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Bouncy Bouncy!
My wonderful boy continues to improve all the time!
The last few weeks have been a little more intense on his training as he is now feeling fit and strong enough to do a little more in the school.
We seem to have got a little stuck with our canter leads. When he arrived it really didn't seem to be an issue but as his muscling and responsiveness have changed, as did quite a few things under saddle.
Firstly when he arrived he seemed to have a weakness or asymmetry that was quite obvious under saddle but not so much to the eye. On the left rein he would dive a little on the inside shoulder and you had to work to keep him straight especially on a change of rein. Since his neck injections, magnawave from Tina and some good work under saddle he has started to even out, I have almost forgotten about the diving in. But the connection into the bridle and the canter leads have also changed. So, next is connection. He has a tendency to sit behind the vertical. For anyone not boring enough to know what this means- have a peek here... BTV Jane Savoie. For Axel it is nothing to do with a strong hand or bit. The breed (Friesian) has a can to drop back here rather than going above the bit (nose poking out type look). As he has got stronger he has been trying to figure out his new self carriage. It has meant he had moments of poking his nose out and rushing and then backing off totally. He felt a bit like this at his first show which didn't make it the most elegant ride. However each week his balance and throughness improves, I actually have some weight in the rein now and a back to sit on in canter and trot. It is a much better feel than the curling and I love that he is finding the contact a good place to be. He will still curl when he is tired or stressed but it gets better all the time.
Finally canter leads, I think as his way of moving has changed, so has his way of picking up canter. It has meant that we have had to work a little harder to get the correct leads as when he jumps into canter he sometimes jumps on the wrong leg. However it is more about my aids than him I feel. He is very sensitive to my weight, a little on the wrong seatbone and I get the wrong lead, he can happily counter canter around too in lovely balance! Sara has been incredible in helping me to figure out how to ask for the right lead and todays lunge lesson, bouncy, bouncy sitting trot with no reins and no stirrups allowed me to really work on my seat which hugely helps with our canter transitions too, as it allows me to feel a bit more and ask with good timing. We had a fantastic lesson today with all correct leads and I am hoping I can keep riding well enough to keep them consistently. I really was beaming after todays lesson, he was fantastic, stretching over his back in sitting trot and really trying and listening. Who am I kidding, he is always fantastic, I just need to catch up!
The last few weeks have been a little more intense on his training as he is now feeling fit and strong enough to do a little more in the school.
We seem to have got a little stuck with our canter leads. When he arrived it really didn't seem to be an issue but as his muscling and responsiveness have changed, as did quite a few things under saddle.
Firstly when he arrived he seemed to have a weakness or asymmetry that was quite obvious under saddle but not so much to the eye. On the left rein he would dive a little on the inside shoulder and you had to work to keep him straight especially on a change of rein. Since his neck injections, magnawave from Tina and some good work under saddle he has started to even out, I have almost forgotten about the diving in. But the connection into the bridle and the canter leads have also changed. So, next is connection. He has a tendency to sit behind the vertical. For anyone not boring enough to know what this means- have a peek here... BTV Jane Savoie. For Axel it is nothing to do with a strong hand or bit. The breed (Friesian) has a can to drop back here rather than going above the bit (nose poking out type look). As he has got stronger he has been trying to figure out his new self carriage. It has meant he had moments of poking his nose out and rushing and then backing off totally. He felt a bit like this at his first show which didn't make it the most elegant ride. However each week his balance and throughness improves, I actually have some weight in the rein now and a back to sit on in canter and trot. It is a much better feel than the curling and I love that he is finding the contact a good place to be. He will still curl when he is tired or stressed but it gets better all the time.
Finally canter leads, I think as his way of moving has changed, so has his way of picking up canter. It has meant that we have had to work a little harder to get the correct leads as when he jumps into canter he sometimes jumps on the wrong leg. However it is more about my aids than him I feel. He is very sensitive to my weight, a little on the wrong seatbone and I get the wrong lead, he can happily counter canter around too in lovely balance! Sara has been incredible in helping me to figure out how to ask for the right lead and todays lunge lesson, bouncy, bouncy sitting trot with no reins and no stirrups allowed me to really work on my seat which hugely helps with our canter transitions too, as it allows me to feel a bit more and ask with good timing. We had a fantastic lesson today with all correct leads and I am hoping I can keep riding well enough to keep them consistently. I really was beaming after todays lesson, he was fantastic, stretching over his back in sitting trot and really trying and listening. Who am I kidding, he is always fantastic, I just need to catch up!
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