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Post by olivia on Oct 31, 2009 16:51:58 GMT -1
Finally got round to clearing the school so I could do some proper work tonight on Tilly and she was mostly very good, but she's a swine about ignoring my inside leg. Particularly on the left rein.
She will leg yield and do shoulder in on both reins, but for some reason struggles to move the idea of bending around my inside leg to doing circles and she does her best seaside donkey bending to the outside, leaning inwards rushing unbalanced nag impression. Which is frustrating because I know she CAN do - she chooses not to because it's harder work.
Any good ideas as to how to encourage her to do this. At the moment I'm backing up my leg with a schooling whip - but it only works when I use it - she then goes back to ignoring it again. Same if I give her a bit more of a boot with my inside leg - she'll react for a few strides then ignores it again.
I didn't try the spiralling in, leg yielding out thing today - I should have but didn't think of it! Are there any other exercises or tips I could use?
Ta muchly
Olivia
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Post by SuzieP on Oct 31, 2009 17:08:30 GMT -1
I think you've hit the nail on the head when you say that she chooses not to do listen because it's hard work. It may be that the only way to crack this is......lots of hard work for both of you. Bea's the same - hard work on the left rein, which is my weaker side too. I do find that a short whip tapped down his inside shoulder reminds him to bend, backed up with a strong aid from my inside leg. I also have a bad habit of trying to support him too much with my inside rein and my instructor has been getting me to ask for the bend and give the rein away so that he has to support himself.
The spiralling in is a good exercise, plus lots of work on the left rein to build her muscle.
Good luck. I'm dreadfully one-sided to the extent that if I'm schooling alone I find I spend too much time on the right rein because it's easier. I have to really push myself to work on the left rein and keep my mind on the fact that the more I do it, the easier it'll get. Well, that's the theory anyway.
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Post by Anna on Oct 31, 2009 17:12:53 GMT -1
Hi, Annie does this sometimes in particular to spook around an object (its an evasion for her), in order to get her to listen to my inside leg I raise my inside hand (literally upwards), put the leg on as much as possible and reinforce it with just a short whip bouncing off her shoulder (not actually hitting as such but just saying "i'm here"). The spirals are a great exercise for bend as is doing a 3-looped serpentine but put a 10m loop at the top of each section as such. Or doing continuously 10m loops down the side of the school but switch lead as you cross x each time (so switch circle direction).
Anna
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Post by JoM on Nov 1, 2009 7:25:07 GMT -1
If i am doing circles and he is ignoring my inside leg and continuing to fall in, my instructor makes me put my leg in front of the saddle and give his shoulder a good firm tap with the side of my foot.
It is a good shock tactic and i only have to do it the once. A word to the warning thougt - last time i did it my leather got wedged on the front of the saddle and he stapped away from the leg rather smartly - we nearly parted company LOL But it works for us!!
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Post by harveydales on Nov 1, 2009 7:37:48 GMT -1
If she's doing it just because it's hard work and understands leg aids then another thing you can do is ask her to bend the "wrong" way on a circle for a while which will be even harder work if done correctly so the reward will be to go correctly to your inside leg.
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Post by southerner on Nov 1, 2009 19:13:41 GMT -1
Double check your hips are doing what you think they are in case she is making your hips go one way and your legs another - dales can be good at that one!
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Post by olivia on Nov 1, 2009 20:34:06 GMT -1
Thanks guys - lots of things to check and try!
I'll get back to you once I've had a play
Olivia
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Post by Deleted on Nov 2, 2009 15:48:40 GMT -1
Beauty does this on the right rein - however I think its more me than her as I'm very stiff on that side too. My instructor always says, 'before you ask, make sure you are allowing her to do it' Which is particularly helpful to me as is reminds me to loosen up my hip allowing her to bend.
Spiralling is very good too and doing a 20m circle and asking for the wrong bend.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 30, 2010 10:41:37 GMT -1
what i find works when they are ignoring the inside leg is more is leg, flex them to the inside and put more weight in an opening outside rein(which sometimes is a lot of weight!)
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Post by cutemangurdi1 on Apr 17, 2010 9:01:23 GMT -1
I find the exercise Pam suggested very good- frequently used in western to help issues such as this one. Ditto what Anna does (not tried it with the whip though). Are your shoulders following the direction of travel? Just check they aren't stiff and giving a mixed message out.
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Post by marlon2010 on Sept 6, 2011 14:23:32 GMT -1
Check out books by Phillipe Karl or Craig Stevens. You can find lots of in hand excercises to supple up the shoulders / neck / 1/4s making it easier for your pony to bend and flex under saddle. There might be a leg and whip lesson in there too. I would start from the ground and work your way up. I was going to try and explain it here but it could take forever  L |
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