Marehaven Farm
Longmont, CO
Good lessons
December 10 / 2007 11:40 AM Filed in: Dressage
I took Ivy for a lesson
with a local Fjord breeder who has a natural
horsemanship and classical dressage background, and
she really helped us along. Ivy is pretty green when
it comes to arena basics, like bending to the inside
and leg yielding, and the instructor helped me
simplify what I was asking for so that Ivy could more
easily comply. Ivy was completely at ease in the new
location and remained her lively, friendly self. She
didn't even mind when another horse left the indoor
arena just as she was arriving; she just went to
work. What a good girl!
I also took Belle for a lesson with the same instructor to get some help with encouraging Belle to relax. Ivy is just green, but Belle is confused, and I'm not sure why. I had some success working through her confusion by riding her regularly when I first got her, but then I gave her a year off to have and raise her filly and didn't start riding her again until this past summer. And then I mostly took her on trails. She's super on the trails but gets tense and worried in the arena, as though she thinks I'm going to ask her to do something like run barrels or chase cows -- and I've never done any such thing! She will start trotting and then go faster and faster, even if I use smaller circles to slow her down, so then I sometimes end up using a fairly abrupt one-rein stop. I don't like doing that, and it's not helping her relax, but I can't seem to stop her otherwise!
So the instructor helped me break down what was probably going on for Belle and showed me what to do when she started to get nervous or tense. Belle is emotionally complicated for a Fjord, but that also means she has the potential to be pretty light and responsive (if we can work through the confusion).
We worked in a large circle the whole time and kept things very simple, working on concepts at the walk and trot, and by the end I was amazed by the improvement in Belle. Not only was she more relaxed, she was moving much better than I thought she could, with longer strides, a round frame, and softness in her neck. I was so delighted! Belle is by far the most comfortable horse I've ever ridden, but I would say that the quality of her movement is just "OK." However, if I can get her to move like I did in the lesson, then I'd say we would probably do well at Training Level -- provided she's relaxed and on the aids and all those other things!
I look forward to taking more lessons after the holiday break.
I also took Belle for a lesson with the same instructor to get some help with encouraging Belle to relax. Ivy is just green, but Belle is confused, and I'm not sure why. I had some success working through her confusion by riding her regularly when I first got her, but then I gave her a year off to have and raise her filly and didn't start riding her again until this past summer. And then I mostly took her on trails. She's super on the trails but gets tense and worried in the arena, as though she thinks I'm going to ask her to do something like run barrels or chase cows -- and I've never done any such thing! She will start trotting and then go faster and faster, even if I use smaller circles to slow her down, so then I sometimes end up using a fairly abrupt one-rein stop. I don't like doing that, and it's not helping her relax, but I can't seem to stop her otherwise!
So the instructor helped me break down what was probably going on for Belle and showed me what to do when she started to get nervous or tense. Belle is emotionally complicated for a Fjord, but that also means she has the potential to be pretty light and responsive (if we can work through the confusion).
We worked in a large circle the whole time and kept things very simple, working on concepts at the walk and trot, and by the end I was amazed by the improvement in Belle. Not only was she more relaxed, she was moving much better than I thought she could, with longer strides, a round frame, and softness in her neck. I was so delighted! Belle is by far the most comfortable horse I've ever ridden, but I would say that the quality of her movement is just "OK." However, if I can get her to move like I did in the lesson, then I'd say we would probably do well at Training Level -- provided she's relaxed and on the aids and all those other things!
I look forward to taking more lessons after the holiday break.
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