AboutChristine Dickinson Expertise can answer questions on training and showing, ring craft, english style riding, and dress for the sho ring
Experience been riding since I was 2 years old, qualified as an instructor more years ago than I care to remember and has owned ponies and horses all my life, shown and won extensively
Question Hi Christine,
It's been awhile, but I am progressing and have another question. Bambi and I are doing great. I think (finally,,) she trusts me and she is actually starting to bond with me. She still has her moments, but we are working through them. We have been moving right along and have started cantering, but we are having an issue picking up the right lead. If you remember, we had trouble even trotting when I first bought her! I can get her into a canter (though we are still working on her transitions) but most of the time it's on the wrong lead. I had one of the girls that also boards where I do, ride Bambi (This girl also has a mare and has been riding all her life - very experienced) and she could get her in the right lead but said she "has a hard time" getting there. I know it's mostly me and the fact that I don't have a ton of experience, but Bambi isn't sure what to do either. What cues can I give her that she will pick up and learn what I am asking her for? I am working on lifting/using the right rein and using outside leg pressure to indicate a right lead and vice versa for a left lead, but is there something else I would be doing as well? I don't want to confuse her because it upsets her when she can't figure out what I am asking. She is SOOOO smart and I know I can teach her how to do this. I taught her how to neck rein and she learned it in about 2 seconds!
Any ideas?
Answer Hi Susuan
Funnily enough I was only thinking about you and Bambi the other day! Wondering how things were going
Ok what you have here is Bambi doing counter canter, which is fine if you are doing advanced dressage moves, but not so good if you are not! I know how frustrating it can be as my daughters mare used to do this all the time until we got her out of it.
What you are doing is ok, but as you say it might jsut confuse Bambi a little bit.
Simpler but longer way is this................. ask her for the canter, when you feel her going off on the wrong lead leg, then bring her back again to a walk and halt, set off again, and again and again, for as long as it takes.............. patience and patience again for this one. The penny will drop for her and she will get it suprisingly quickly once she has figured it out, get it wrong and mum stops me, get it right we carry on. Its just another step along the path. You have come so far the pair of you and I really am very proud of you both.......like you said she is smart and she will soon get what you are asking of her........ just a little more patience and its there!
