Help, I’m being hypnotised!

Weather aside, we had an absolutely brilliant lesson this morning.  We were working on improving Fergus’s paces, mostly by stopping me blocking him!  In walk, I tend to block him and hurry him along, and the difference just by letting him reach out through his neck and step through is incredible.  I need to recognise that long strided walk and not mistake it for him losing energy – it feels slower because it’s longer, not lazier!

In trot, we were working on straightness and stopping F contorting himself to avoid working correctly.  He needs to be more supple through his ribcage, and I need to facilitate this rather than wave my outside hand around like a loon.  By working him more correctly – again letting his neck out a few inches, and not allowing him to evade by doing the “fun easy sideways stuff” – we seem to have uncovered some very nice trot work :p  I need to remember to allow my hands forwards every stride to allow him to travel through – hands forward, then the body catches up (i.e. never bringing them back, only moving them forwards and away!).  I also need to remember to keep them forwards and not allow them to creep back and wobble around over the saddle, and not allow my outside hand to wander out in search of lebensraum in the Sudetenland that surrounds his neck…

Towards the end of the session, he offered some lovely, rhythmical trot work which felt slow, but powerful – energetic but upwards.  He cruised around a serpentine, working on subtle changes of bend while maintaining the energy and rhythm.  Highlight of this was probably the exclamation “You nearly had a stride of passage there!” – he felt really swinging and powerful, and I got the distinct feeling that passage isn’t out of the question one day.

In canter, it was all about alternating collection and forwards – not blocking him in front or using his mouth to generate collection, but sitting on his inside hind and encouraging him to take more weight.  I cannot express the feeling he gave me doing it, but it caused me to squeal and exclaim “Help I’m being hypnotised”.  It honestly felt like sitting on a swinging pocket watch, and I’m aware that’s a very odd image!

 

Look how short he is through his back!

It was a day for comedy moments, with another eccentric exchange:

Sarah: “And back to trot when you’re ready”

Me: “I don’t want to stop… EVER!

Oh OK….”

*hits trot, everything falls apart, I sit there like a lemon*

Sarah: “Get him back together if you can…”

Me: “I can’t move, my breeches are so wet, I’m stuck!”

Yup, totally classy.  They were so wet, they’d become a solid entity which wouldn’t allow me to move!  Which has to be the most novel excuse for rubbish riding you’ve heard all week!