Well, not so bad as the title suggests, just feel a little like that after my session with Anky today.
I wonder if I'm going in the right direction, or indeed, if I have the patience to find it and the knowledge to know if it's the right direction or not. I think perhaps that I need some eyes on the ground (please Trudi, if you're not too busy?) just to clarify things for me.
Anky was a little calmer today and I feel (i think) that we are making progress. The left rein is more genuine, flexions on the ground are improving, although not as successful when ridden, but better than they were. She is yielding easier to my leg , we achieved reasonable leg yield today, but she is not "with me" for most of the time. Today it was the monsters in the wood, the bottom end of the school was a no-go zone and when I did take her down there it was zero communication and spook-jump-spook, back to the other end. In order to get any calm work I stayed at the top end of the school and we did get back to some reasonable work, but it's very hit and miss and I cannot keep her on the aids long enough to walk a straight line.
I think that I need more structure to my schooling sessions, I think that I also tend to lose focus and become a little sidetracked.
No real reason to feel down about today, but somehow I do, perhaps it's approaching birthday doom and gloom syndrome. Perhaps it's a longing for a perfectly trained, well grounded, balanced horse!! LOL
4 comments:
I hate to say that, from your description, it sounds as though staying at the "bad" end of the school and fighting/working through the issues would have been a better choice. Around and around and around until tiredness equals relaxation/submission.
I too have been guilty of pretending, on occasion, that I wanted to do what the horse had decided to do. It's not a good basis for progress and we only fool ourselves. :)
Looking forward to hearing about your birthday.
i think you'll probably find you have made more progress than you think you have.
i'd be inclined to mix up the work a bit more .. not always go in the arena, not always ride, and so on, and when you lunge etc make sure to do it at that "bad" end of the arena...i know what that's like (Molly always looks VERY HARD at the sheep in the next field, especially when it's running about!
Well I'm actually stay out of problem areas get the relaxation then tackle the bogey men in the woods. I think you'll find that she'll suddenly come on quickly (like she did with the flexion work) and then have flat line times. The trick is to find and outlet that keeps you both interested and yet working towards the goal (like Claire said really) and then yes I would tackle the scary end on the lunge, in-hand because she won't feel your tension which will be there in anticipation of the spookiness when you're on board.
I'd love to come over but next week is tricky as Lydia is off school on hols, the week after she has two afternoons planned at the riding club so perhaps we could play then??
Don't fret, knowing you it's not as bad as you're thinking :-)
Thanks all, during the session I was ok, it was after, mulling it over. I should be riding out more, but my friend hasn't been able to ride and I have to be in the right frame of mind to take Anky out alone.
Yes, just a bad day. Trudi any time you can make it would be good for me. I need another point of view and some idea's. Thanks.
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