You remember training wheels? You were not quite big enough for a two wheeler, but your neighbor kids are riding away independently, and your parents are already worried you are falling behind. So they get you a bike with training wheels. You can go chicken-shit slow and cautious, definitely not fast enough to kick in the stabilizing gyroscopic force which protects the aforementioned athletically endowed neighbors.
Well, clever trainers can create training wheels for us amateurs. Get a horse straight and balanced and confident and they can jump the world. So, we were instructed to go through the gymnastic, downward transition to a working trot, then downward transition to a sitting trot, get the bend and flexion, get COMPLETELY organized, straight to the fence, pick up the correct lead, and go jump it. Afterwards, on the straight line, downward transition to a trot and repeat, several times.
When the lesson was done and over and our ponies got a well deserved walk back to the barn, a roll in the turnout and a second grooming, we could not resist measuring the efforts. 3'5", 3'6", and 3'9". Really really really. I know there is a big difference between doing this exercise and keeping it together over an entire course, but totally appreciate the training wheels!
No comments:
Post a Comment