Saturday, April 05, 2008

Hannah is back from boot camp!

I went to pick her up yesterday morning...

Jo showed me how she has been lunging her before riding to get her more forwards, and encouraging her into the outside rein. She looks quite different, she has muscle in her bottom that she certainly did not have when she went.

Jo then got on her, and I could see that she looked much easier and forwards into the contact. She will never be an easy ride or straight forwards, but the arguments were manageable because she was not backing off, and she was trying to please.

I then got on (God, I am unfit after a week off riding... it's amazing how quickly you lose it) and could feel how soft she was through her jaw and neck, and more over her back and through from behind.

This morning I lunged her as Jo has been and she was really working hard through her hind legs... I couldn't stop smiling when I was watching her because it is great seeing such an improvement. She is more stuffy on the right rein, but when I put her onto the left rein on the lunge she was much looser and actually loose through her shoulders.I then got on and worked her as Jo instructed... using the shoulder in on the right rein to get her hinds working underneath her (she tends to throw them out) and leg yielding from the track into the centre on the left rein. She found it all so easy!

To finish, I had put a little jump up. She has not jumped since she was four months in foal, so July 2006. She absolutely loved it today. We started with a little cross pole and trotting into it, but she jumps so much better out of the canter. I put it up to a straight about half way up the wings (so not huge but big enough for me) and she gets so excited. She tries taking over a bit and then gets too close into it, so I got her together and tried really watching for the stride and she was great!So, I am a very happy bunny this morning

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