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Ozzie
Sept 7, 2012 11:22:20 GMT
Post by el on Sept 7, 2012 11:22:20 GMT
Well, I think like most people watching yourself on video is a bit queezy going! But I promised Steve I'd send him a video so took a few mins today. What I learned: Good - Happy with my seat & use of reins only when I needed to - Good to see Oz argue with me, me get around him nicely and then him settle and go on again - Nice to see bend on circle and when we lost it nice sidepass out to get it back again - Nice softness when I asked for it Improve - My hands were a bit too high - I need more precision with the feet, not to give up half way through a manouvre! Things start off well & then drift away. Know EXACTLY I want before I ask and then just work on that, not half get it and then wander off & do something else & forget it - Release - do not release when its easy (sometimes that means I release on a brace, and I'm half aware I'm doing it too) So.... I'm going to drill these things in my head and maybe try another quick video today or tomorrow and see if I can fix any of them. No point really sending Steve mistakes I know about
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Ozzie
Sept 8, 2012 12:14:43 GMT
Post by el on Sept 8, 2012 12:14:43 GMT
So went out today, video in hand. I wanted to 1) keep hands down 2) not release on a brace 3) be more specific I could do 1 & 2. What I realised is that HQ yields were a bit messy. We have been focused on FQ yields a lot more for the last while. Bought it right back down to basics and realised that Oz now moved his feet doing lateral flexion, and HQ yield also meant the opposite shoulder popping out!!! Anyway, our video guy went back in, and I thought, well lets work on those. WELL! Messy at the start, but the weather was glorious. Spent about 3 of the most GLORIOUS hours with a TOTALLY RELAXED HORSE - All around the small field (good achievement!) Just pootling around. Lateral flexions - quick & soft on both sides... Then did laps of circles pushing the HQ out and stopping wih HQ yields, and also straight lines with 180 HQ yields at end end to change direction. All our turns used HQ yields. LOVED it. Couldn't get over my horse didn't argue once about anything, he just did stuff & then yawned. These days make all the tough days worthwhile.
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Ozzie
Sept 10, 2012 11:04:49 GMT
Post by el on Sept 10, 2012 11:04:49 GMT
Did a little groundowrk with Oz yesterday like Steve was doing in the clinic - stand in front of you, trot depart & relax straight away, to make sure horse is relaxed --- and oddly enough, Oz was relaxed!! Today, rode again. BLOODY AMAZING. Oz was a superstar. Everything was available, & he was relaxed & happy. Pick up the reins = sort feel straight away, in balance on all four legs. Lateral flexions = great, best ever nearly - asking for right then left, then right, then left, one after the other. Hindquarters = we had lost these a bit (too many FQ yields) so worked on these from halt, also did squares with HQ yields on each corner and lines across the paddock with 180 HQ yields at each end. Softness and lightness = Amazing. Moved my weight, got a change in Oz or feet moving. Focus = Listening hard & totally focused on me. Just a total joy to ride. Light, soft, relaxed, would do anything I asked, not looking for any distractions.... total HEAVEN. Its a rare day so had to share
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Ozzie
Sept 11, 2012 11:44:59 GMT
Post by el on Sept 11, 2012 11:44:59 GMT
Last ride for a week today... great again... Highlights: -Pick up the reins, you've got softness & the horse connecting with you, in balance ready to move any foot, any direction equally. -Walk to halt... I just tilted my pelvis forward & got a soft halt. Holy crap! That was all I did!! - HQ yields - got this amazingly well... ask in time with the rib cage now & he floats into them now. - Ozzie told me loud & clear to do less. In walk I had taken a little more feel on the reins to help with the HQ yield, and he stopped dead saying 'You are doing too much stupid!' (delivered in a totally matter of fact way from him) -Lightness - near the end he got sooo light, slack reins & I could get him from halt to moving in any direction. It was a bit unnerving actually! One very minor strop/brace for about 1/2 second (head down, body curled up) but I just bent him quickly & that was the end of it. Amazing stuff, he just blows he away sometimes As usual we did lots of little exercises, and after each one he gets about 10 - 20 seconds rest on a long rein, and he starts doing his traditional huge yawns, head up in the air. Not exactly normal for a horse but I think 'quirky' covers him nicely.
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