Filed under: Riding Lesson
I’ve been very quiet recently as I’ve been out of the saddle for a while. This is not due to any injuries thankfully but that I have gotten myself my first job and spent the last couple of months finding a new flat and moving. I’m now settled in my new job and finally had my much overdue riding lesson!
I went for lesson at a yard called Willow Farm and managed to get there nice and early despite getting lost! I rode a horse called Topaz who was a little sluggish and cheeky and there was much tail swishing when she wouldn’t trot on for me. My new instructor, called Jenny, got me to do some flat work in walk, trot and canter to check my position and riding ability. She also helped me with the tension I often get in my shoulder, particularly in canter, and stretching out my hips to improve my leg position.
Topaz has the loveliest trot and canter I have sat on for a while and could easily sit to her trot without any stirrups. It certainly makes a change the bouncy gaits of Buck and Sammy! Towards the end of the lesson, Jenny got me to jump a cross pole in trot, which Topaz refused first time round, which is unusual for her! Admittedly I didn’t have enough leg on, and thankfully when we went round to do it again, she jumped it nicely. We did it again in the other rein and even managed to pop a straight jump in canter, which I’ve never done before. Although my stirrups were a bit long, thankfully I didn’t lose my stirrups nor did I get left behind or fall off. Jenny counted the strides in for me which helped, as I can’t seem to judge strides when jumping, and the lesson certainly made me want to go back and get another lesson!
Willow Farm do private lessons in the evening, which is brilliant for me as I work until 5pm during the week. I’m hoping to book myself in for another lesson, although there’s a bit of a waiting list to get Jenny to teach me again. I’m off to Addington next weekend for the Dressage to Music Finals, which I’m really looking forward to. I’ll be working as a dressage writer for the Quadrille semi-finals and will take plenty of photos to pop on this blog!
Things to work on:
- Use more leg in canter
- Remember to pull legs back throughout the lesson
- Relax and pull shoulders back when riding, especially in canter
- Keep elbows back
- Keep stirrups on the balls of my feet
- If on the right rein, pull right shoulder back slightly when turning, and vice versa for the left rein
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