3 biggest things to take away from this lesson:
1. Softening my left hand
2. ‘Finish off’ the lateral movement
3. Squeeze with the knees
- Softening my left hand – I tend to either block or ask for too much bend/flexion to the left. I know I do this, so need to be much more aware of it!
- ‘Finish off’ the lateral movement – not allowing the last few strides of the leg yield (or half pass) to drift on a diagonal line – finish off the movement by thinking about riding his quarters out through the fence.
- Squeeze with the knees – helping to balance for either a transition or Give & Retake.
Another walking warm up to compliment the 10m circles exercise. Ride a box/square with a quarter turn about the forehand at each corner, and leg yield (quarters to the wall) on each side. Doesn’t need to be a big square, but enough to maintain the forward movement – turn ABOUT the forehand keeping the forward motion and remembering to ride forward on the last step, using the outside leg to control the final step of the turn about the forehand (I was over riding the turn and therefore not going straight on to the next straight line). Make sure the leg yield is on 4 tracks and is even on both reins.
Moving into trot and riding a leg yield from the 5m line or the centre line – being precise about where the leg yield finished (E; V; K etc.) this makes sure I am in control of the forward and sideways movement. This was (as usual) much more correct in leg yield to the left (with my right leg and hand as the inside leg and hand). In leg yield to the right (with my left leg and hand being the inside aids) as this is where my left hand was asking for too much bend/over flexing and therefore he was either ‘getting stuck’ or falling out through the right shoulder. This is where ‘finishing off’ the lateral movement was important – I was tending to get almost to the track and letting him drift the last few strides on a diagonal line – I must ride the finish of the leg yield as though I’m pushing his quarters through the fence.
This exercise is where ‘finishing off’ the lateral movement was important – I was tending to get almost to the track and letting him drift the last few strides on a diagonal line – I must ride the finish of the leg yield as though I’m pushing his quarters through the fence.
Moving into canter, make wire that the canter ‘matches’ the trot – I tens to dribble into a small canter and it therefore looks weak. I need to ride into working canter from the first stride. If I feel I can’t easily do a rising canter, then the canter needs to move more forward with better jump!
We finished off with an exercise that I found it hard to get my head around to start with!! Simple really though once I understood what the exercise was…. Long diagonal line (e.g. M to K), alternating between riding the diagonal and riding leg yield to the opposite wall. This really helped with leg yield to the right, as I was able to ride a few strides straight towards the diagonal and rebalance my aids, checking correct flexion (there’s no bend in leg yield) and making sure he was going forwards and then sideways, rather than sideways and then forwards!! I’ll need to keep practicing this one.