still very wound up and had decided that the drive side of the school was out to kill him. I tried very hard to keep my reins short and my hands consistent. I do think they still need to be higher. And why oh why can't I sit up? Also he was much happier on the left rein than right. I was struggling to control my right leg...
10th June - confused and angry Xaile
Poor poor boy he's so honest. Lesson today concentrating on flexing. Too much for him as I couldn't keep a consistent contact. He got very very wound up and galloped around the school. Then produced a lovely stretchy trot. Lesson ended.
I later went back to quietly try Patrick's ideas. It took two circuits for him to settle and relax. Dear kind honest horse.
I later went back to quietly try Patrick's ideas. It took two circuits for him to settle and relax. Dear kind honest horse.
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| Unhappy confused boy |
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| wheeee |
 |
| wheeeeeeeeeee |
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| wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee |
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| Stretch |
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| surprisingly loose trot for Xaile... |
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| sorry Xaile |
8th June - SUPERB lesson with Patrick Print
- Do less.
- Believe in what you do.
- Make your hands the best hands they can be.
- Shut all doors apart from the front door.
- Concentrate on my position.
- DON'T FIDDLE.
- Don't push his head down with my hands as it puts pressure on the bars of his mouth which hurts.
- Keep hands still and together so he can believe in the contact.
- SHORTEN REINS.
- Firm contact while he is resisting, relax the contact while he relaxes.
Wednesday, 5 June 2013
5th June Position help from Vicki and the chiro for Xaile
I did my first session of yoga on the Wii this morning. I think it'll really help my straighness.
Vicki was brilliant this morning. She helped me do lots of stretches that ended up with me sitting really deep in the saddle. I swung my legs backwards and forward- opposite ways on each side. Then I stuck my arms out horizontally and twisted through 90degrees each way, I found turning to the left much harder, it really pulled at my right hip. Then she had my bend down to touch my foot with the opposite hand.
Then she said to imagine I was looking over a hedge, which made my head and neck higher. Then she pointed out that when my back is in the right position- not leaning back or forwards- I can feel two 'rods' of muscle down my back.
I ended dropping my stirrups two holes!!!! (No photo from afterwards).
All this really helped and all the walking around relaxed Xaile.
Then we worked on bending. It turns out that a lot of my problems STILL stem from my dropping him in my left hand. ARGH!!!
Then the chiro came for Xaile. She commented on quite how much stronger and more muscular he is. And how flexible he is. His pelvis was also twisted to the right. There were a few other small misalignments but nothing much. So, physically he's fine, and it's me blocking him.
Vicki was brilliant this morning. She helped me do lots of stretches that ended up with me sitting really deep in the saddle. I swung my legs backwards and forward- opposite ways on each side. Then I stuck my arms out horizontally and twisted through 90degrees each way, I found turning to the left much harder, it really pulled at my right hip. Then she had my bend down to touch my foot with the opposite hand.
Then she said to imagine I was looking over a hedge, which made my head and neck higher. Then she pointed out that when my back is in the right position- not leaning back or forwards- I can feel two 'rods' of muscle down my back.
I ended dropping my stirrups two holes!!!! (No photo from afterwards).
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| Stupid baggy jumper- makes me look even huger than I am |
All this really helped and all the walking around relaxed Xaile.
Then we worked on bending. It turns out that a lot of my problems STILL stem from my dropping him in my left hand. ARGH!!!
Then the chiro came for Xaile. She commented on quite how much stronger and more muscular he is. And how flexible he is. His pelvis was also twisted to the right. There were a few other small misalignments but nothing much. So, physically he's fine, and it's me blocking him.
4th June Frustration all round
I rode in the morning and it was awful awful awful.
He'd got out in the night and into the next door field with more grass in it. He was a bit bloated but not awful. I put him back into his field to let him deflate a bit while I worked Ella.
He simply wouldn't bend right. He wouldn't go into the bottom right corner of the school. He spooked all the way up the right side of the school. He dived left. He wouldn't relax. Jogging or marching in walk and rushing in trot. It was horrible. I got off. Snaffle.
I was so sure that it was something that I was doing wrong, but it wasn't helped by his skittish naughty frame of mind. So, as it had been a really short ride in the morning I went back to have another go in the afternoon. I decided to make it easier for us both by putting the double on.
He was a lot calmer to start with. I had an ok contact in both hands. He was listening and not spooking. BUT he still wouldn't bend right. He got really upset when I asked him to do shoulder in on the right rein. He was clearly really confused by me. He was so surprised that I was asking him to turn right, so I was obviously very strongly saying turn left. But try as might I simply couldn't see what I was doing.
Eventually I obviously found it and correcting it without working out exactly what it was and he softened and understood what I was saying. But it's beyond me to work out what I was doing differently.
He'd got out in the night and into the next door field with more grass in it. He was a bit bloated but not awful. I put him back into his field to let him deflate a bit while I worked Ella.
He simply wouldn't bend right. He wouldn't go into the bottom right corner of the school. He spooked all the way up the right side of the school. He dived left. He wouldn't relax. Jogging or marching in walk and rushing in trot. It was horrible. I got off. Snaffle.
I was so sure that it was something that I was doing wrong, but it wasn't helped by his skittish naughty frame of mind. So, as it had been a really short ride in the morning I went back to have another go in the afternoon. I decided to make it easier for us both by putting the double on.
He was a lot calmer to start with. I had an ok contact in both hands. He was listening and not spooking. BUT he still wouldn't bend right. He got really upset when I asked him to do shoulder in on the right rein. He was clearly really confused by me. He was so surprised that I was asking him to turn right, so I was obviously very strongly saying turn left. But try as might I simply couldn't see what I was doing.
Eventually I obviously found it and correcting it without working out exactly what it was and he softened and understood what I was saying. But it's beyond me to work out what I was doing differently.
3rd June I went to the chiropractor
No, I know it's silly, I spend so much money on the chiro for the horses, but I forget about me. Last Monday Marcia pointed out that my right hip was significantly further forward than my left and that this was causing Xaile problems.
The chiropracter agreed that my pelvis was twisted to the right. He also said that my body curved to the left. When he straightened me up lying on the bed on my front it felt like my legs were pointing to the right. He also said that my neck was very tight. Any my right hip flexor, though my quads were nice and loose.
So I did what I probably shouldn't have done and went on to have my lesson in the afternoon. I'm sure I shouldn't have, but on the other hand I'm SO glad I did. It was all so much easier. We both found everything much better. He felt really straight and even in my hands. I felt that I could sit a lot deeper in the saddle, and Marcia pointed out that I was able to put my left leg on. I felt like we could do anything.
We worked a lot on the canter transisions. Keeping his neck soft where it comes out of the withers (encouraging this by riding towards the line of the circle). Then getting him properly forwards and in front of the leg. Then sitting trot. Then getting the softness and forwards again. Then thinking shoulder in, then activating the outside hind leg and then asking for canter. On the very rare occasion that I managed all of that he just popped into canter. Generally I missed out a piece of the jigsaw puzzle and he leapt into canter.
The chiropracter agreed that my pelvis was twisted to the right. He also said that my body curved to the left. When he straightened me up lying on the bed on my front it felt like my legs were pointing to the right. He also said that my neck was very tight. Any my right hip flexor, though my quads were nice and loose.
So I did what I probably shouldn't have done and went on to have my lesson in the afternoon. I'm sure I shouldn't have, but on the other hand I'm SO glad I did. It was all so much easier. We both found everything much better. He felt really straight and even in my hands. I felt that I could sit a lot deeper in the saddle, and Marcia pointed out that I was able to put my left leg on. I felt like we could do anything.
We worked a lot on the canter transisions. Keeping his neck soft where it comes out of the withers (encouraging this by riding towards the line of the circle). Then getting him properly forwards and in front of the leg. Then sitting trot. Then getting the softness and forwards again. Then thinking shoulder in, then activating the outside hind leg and then asking for canter. On the very rare occasion that I managed all of that he just popped into canter. Generally I missed out a piece of the jigsaw puzzle and he leapt into canter.
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