Great New Start

With some help from my friend Laura this weekend, I had two amazing rides on JJ...I learned that I can get him on a contact fairly easily with the right cues, and our trot work was really improved. We also worked on the canter, which I had been struggling with, as I was not "allowed" to ride JJ at the canter by my previous trainer. However, I've been working on it on my own, and Laura helped me by being my eye on the ground, telling me to just relax my body to go with the movement of the canter-and what do you know it worked! I was able to get a nice forward canter and maintain it longer than ever before, and JJ seemed very happy to put up with me flopping around as I learn to loosen up. I've also taken my stirrups down a few holes to get my legs more under me, which has GREATLY improved my balance and ability to give clear leg aids. As you can see in the pictures, I still need to get them down even more, as I am 5 feet 10 inches and have LONG legs, but I have to do it gradually as I'm used to riding with too short stirrups.

I'm really having a great time riding, and am making some pretty big changes, but all for the better...

Kentucky 2010

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Henny!

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Gettting It?

So after my last post about the search for Contact, I decided I needed to practice. I took a spare set of reins home with me and made my husband hold the bit ends while I practiced holding the contact-he's so tolerant!
I had read in a book that some people find it easier to hold the reins with more tension between their forefinger and thumb, and use their other fingers to take up more rein if needed, but to concentrate on most of the contact being on the forefinger and thumb. So I experimented with that, and found that for me, it does indeed help me keep my contact much more consistent. Also, I noticed that if I concentrate on turning my wrists slightly out, it helps me remember to NOT cross my reins, for my habit is to have my hands too close together and want to cross them over JJ's withers. But if I keep my wrists turned out a little, my thumbs stay on top, my hands stay the proper width apart, and I am less inclined to move my hands in too much. It also helps me remember to keep my elbows in close to my body, for if my wrists are slightly out then my elbows naturally fall in.
Now I'm not saying to ride around with your wrists cocked out, but for me it really helped me get the right feel in my mind so that I can! For the first time I was able to get him to worke! Hey, any progress is progress.