SJ Lesson with Jonna
Six weeks always flies by and Jonna is here once again. As per usual I have 2 lessons, show jumping and cross country.
I have every other Friday off work which means I have extra pony time, so I had my show jumping lesson Friday. Sadly it means no pictures but thats ok, you all have imaginations 😛
Jonna asked how we had been going so I told him about how Henry wasn't handling warming up at competitions very well. We spoke at length about it and Jonna gave me a list of things I need to do from now on. It's basically what I do in lessons, but I always struggle to do at competitions so I need to focus on it and tick each box off. The next completion we do I need to pretend it's just training and write it off if I need to. Jonna thinks that XC has probably made Henry more tense rather than more relaxed.
We started the lesson by Jonna asking me if I could turn the canter on and off from my leg position. So outside leg back is on and if I slide it forward, it turns the canter off and Henry should trot. Coolie has this button but Henry doesn't so we worked on it a little bit but I need to practice it at home lots, especially int he next week. It will smooth my transitions out in a test because I'm not interfering with the horse.
We got into course work pretty quickly and Henry was being really good, popping everything quietly. we came down the related line, which was the same as in my lesson before Capel, and he stopped at the second jump, which had fill in it. I was pleased by this (but also not for obvious reasons!) because he has been stopping a little bit out and about. So Jonna had me get Henry to sniff it, then I rein back to straighten him and turned left away from the jump since Henry had wanted to turn right in his refusal. We came back down the line and Henry jumped no problem. Jonna said I can't trust the horse but I need to trust the training and let Henry make mistakes. Our homework for this problem is to jump anything and everything, so I need to get inventive at home!
We did a course and Jonna picked up that I wasn't staying with Henry enough when he was taking long spots. I was told I needed to have jelly arms and to under ride the fences. So I had to set Henry up, and once he was in the canter we needed leave hm alone and allow my arms to go soft. This improved me hugely, and it also allowed me to see a stride earlier and ensure Henry was in self carriage.
Once I had jelly arms things happened much better and our rounds were really smooth. I felt really solid in my riding and my position, something that I feel has been missing recently. The only other change Jonna had me make was to ride a little quieter with my leg coming into a fence. I tend to kick to take off but it was disturbing Henry too much so I need to just squeeze my calf. I was however very good with my upper body and not shoving it at jumps which is an improvement.
I was so pleased that Henry stopped in my lesson, it means there is a hole somewhere. It's interesting that he is doing this when we have worked over fill a lot. I think going out competing has made him a little less confident and possible changed how I ride too.
This was a very productive lesson and I feel like we definitely made headway with a few things, and I have a good plan going forward. I know I need to jump more and I am making it my business to find weird and wonderful things for Henry to jump over. I will also be thinking jelly arms from now on too!
I have every other Friday off work which means I have extra pony time, so I had my show jumping lesson Friday. Sadly it means no pictures but thats ok, you all have imaginations 😛
Jonna asked how we had been going so I told him about how Henry wasn't handling warming up at competitions very well. We spoke at length about it and Jonna gave me a list of things I need to do from now on. It's basically what I do in lessons, but I always struggle to do at competitions so I need to focus on it and tick each box off. The next completion we do I need to pretend it's just training and write it off if I need to. Jonna thinks that XC has probably made Henry more tense rather than more relaxed.
We started the lesson by Jonna asking me if I could turn the canter on and off from my leg position. So outside leg back is on and if I slide it forward, it turns the canter off and Henry should trot. Coolie has this button but Henry doesn't so we worked on it a little bit but I need to practice it at home lots, especially int he next week. It will smooth my transitions out in a test because I'm not interfering with the horse.
We got into course work pretty quickly and Henry was being really good, popping everything quietly. we came down the related line, which was the same as in my lesson before Capel, and he stopped at the second jump, which had fill in it. I was pleased by this (but also not for obvious reasons!) because he has been stopping a little bit out and about. So Jonna had me get Henry to sniff it, then I rein back to straighten him and turned left away from the jump since Henry had wanted to turn right in his refusal. We came back down the line and Henry jumped no problem. Jonna said I can't trust the horse but I need to trust the training and let Henry make mistakes. Our homework for this problem is to jump anything and everything, so I need to get inventive at home!
We did a course and Jonna picked up that I wasn't staying with Henry enough when he was taking long spots. I was told I needed to have jelly arms and to under ride the fences. So I had to set Henry up, and once he was in the canter we needed leave hm alone and allow my arms to go soft. This improved me hugely, and it also allowed me to see a stride earlier and ensure Henry was in self carriage.
Once I had jelly arms things happened much better and our rounds were really smooth. I felt really solid in my riding and my position, something that I feel has been missing recently. The only other change Jonna had me make was to ride a little quieter with my leg coming into a fence. I tend to kick to take off but it was disturbing Henry too much so I need to just squeeze my calf. I was however very good with my upper body and not shoving it at jumps which is an improvement.
I was so pleased that Henry stopped in my lesson, it means there is a hole somewhere. It's interesting that he is doing this when we have worked over fill a lot. I think going out competing has made him a little less confident and possible changed how I ride too.
This was a very productive lesson and I feel like we definitely made headway with a few things, and I have a good plan going forward. I know I need to jump more and I am making it my business to find weird and wonderful things for Henry to jump over. I will also be thinking jelly arms from now on too!
oh I miss having lessons like that!! Sounds like you guys got thru some good things and also I am the same way I want my horse to have issues in the lesson otherwise why? HA HA HA.....jelly arms love it!
ReplyDelete