SJ lesson - Thundry Farm 04-12-13
Too long ago to remember full details. Tried him in a hanging cheek french link snaffle but he didn't think much of it and was pretty argumentative. Tried to get him more on his bum by doing some direct transitions, using my weight to bring him back but he really struggles to do canter to walk unless it's from a nice collected dressage canter. Considering we've not long perfected the dressage canter to walk I think it will take more work before he can walk nicely from a more forwards canter. Need to sit up more between fences - think of zipping up jacket to take the weight off his shoulders. Also need him to react much quicker to a signal to come back to me after a fence and get sorted on the new leg much quicker so can sort the canter out ready for the next fence. Pleased with how he jumped though, I wasn't interfering and he was shortening and lengthening as needed to meet the fences in an ok take-off point.
dressage lesson - Merrist Wood - SJL - 13-12-13
We ran through E59 which is the toughest Ele and apart from it being very busy and me not being used to prepping all the movements so quick we had a pretty good bash at it. We really worked on getting him in more of a Ele outline all the time, inc the walk which is where I tend to let him slop along all strung out. Need to put him in his box and keep him there. Finished with some work on the trot half pass thinking quarters in on the diagonal line and he did some very good attempts on the left rein - told it was worthy of a 7 already! Not quite there on the right rein yet - remember to circle away to the right if losing the bend then try again. Also remember to keep the trot steady, can't do it if going too fast. We had one attempt at changes, bringing him across the short diagonal then asking for the change as we hit the long side - be very clear with inside leg right forwards and outside leg back. If no change then onto the circle and keep asking, use whip to tap quarters if needed and be prepared to ride forwards into the change. Correct time to ask for change when leading leg is on the ground. He had a go and did change but trotted behind and needed to ask him more forwards at this point.
SJ lesson - Thundry Farm 18-12-13
He was an absolute idiot about something in the corner, it was very very windy and he decided couldn't possibly do anything and had to reverse round the school at speed. Ended up putting him on the lunge until he was tired and then trying again. Daft horse. Initially tried him in the pelham that I use for hunting which had the desired result of making him go in an outline but he hated it and wouldn't go forwards so don't think that's the key to success with him. After that swapped to a happy mouth straight bar and he was much happier - more of his typical giraffe but really concentrated on flexing him to the inside and riding forwards and we did then do some good jumping on a serpentine which really had me thinking and turning quickly. Still need to ride more forwards on the turns though and look up! Find it so hard to ride forward to a fence on a circle where I can't see a stride - more practice needed!
SJ lesson - Merrist Wood - Harry Meade 28-12-13
Pleased with how he warmed up. Stuck with straight bar happy mouth and he was lovely and soft and really working in a nice outline whilst keeping forwards. Took advantage of the mirrors to do some work on our walk piris and they are really coming on nicely. Did some 5m circles in walk and up to canter and then using bodywt to get canter to walk which is improving. Moved on to work over a pole on a circle. Was told to counter flex at 3,6,9 and 12 o'clock with one of those being over the pole so they couldn't bulge to the outside and lose their power. In between should lift the hand and flex to the inside. Monty didn't seem to like this much at all and was really resisting me. The lifting the inside hand was to stop us pulling back and down onto the thigh as this just blocks the hindleg from coming through which made sense but not the way to get Monty on the bit. Told to put his martingale back on which I think I might do but fairly loosely as I do think not having it helps when he has to do a spectacular jump to get us out of trouble sometimes (albeit this hasn't had to happen for a while so I think I'll try with it again)
Moved on to cantering over 2 poles and seeing how many strides they naturally put in - Monts did 11 so then we had to practice doing 10 and 12. I think both of us found this quite easy - his stride is much easier to alter these days and I'm better at seeing how many strides I have to a fence further away. We then had to trot round a square corner, over a x-pole in trot, back into trot, 90degrees turn to another x pole, land in canter and go back round over the poles in the opposite number of strides. Monts wasn't quite sure about trotting over jumps in a slow trot but we got there. Also had to give away the new inside rein on landing which rather gave it away that he is used to me turning him from the inside rein as he felt the only contact on the outside rein and tried to turn that way, so def need to think more about turning him from my outside aids.
Finished with jumping on a serpentine with straight lines to the fences - easier in the big school than in our lesson at Thundry. I remembered to kick on and not hold back to the fences and if he landed on the wrong leg I just pushed him forwards to sort out the change of leg as not enough time to be trotting and changing leg. He sorted himself out and got told it was good.
JAS clinic - Merrist Wood - Mark Smith 29-12-13
Had a big grin on my face for the entire clinic. Monts was definitely top of the class. He didn't knock a fence for the entire session. He felt forwards and up for it and his canter felt lovely and springy. I did more walk piris in the warmup as well as 5m circles in walk, up to canter then bodywt back and back to walk. As soon as we started jumping he just felt super. Started off with a few SJ's and then onto the XC stuff. We did skinny rolltops then 2 skinny rolltops with no flags on an angled line. There was a skinny sloping palisade and also a corner which was across the centre of the school and involved a tough tight turn off the left rein. Shame it wasn't the right as might have shown up a few more problems but aside from jumping across the widest part the first time he jumped it well. Did hold him and get in too deep once but generally met it right more often than not. In between doing these technical questions we had to really open them up and gallop round the school before then collecting them back in a short distance and then riding forwards to the fence. This was great practice for Monts and he was super reactive by the end and really taking me forwards to the fences - awesome feeling. Didn't really get given much advice as he was such a swot he was doing everything brilliantly. I swear he was showing off for the people watching. Got to love him! Hope he is that good for JAS!
A few hatcam videos from hunting at Tilford on the 22nd Dec:
No comments:
Post a Comment