I failed in this last lesson. I know you arent supposed to declare failure, because you learn something every time. But really, guys, I had to eventually get off the green pony, and get on the veteran pony to finish my lesson.
I couldn't get him to slow down.
I couldn't get him to go straight.
I couldn't get him to go straight.
I couldn't get him to stop walking over to his stall, which is in. the. ring. (who designed that?!?!)
I looked like I didn't know how to ride. It would have been mildly embarrassing, but luckily, I am no longer an adolescent, so instead I just feel myself questioning any abilities I thought I have.
The only tiny light bulb I got from all of this, was that I was using reins as the first cue, and then leg. Obviously, leg comes first in things like turning, so I need to stop that habit. Or I need to sit deep and back before I give a half halt to slow down (I'm probably leaning forward quite a bit).
I also read an interesting point on Dressage Daily: If a young horse is excited and inclined to run, it's often best to ride these horses forward and then bring them back when they calm down. This is the opposite of what I do. The pony chose to ignore me, and ran over to his friends, while I got more nervous and pulled on his face. Also, I probably do half halts at the wrong moment (related to that first point), when I should really wait to say something clearer with the half halt.
Sometimes you have to get off the pony to get some clarity. It's a harder lesson to learn, but it's still a valuable lesson.
No comments:
Post a Comment