A few days ago I sent an email to the owner of the barn telling her that I would love to help out more in any way I can. She responded saying she needed help on Tuesday (yesterday) with a pony camp of nine little kids (ages 4 to 8). I of course said yes - I thought it would be really fun to help little kids ride, and I was going to get to ride as well once all the campers left!
The camp started at 9 am and went until noon, but I stayed until 4. Once most of the campers had arrived, we went to the barn owner's open garage and sat in a circle. Then I got introduced to everyone (much to my blushing horror) since I wasn't there the day before and we were told to go around the circle saying one reason why you love horses and your favorite color. I said my favorite color was green and I loved horses because each one is different. The majority of little kids said they loved horses because you can feed them, which I thought was pretty adorable. We then split into two groups - one group got to ride while the other worked and learned in the barn.
I was first with a little girl named Aaliyah (I think...) and she was riding Lionel, a smallish white horse who was often grumpy. We went and got him from the paddock and started to groom him. Aaliyah couldn't even reach Lionel's back to brush him! So I let her brush a little and then I went over the places she couldn't reach. When it was time to pick Lionel's feet, I told Aaliyah where to stand, and told her how to pick up the hoof, but she couldn't really do it herself so I pretty much picked up his hoof and handed it to Aaliyah. I also did most of the tacking up - Aaliyah couldn't reach Lionel's back, so she couldn't put on the saddle or anything. I was going to let her help with the bridle but Lionel's had some issues in the past with parts of it getting caught in his gums so the barn owner just told me to do it myself.
We walked up to the ring together, with Aaliyah holding the reins on the left, and me sort of leading him with a lead rope on the right. I tightened the girth, which confused Aaliyah because she didn't know what that was and thought she was just going to get right on the horse. Which she did, once I had tightened the girth and the stirrups. Once she was on Lionel I pretty much led him around the ring for a while. I mean, I tried to tell her what to do, but little kids can't really understand it that well, so I just made sure Lionel didn't walk somewhere completely off track. We went into the big ring and circled each jump (four in total). I attempted to teach Aaliyah how to turn, which sort of worked a little. Once we did that we went on a small trail ride, which I think Aaliyah enjoyed but she said she didn't like going downhill. When we got back to the ring, it was time for the second group to ride, so I did the whole thing again. Then we went back to the barn and put the horses a way.
Then all the campers and helpers had popsicles and took a picture on the porch, and went back to the garage to do a craft. The kids all made foam visors with foam horse stickers and markers. The campers left at noon (which I didn't know before then), and all the helpers got to ride. Someone else wanted to ride Captain, which was okay because I thought it would be good to try someone knew, so I rode Tuffy. I can't say my first impression of him was all that great. When I tried to groom him and pick his hooves he kept kicking and stomping. Then, in the ring, he kept doing this weird thing where he would turn his head to the outside and start walking diagonally to the inside - very weird, and annoying after a while. Tuffy did have a completely different feel than Captain. He's bigger and taller, and his steps are longer. His trot was also way bouncier and hard to get used to, and his canter was very fast, but actually pretty nice. I had some steering issues though, so I didn't really get to canter for long. Hopefully, if I ride him again, we won't have those problems.
When we were done riding, we had to clean the walls of the stable, sounds fun, right? We each got a rag and a bucket of water and basically just wiped down the walls to get ride of dust. By the end of the day, my feet ached. It was a fun day though, and I'm glad I came.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Lesson 6/27/11
I normally would have written a post on my lesson on Monday, but I haven't had any time! I was gone all day yesterday, helping out at a camp (which I will also blog about later), and then I was gone in the evening, working at a concession stand with my friend. Anyway, I finally found some free time to blog about my lesson.
My instructor started off the lesson by doing this exercise to help me keep my legs heavy and relaxed. She puts a board under my foot, and just moves it up, down, and around. It sounds really strange, but it actually works. I can't even explain it that well, but when she's done it's like my leg feels ten miles longer, ten pounds heavier, and ten times more relaxed. It really is a great way to start off my lesson.
After that we worked on some figure eights at the walk and trot. The only different thing this time was that my instructor told me as soon as I asked Captain to walk faster or trot, I should ask, and then immediately loosen and relax my whole body. I often stay very tight when I ask him to trot, so this was a very helpful thing to think about. Just consciously thinking about relaxing really made it easier to ask Captain to do something and easier for him to listen.
Then we worked on cantering, using only half of the big ring at a time, again trying specifically to get him on a right lead canter, which he again had trouble with. It's not his fault, as every horse has a 'bad side', kind of like us being right or left handed. I also tried to work on keeping Captain on the rail, and not cutting corners. My instructor tried to teach me how I could ask for that with my inside leg while still keeping the bend in his body that is needed for a proper canter. It's not as easy as it sounded, because a lot of the time I would put pressure on my inside leg only and he would start trotting. I got it maybe once, with my instructor's help. I guess it's just something to work on later!
Once we were cooling down at the end of my lesson my instructor talked a little about camp this summer, and was wondering what camp I was going to. Since I'm going to the Advanced Camp, she said she should probably start preparing me a little for jumping by working on two-point more. Yay! I can't wait for camp! :)
My instructor started off the lesson by doing this exercise to help me keep my legs heavy and relaxed. She puts a board under my foot, and just moves it up, down, and around. It sounds really strange, but it actually works. I can't even explain it that well, but when she's done it's like my leg feels ten miles longer, ten pounds heavier, and ten times more relaxed. It really is a great way to start off my lesson.
After that we worked on some figure eights at the walk and trot. The only different thing this time was that my instructor told me as soon as I asked Captain to walk faster or trot, I should ask, and then immediately loosen and relax my whole body. I often stay very tight when I ask him to trot, so this was a very helpful thing to think about. Just consciously thinking about relaxing really made it easier to ask Captain to do something and easier for him to listen.
Then we worked on cantering, using only half of the big ring at a time, again trying specifically to get him on a right lead canter, which he again had trouble with. It's not his fault, as every horse has a 'bad side', kind of like us being right or left handed. I also tried to work on keeping Captain on the rail, and not cutting corners. My instructor tried to teach me how I could ask for that with my inside leg while still keeping the bend in his body that is needed for a proper canter. It's not as easy as it sounded, because a lot of the time I would put pressure on my inside leg only and he would start trotting. I got it maybe once, with my instructor's help. I guess it's just something to work on later!
Once we were cooling down at the end of my lesson my instructor talked a little about camp this summer, and was wondering what camp I was going to. Since I'm going to the Advanced Camp, she said she should probably start preparing me a little for jumping by working on two-point more. Yay! I can't wait for camp! :)
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Lesson 6/20/11
I thought tonight's lesson was going to miserable, because of the awful heat. I expected Captain to be slow and myself to be tired. But actually, what happened was just the opposite! Captain was surprisingly not sluggish, and I wasn't tired at all!
The dressage ring is finally gone! Poles had been set up in the large riding ring to make a standard size dressage ring for the show in April. But now, since pony camps have started, the big ring is finally back! I was so happy, because Captain always tried to cut corners and step outside the poles in there, but now he can't anymore.
We started the lesson by doing the warm up, which involved lots of weaving around the many obstacles that had been set up for a jumping course - jumps, poles, barrels, and more. Then we worked on trot-canter transitions to get Captain ready. Captain was surprisingly obedient too. Once I got him into the trot he was good to go. He even picked up the right lead when we were tracking right!
After a stretch break (which involves me giving Captain a super long rein and letting him walk pretty much wherever, except out of the ring of course, which he often tries to do), we worked on walk-canter transitions. The first few were a little rough, because Captain kept going into a trot first and then cantering. I changed my cues a little though and he eventually got it. But then he had some trouble with the right lead canter again. It can get difficult because when we are in the far end of the ring tracking right, Captain want to cut those corners. So I have to try and get him to bend without letting him turn to the center of the ring. I try to push him to the outside with my leg, but that doesn't always work. We got the right lead canter a couple times though, so not all was bad.
Once Captain had another break, my instructor told me to do a walk figure-eight, a trot figure-eight, and a canter figure-eight. Luckily, I didn't have to switch leads in a canter like I had thought before. I just had to come down to a trot in the canter of the ring and then immediately switch to the next lead. Everything went pretty well, even on the right lead canter circle, because this time I was asking for the canter in the center so I didn't have to worry about getting him to bend while staying on the outside of the ring.
At the end of my tiring-but-not-too-tiring lesson, my instructor commented that I was doing "marvelously", which of course was great to hear from her. She also told me that when I was ready I should think about switching from Captain to another horse, for the same reasons I've mentioned before. Captain offers a lot, but another horse could offer a whole lot more. I completely understand that, but I know it will be a huge change for me to ride a different horse. I mean, I've ridden Captain for months now! But I think it will be good for me to get to know a new horse, so I'll keep you updated on how that goes and when I switch!
The dressage ring is finally gone! Poles had been set up in the large riding ring to make a standard size dressage ring for the show in April. But now, since pony camps have started, the big ring is finally back! I was so happy, because Captain always tried to cut corners and step outside the poles in there, but now he can't anymore.
We started the lesson by doing the warm up, which involved lots of weaving around the many obstacles that had been set up for a jumping course - jumps, poles, barrels, and more. Then we worked on trot-canter transitions to get Captain ready. Captain was surprisingly obedient too. Once I got him into the trot he was good to go. He even picked up the right lead when we were tracking right!
After a stretch break (which involves me giving Captain a super long rein and letting him walk pretty much wherever, except out of the ring of course, which he often tries to do), we worked on walk-canter transitions. The first few were a little rough, because Captain kept going into a trot first and then cantering. I changed my cues a little though and he eventually got it. But then he had some trouble with the right lead canter again. It can get difficult because when we are in the far end of the ring tracking right, Captain want to cut those corners. So I have to try and get him to bend without letting him turn to the center of the ring. I try to push him to the outside with my leg, but that doesn't always work. We got the right lead canter a couple times though, so not all was bad.
Once Captain had another break, my instructor told me to do a walk figure-eight, a trot figure-eight, and a canter figure-eight. Luckily, I didn't have to switch leads in a canter like I had thought before. I just had to come down to a trot in the canter of the ring and then immediately switch to the next lead. Everything went pretty well, even on the right lead canter circle, because this time I was asking for the canter in the center so I didn't have to worry about getting him to bend while staying on the outside of the ring.
At the end of my tiring-but-not-too-tiring lesson, my instructor commented that I was doing "marvelously", which of course was great to hear from her. She also told me that when I was ready I should think about switching from Captain to another horse, for the same reasons I've mentioned before. Captain offers a lot, but another horse could offer a whole lot more. I completely understand that, but I know it will be a huge change for me to ride a different horse. I mean, I've ridden Captain for months now! But I think it will be good for me to get to know a new horse, so I'll keep you updated on how that goes and when I switch!
Friday, June 17, 2011
Advanced Camp
This summer I will be attending the Advanced Camp at my barn. It's only for a week (July 25 - 29 from 9am to 4pm), and it's not overnight. Here is the description:
"This camp is recommended for those at the Novice and Advanced levels. Riders must be able to canter confidently to attend this camp. You will be assigned a horse/pony for the week (or bring your own) and will be completely responsible for them for the week. Riding time will be geared toward jumping and games on horseback. We will have a visit from an industry professional or guest instructor. We will cover such topics as show prep, trail riding, lunging and ground work. We will also enjoy horse related activities, crafts and afternoon swimming. Riders must have their own helmets and boots If you are not currently a student at BHS, you must schedule an evaluation lesson prior to being accepted into this camp. "
I'm very excited because last year I attended the Introductory Camp, which was a good start for me but now I'm ready to get a little more serious. I can't wait to start thinking about jumping as well! I think being assigned one horse will help me get more comfortable with caring for them and getting used to a new horse. Yes, I said it - a new horse. My instructor told me at my last lesson that I probably wouldn't be able to ride Captain at camp. Long hours in the sun would be hard for him, and even doing an hour lesson each week is challenging. So it will be a huge change for me, as I have been riding Captain for a while (since winter) and I've grown quite attached to him. But I know the switch will be worth it, because a new, younger horse can offer much more energy than an old one. But don't get me wrong, I still love Captain! I hope I can continue to ride him during my lessons even if I won't during camp.
"This camp is recommended for those at the Novice and Advanced levels. Riders must be able to canter confidently to attend this camp. You will be assigned a horse/pony for the week (or bring your own) and will be completely responsible for them for the week. Riding time will be geared toward jumping and games on horseback. We will have a visit from an industry professional or guest instructor. We will cover such topics as show prep, trail riding, lunging and ground work. We will also enjoy horse related activities, crafts and afternoon swimming. Riders must have their own helmets and boots If you are not currently a student at BHS, you must schedule an evaluation lesson prior to being accepted into this camp. "
I'm very excited because last year I attended the Introductory Camp, which was a good start for me but now I'm ready to get a little more serious. I can't wait to start thinking about jumping as well! I think being assigned one horse will help me get more comfortable with caring for them and getting used to a new horse. Yes, I said it - a new horse. My instructor told me at my last lesson that I probably wouldn't be able to ride Captain at camp. Long hours in the sun would be hard for him, and even doing an hour lesson each week is challenging. So it will be a huge change for me, as I have been riding Captain for a while (since winter) and I've grown quite attached to him. But I know the switch will be worth it, because a new, younger horse can offer much more energy than an old one. But don't get me wrong, I still love Captain! I hope I can continue to ride him during my lessons even if I won't during camp.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Lesson 6/13/11
The weather today was fairly decent for tonight's lesson. It wasn't too hot (although it was in direct sun) and there was some breeze, so I was more comfortable than previous lessons.
We warmed up quickly today, doing S-curves and walk-halt transitions to help Captain loosen up and get ready, and then we did some half-halts into a trot. That's when you are walking and you almost halt completely but then you go right into a forward trot. It took a while (as usual) to get Captain to actually move faster than a slow walk, but I was able to get him into a decent trot after a little while.
After that we worked on cantering. I tried a few walk-canter transitions but I wasn't really ready for those yet so we just did trot-canter transitions. It was very frustrating because Captain kept cutting off every corner so we were making very small circles. It was tough to get him to go deep in the corner, especially at the trot and canter. The transitions were okay, and my instructor told me to get Captain in the biggest canter I could. She wanted to see if I could get him to go to the next level (galloping?), but I couldn't. It's hard enough, just because Captain's old, but throw some heat into that mix and it's even worse. And tonight wasn't nearly as hot as some other days this week have been!
Before I go on, I'll explain what two-point is. You've probably seen it when show jumpers go over a jump, although I wasn't taught to lean over that far - it's when your butt is off the saddle and your back is flattened out and stretched over the horse's neck (see picture). This is a good position to do to learn to keep your heels heavy, which of course is something I need to focus on. It's helpful for me to do it in the trot because it let's me know if my feet are in the correct position on the stirrup. If they are, I will feel grounded and balanced. If they're not, I feel pretty wobbly and insecure.
Anyway, usually I go into two-point in my warm up, but tonight my instructor told me to try it in a canter. I've seen people do it before but I myself have never attempted to do it. The first time I tried it, I felt like I couldn't really control Captain's speed, but once I tried again I was able to keep him going at a canter. It felt very strange to be in a canter without doing that rocking chair motion that I'm used to doing, but it got a little more comfortable after I'd done it a little more. It was actually a great way for me to learn to keep my heels down in the canter, which is something I've had a lot of trouble with before. I also did feel really grounded, even though it was difficult at first, almost like I had more of a support block than before.
Tonight's lesson was fun. I feel like I'm learning a lot, and definitely improving in some areas (even thought I'm still struggling in others). And I'm really excited for pony camp in July! I'll write a blog post about that later. :)
We warmed up quickly today, doing S-curves and walk-halt transitions to help Captain loosen up and get ready, and then we did some half-halts into a trot. That's when you are walking and you almost halt completely but then you go right into a forward trot. It took a while (as usual) to get Captain to actually move faster than a slow walk, but I was able to get him into a decent trot after a little while.
After that we worked on cantering. I tried a few walk-canter transitions but I wasn't really ready for those yet so we just did trot-canter transitions. It was very frustrating because Captain kept cutting off every corner so we were making very small circles. It was tough to get him to go deep in the corner, especially at the trot and canter. The transitions were okay, and my instructor told me to get Captain in the biggest canter I could. She wanted to see if I could get him to go to the next level (galloping?), but I couldn't. It's hard enough, just because Captain's old, but throw some heat into that mix and it's even worse. And tonight wasn't nearly as hot as some other days this week have been!
Before I go on, I'll explain what two-point is. You've probably seen it when show jumpers go over a jump, although I wasn't taught to lean over that far - it's when your butt is off the saddle and your back is flattened out and stretched over the horse's neck (see picture). This is a good position to do to learn to keep your heels heavy, which of course is something I need to focus on. It's helpful for me to do it in the trot because it let's me know if my feet are in the correct position on the stirrup. If they are, I will feel grounded and balanced. If they're not, I feel pretty wobbly and insecure.
Anyway, usually I go into two-point in my warm up, but tonight my instructor told me to try it in a canter. I've seen people do it before but I myself have never attempted to do it. The first time I tried it, I felt like I couldn't really control Captain's speed, but once I tried again I was able to keep him going at a canter. It felt very strange to be in a canter without doing that rocking chair motion that I'm used to doing, but it got a little more comfortable after I'd done it a little more. It was actually a great way for me to learn to keep my heels down in the canter, which is something I've had a lot of trouble with before. I also did feel really grounded, even though it was difficult at first, almost like I had more of a support block than before.
Tonight's lesson was fun. I feel like I'm learning a lot, and definitely improving in some areas (even thought I'm still struggling in others). And I'm really excited for pony camp in July! I'll write a blog post about that later. :)
Monday, June 6, 2011
Lesson 6/6/11
Tonight's lesson was amazing! I hadn't ridden since two weeks ago, because my family and I were in Canada for a wedding, so I was very eager to ride again. It was good to see Captain again after all that time (it felt like forever to me!), even though he was a little grumpy when I groomed him - he kept swishing me with his tail and fidgeting a lot.
This week we worked on walk-canter and trot-canter transitions and bending. First we did a little review of my last lesson because I sort of forgot what we had done. Then I worked on my turns, because I still struggle a little with turning from my center first, rather than my hands first - it's my instinct just to turn my hands and pull, but you're supposed to turn using your seat and legs before you use your hand. When Captain was warmed up, we went into walk-canter transitions while doing figure-eights. It was relatively easy once Captain got moving, but before that he refused to move faster than a slow walk. The transitions were pretty smooth though, so I was happy with that. Then we kept doing transitions while doing lots of turns to help get Captain to bend, paying special attention to right turns and leads because that's Captain's weaker side - he has a harder time bending his body than with his left.
Overall though, frustrating as it was sometimes, this lesson was really satisfying. My mom talked to my instructor briefly afterwards while I was sponging off Captain (he gets really sweaty this time of year) and she said that my instructor said I was doing very, very well. That was a great boost of confidence that I needed, especially this week as I will be graduating very soon (!) and it's exam week. But once this week is over, I'll be able to focusly mainly on my riding, and nothing else! :)
This week we worked on walk-canter and trot-canter transitions and bending. First we did a little review of my last lesson because I sort of forgot what we had done. Then I worked on my turns, because I still struggle a little with turning from my center first, rather than my hands first - it's my instinct just to turn my hands and pull, but you're supposed to turn using your seat and legs before you use your hand. When Captain was warmed up, we went into walk-canter transitions while doing figure-eights. It was relatively easy once Captain got moving, but before that he refused to move faster than a slow walk. The transitions were pretty smooth though, so I was happy with that. Then we kept doing transitions while doing lots of turns to help get Captain to bend, paying special attention to right turns and leads because that's Captain's weaker side - he has a harder time bending his body than with his left.
Overall though, frustrating as it was sometimes, this lesson was really satisfying. My mom talked to my instructor briefly afterwards while I was sponging off Captain (he gets really sweaty this time of year) and she said that my instructor said I was doing very, very well. That was a great boost of confidence that I needed, especially this week as I will be graduating very soon (!) and it's exam week. But once this week is over, I'll be able to focusly mainly on my riding, and nothing else! :)
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