Lunge Lesson

The reason for delaying this post until today is because I really wanted to blog about a lesson that happened today, so I've decided to postpone what I was going to write about at the weekend until this weekend. Now that that's been explained; on with the post!

Some students at my university are training for their Preliminary Teaching Test so that they can go on to teach riders of all abilities. In order to do this, they need people to be the 'guinea pigs' if you will. I signed up to do this, and today I had my first lesson. It was a bit different as rather than the bog standard group lesson, I had to ride on the lunge as it is one of the skills the PTT candidates need to demonstrate. Keep in mind that I haven't sat on a horse since the week starting September 12th, and I may as well have been a new rider. All the hard work that went towards sorting out my lower leg issues (those of you who have read my previous blog posts will know all about this!) has basically come to nothing, so the girl teaching me had plenty to work with.

To start with, we did a bit of walk and trot (rising and sitting) on both reins, and it was quickly established that I have multiple problems. One of these is my back: I sit up straight, but my lower back is curved too much. This all ties in with my lower leg issues because if there is tightness in my hips and/or knees, then my lower leg will go forward. I have quite a weak core and I sometimes have issues with my back in day-to-day life, so I wasn't too surprised when we talked about this causing my leg problems. Nevertheless, it was decided that no-stirrup work was probably the best exercise to do as I was quite tight in legs.

Now I don't mind no stirrup work, because I know that it is beneficial. What I forgot about sitting trot is that when the pony gets going it becomes a bit less pleasant. It wasn't bouncy, but there was still leg tension (as the lesson was so short we couldn't really do exercises to lengthen them) which made it not as good as it could be. What was quite interesting was that even just five minutes of working without the stirrups made quite a bit of difference when I took the stirrups back. My leg was much closer to where it should be, and it was a lot easier to sit with my back less arched.

Riding on the lunge is something that has never been an option to me before, simply because it wasn't offered at my first riding school and I'm not even sure it is offered at the stables I currently ride out (I've never asked though, so don't quote me on that). It was really peculiar to have someone else in complete control of the horse, but it was great as it meant I could just concentrate on my position. I'm going to carry on with being a rider for the PTT students, and hopefully I'll be able to ride on the lunge again and try a couple of different exercises. Maybe I can be a project rider? Haha :)

Have you ever ridden on the lunge? How did you find it? Let me know!

Until next time...

Monty Roberts' Demonstration

For those of you who follow me on social media, you'll probably know that this weekend I got to see a Monty Roberts demonstration (you can follow me by clicking on any of the icons over on the right hand side of the screen) and oh my goodness, it was amazing.

Monty Roberts is one of the leading trainers in what has been dubbed Natural Horsemanship. I based my entire EPQ on the effects of natural horsemanship, and to see a live demonstration having completed that project only helped to reaffirm what I had learnt, and made me wonder what the future of the equine industry has in store. Roberts has many positive aspects, such as the basic principle of listening to the horses and letting them figure things out, rather than resorting to a whip and beating them into submission, which is kind of what happened in the past and still today in some places. Natural Horsemanship isn't for everyone in terms of practice, and indeed it is not perfect, but I think it is an improvement on what has been considered the norm for so many generations.

There were five horses involved in the demonstration. The first two were ponies, one of which was being started. This was the 'opening' horse for non-members of Intelligent Horsemanship (the event for members started at two hours earlier), and it was a great start. The little filly just did not care one bit, and was cool as a cucumber about both the saddle and the rider. Her only wobbly moment was when the rider, Jake Harris (and I do apologise if I got that name wrong - someone feel free to correct me if I have), asked her to rein back. She took a few steps back, but she was a bit all over the place. Nevertheless, it was incredible to see her started and I wish Penny and her owners all the best for the future.

The next pony was a very typical cheeky chappy. She'd clearly had some negative experiences being handled, because she had a whole long list of issues. If you were leading her and pulled in any way, shape, or form, she would rear up or pull back.  Frog did not want to be caught in the field - the moment you tried to attach the lead rope she was off like a racehorse. She didn't like her feet being touched, to the point where she had to be trotted on roads etc to give her hooves a 'natural' trim as the farrier was her arch nemesis, and I'm sure there were some other issues there too. It was really interesting to see her being worked in by Monty Roberts and the improvement by the end of the allotted amount of time was huge. Of course there were still instances where she would pull back, but theses were much fewer and far between. With correct handling her issues should fade almost completely. The fact that Jake was able to handle her legs as a farrier would, and that another member of the team (I'm really sorry, I forgot her name, I just know that she has helped Monty with wild mustangs. Again, if you know the correct name please let me know!) was able to run up to her while she was loose and make a fuss of her, was really great to see.

The next horse was a beautiful spotty horse who hated many things, but especially hated plastic. The intense reaction was awful to watch, because when Monty used a stick to touch the horse you could see him shaking. This was the horse that I struggled to watch, because this element I did disagree with. The horse was being restrained with the dually halter, and so I wouldn't say the horse had a free choice in learning to accept this element. It had a choice later to jump the tarpaulin 'stream' next to the 'lake', but I would have rather seen more time dedicated to the horse and have the build up be incremental. Maybe that's just me, but all the same I think both the horse and I were glad when the plastic was gone. He was then loaded, which he had issues with, and he was quite quick to adapt to that although he wasn't very sure-footed on the ramp!

The next two horses were both problem loaders, and given the time restriction Kelly worked with a very handsome cob whilst Monty worked with a bay called Chantelle. Both were worked over a wooden panel that was laid flat on the floor, and Monty also used fencing to create a narrow space to walk Chan through, so that she could get accustomed to the smaller space. I don't think the cob had as much time to be worked with, especially as he was being loaded first, so he took a bit more convincing to go in the trailer, but in the end both did. I'm sure their owners are all very happy about the success here, as they reported having to spend 5+ hours at home to attempt to get their horses loaded! Here's hoping the problem is now gone. 

A great bit of advice for problem loaders is to use a fence behind them and have them face the stables if possible - heading home is a lot more comforting to a horse than leaving it, and having no exits out back limits their options.

Overall it was a brilliant and thought provoking evening. I wish I had better pictures for you guys, but the whole demonstration was filmed by a cameraman from Horse & Country, so you'll probably see a great deal of the demonstration on TV at some point anyway. If you can get a chance to go see a demonstration in person, please do. You don't have to agree with all of his methods, but it is interesting from a behavioural stand point. For more information about the UK tour and to buy tickets, visit intelligenthorsemanship.co.uk

Until next time...

Pride & Prejudice theatre trip!

Hello, everyone!

This weekend I went to see a Pride and Prejudice theatre production with a twist - the entire cast compromised of only two actors! This production is put on by Two Bit Classics, and they've done an amazing job. With just two actors on stage, the audience gets to see Darcy, the Bingleys, the Bennets, Collins, the Gardiners, and Charlotte and Sir William Lucas to name just a few! It was very funny and entirely engaging, and you can probably get away with not knowing the story line before you go and see it (which I really recommend you do!).

To the left we have the design for the adverts etc, and on the right we have the stage set up (there is an additional chair next to the 'mantel piece' on the right hand side, but I accidentally cut that off!). If the production design doesn't tempt you to see it, I don't know what will as it is wonderfully whimsical~ The stage and prop designers really do deserve a round of applause for such a clever set!

The actors were absolutely incredible. The transitions between characters was seamless, and I don't think I'll forget Mary and Kitty in a hurry! The mannerisms of each character were well thought out, and the change between narrative and dialogue was spot on. Each bit of comedy only added to the performance, and nothing was left out. I honestly cannot remember the last time I enjoyed a trip to the theatre so much, and the friend who went with me was laughing just as much as I was and loved it just as much! I think the attention to detail, such as having different body language for each character, is what makes the production to fantastic. Nothing is ignored, and I'm not sure I'll ever be able to watch or read Pride & Prejudice again without remembering Kitty's cough.

If you would like to see the production (which you really should because it is totes awesome haha), then visit this link and you'll be able to see some photos as well as book tickets. The production will go to Bracknell, Exeter, Chesterfield, Colchester, Margate, Greenwich, Aberdeen, Livingstone, and Musselborough in the rest of this month alone, so you have to be quick to organise your trip out!

I simply can't recommend this show enough, and I would like to congratulate everyone who is part of the project for doing such an incredible job. Everything from props and costume to script writing to acting and music was just amazing and the atmosphere was perfect. Good luck with the rest of the tour, and I look forward to seeing what your company does next!

Until next time...

Learning to Lunge

This week I have tried my hand at lunging (or is it lungeing?) horses. It's all part of a horse handling module for my university course, and needless to say it was rather entertaining.

Some riders will have learnt to canter or worked on their sitting trot or any other number of things on a lunge line, or will have had a round pen at their riding school/stables in which to see the exercise in motion. I am not such a person; the closest I have been to a round pen is via Monty Roberts' demonstrations on Horse & Country, and Heartland via Netflix. This meant that I had to learn about tack that was entirely new to me on top of learning to actual practical element of lunging the horse! I wasn't alone in this, thankfully.

We were split up into groups. In my group, there were two people that knew what they were doing, and then me and another girl who didn't have a Scooby-Doo. The other girl and I helped one of the more competent individuals tack up a giant of a horse so we could start to get to grips with the cavesson headcollar and the side reins amongst other things. The original plan was for me to lunge the horse the other girl had tacked up, whilst the two I had been with in the stables took turns working with the horse the three of us had all tacked up. That didn't really work out, as the other horse turned lungeing into Join-Up after being startled by some students appearing in the gallery, so we were getting no where fast - but it was absolutely hilarious, and even the member of staff with us couldn't resist a little play!

Picture courtesy of Pixabay. Shows a horse being lunged in a headcollar,
and wearing boots to prevent injury. What other tack would you usually
see on a horse being lunged? 

When it was actually my turn to lunge, I quickly discovered that there is more to it than just standing turning on the spot and using voice aids. The gentle giant was a tad lazy so frequently required you to step closer in an authoritative manner to keep him trotting. There was also the fact that because of his size and his age, the circle had to be slightly larger than usual, so walking around my own small circle was kind of a must. Sorting out the knitting (which is a brilliant term for the length of lunge line coiled in your hand) was a bit more fiddly than I would have anticipated as well. It wasn't so much all fingers and thumbs as much as just letting it get a bit slack and then not really being able to wrap it back around my hand as I was using the whip to keep him moving. 

There are multiple reasons for lungeing, such as for training young horses and exercising horses that are exuberant or have been out of work for a while, but there are other reasons too. If a horse has a sore/injured back and/or is being brought back into work as part of rehabilitation then lungeing can help develop the muscle and build up strength. This does require extra care to make sure the workload is equal on both reins, and in some cases may be unsuitable (long-reining may be a better option as the horse is moving in a straight line), but it is a very useful method for bringing a horse back up to condition when it is too soon to be introducing the weight of a rider. Alternatively, a horse might be lunged if the human is injured and is unable to ride for whatever reason. This should again only be done if it is safe to do so - I really wouldn't recommend someone with a broken arm or leg going to lunge a horse, especially if it has been out of work and has a lot of pent up energy!

If you can learn to lunge, I would recommend it. You'll need the skill for some of the BHS qualifications, and if you ever own a horse then it would be a great skill to have. Why not contact your local stables to see if it's possible to lunge? 

Until next time...