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Tuesday 6 March 2012

Merrist Wood schooling

the week consisted of hack on Tuesday, interval training Wed morning (3 x 4min canters in the field with 2mins walk in between and full recovery in 10mins), flatwork on Thur and then off to Merrist Wood to use the 20x40m set out arena.

Worked on getting him relaxing to start with, getting him to stretch into the contact.  Then we did some walk work to get back end engaged then some canter work on and back which he did really nicely on both reins - still finds right rein harder but getting there.  Pleased with the work he gave me.  Then took him into the other school and ran through N27.  It was pretty rubbish really - he wasn't with me at all, medium trot broke, broke in his trot circle etc.  He did however do 2 super straight centre lines and a fab straight halt at the end.  Did a little more work on softening him in the trot which he did nicely and finished there having done over an hour - oops!

Went back to Helen's and analysed the videos afterwards.  Worked out holding my hands far too low, hooking back with my left wrist and not giving him a consistent contact at all.  We also thought about how to ride certain movements better.  Medium trot try and collect first half of corner then push on out of the corner and across the diagonal giving plenty of time to collect up again for the corner.  In canter across the diagonal aim for a few feet before the marker so as not to have to hoik him round the corner and lose balance.  Think hands up and out in front, can use hand upwards rather than backwards and still have same effect on asking him to flex.

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