Roger Lesson Raws | Original audio with instructor/coach's comments

Hello! I managed to drag someone along to my lesson this week to take videos AND I was back on my favourite Dodger pony for the first time in almost 5 months! I thought some of you might be interested in seeing the unedited clips of our flat lesson so you can see & hear what we were working on. Sorry I know some people might find this type of video boring 🙈

It was a slightly frustrating but generally good lesson - 100% one of those rides that looks better in the video afterwards than it felt at the time 😂 It was basically just frustrating because it took me about 30mins to actually remember how to ride Roger…! He was a little bit tense and stiff, but more off my leg than I was expecting (especially given the size of his tummy at the moment!) and once he’d started to relax more by the end we got in a nice rhythm and it all felt much better 👌

The left rein was definitely more of a struggle that the right, which has always been the case, but Roger really found it difficult to soften on the left in this ride- to be fair the left rein is my bad rein too, so I wasn’t exactly helping him!! I was also so focused on getting him moving forward that I ended up letting him rush, which is his default way of getting out of using his body properly when he finds something a bit difficult.

This is just 4 1/2 mins of a 45 minute lesson, so there’s a lot you didn’t see including plenty of breaks, transitions, circles & serpentines, lateral work, poles etc. but we were mainly working on getting Roger to relax and reach down into an elastic contact rather than tightening through his neck and tucking his nose in.

I’m very happy I got to ride my favourite pony again and it was a nice treat after all the new green ones I’ve been riding recently! 😊

🚨For a bit of balance, I would appreciate it if anyone leaving rude or negative criticism/tips/advice would also donate at least £1 to a charity of their choice 😊

QOTD: Have you got up to anything interesting over the Easter break?

Ponies/horses:
Roger - 14hh piebald gelding

Camera: Canon 55D

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⬇️ FAQs ⬇️

🔵 DO YOU OWN THE HORSES & PONIES IN YOUR VIDEOS?
No, all the horses & ponies belong to a lovely riding school, or are working liveries at the same yard.

🔵 WILL YOU EVER GET YOUR OWN HORSE?
I would love to own a pony one day, but for now I am more than happy having weekly lessons on the fantastic riding school horses & ponies.

🔵 WHY DO YOU ALWAYS JUMP THE SAME HEIGHT?
These riding school ponies usually jump more than once a week, and sometimes more than once a day, so we don’t jump ‘big’ except on special occasions to ensure the ponies stay sound and live long, happy lives. Fence height has very little to do with jumping technique or experience.

🔵 HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN RIDING FOR?
I’ve been having weekly lessons in riding schools for 16 years now!

🔵 IF YOU’VE BEEN RIDING FOR SO LONG, WHY DON’T YOU COMPETE?
I have no personal interest in competing or jumping huge tracks. I ride for fun, simple as that!

🔵 WHY ARE THE HORSES ALREADY TACKED UP WHEN YOU APPROACH THEM?
This is a busy riding school & livery yard and so the lesson horses are tacked up by the staff who work there to ensure they are ready to leave the yard on time and have been tacked up correctly.

🔵 DO THE HORSES STAY TACKED UP 24/7?
No. The horses are only tacked up right before their lessons and spend the rest of their time turned out in grass fields.

🔵 WHO IS ROBIN FROM YOUR VIDEOS?
Robin is my mum and she rides with me in my lesson every week. She's 66 and fearless as ever!