Had my fourth riding lesson at the new riding school today and it is not going well. Having not been brilliant before the summer, I feel like I have lost a lot of ground after a few months off over the school holidays.
I just can't seem to get the canter transitions right. I get really tense anticipating that the horse won't canter when I ask him to and then he keeps proving me right. My instructor tells me I am gripping too much with my knees and that my heels are not staying down and my legs are going too far forward. The more I think about it the more wrong it seems to go. Last week, she said it looked liked I'd never cantered before and I wasn't safe to do so.
I'm sure when I am out hacking I am much more relaxed in canter but then it is so different. I never have to do a canter transition as the horses are always raring to go on the beach and its just a case of giving them a slight squeeze and loosing the reins a little and they go from standing or walking straight to canter and then into gallop depending on the conditions. It probably also helps that I tend to canter in light seat out on the beach instead of sitting to the canter like we have to in the lessons. Even when I am leading the ride which tends to be more difficult, the horses there are still so easy to get into canter and a winding tree lined path at a fast canter doesn't phase me but a 20 metre circle in the school has me panicking.
I am must be one of the few people who seems to get more nervous in the school than out in a wide open space although ironically the worse falls I've had have been in the school. Oh well, I will have to perservere or I will never progress to jumping lessons which I am quite keen to do as already done a few involuntary and unanticpated jumps when I have been out hacking.
I feel humbled a little, reading how much effort you are putting into lessons & riding properly and also by how unbridled (no pun intended) you are when out on trails.
ReplyDeleteI've been riding a long time, have owned a dozen horses over the years (currently down to 7 - 5 riding horses at home & 2 pacers at the track) and yet half the time I don't think I'm as confident as you sound.
Good for you.
I can relate to what you are going through in lesson. I used to feel my heart start to race when I knew it was my turn to canter and I would over-think everything - leg position, hand position, am I sitting right, etc. etc. What helped me to relax was deep breathing to help me sit deep and release tension and focusing on just ONE thing. For example, I would just focus on cueing my horse with my heels. Forget about your hands or your legs or the reins. Just put your heels where they are supposed to be. Eventually, everything else falls into place. I am still not super experienced when it comes to canter/lope, but at least I don't have anxiety attacks any more. :-) Good luck!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments. I wonder if my confidence is misplaced when I am out but it is nice in that enviromnent as no one cares what you look like only if you stay on and as they have so many non riders on the trek I am considered one of the more experienced ones lol I am envious of all you people with your own horses though.
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