This is about the battle of the bulge, but let me clarify; even though the saddle is starting to make his butt look big, (don’t tell him I said that or he might whine), this article is not about that! Instead, it’s about his wanting to bulge inwards or the wrong way. I am challenged because I have to hold my outside arm back or by my side, as opposed to giving it away, which to my subconscious seems counter intuitive. I have to wage war against my instinct to let the outside arm release and in actuality, hold it. I’m learning how to keep my horse straight. I’m not used to that. Punky was so small there wasn’t much to straighten out.
It is different for everyone. Some people need to soften and some people need to hold or straighten. Hamster loves bending. Don’t get me wrong. He just likes to bend the wrong way! He bends outside when I want him to bend inside and vice-verse.
Hamster has been better on the whole. Sue thinks he has improved a lot. All I need to do is ride correctly and he will follow my lead. When I’m bad he’s bad. Funny how that works; when I’m good, he’s good.
I have been practicing taking him over raised trotting poles, but he cannot go over trotting poles if his head and neck are bent 90°. It is the same with jumping. It’s like running hurdles with a sideways body but frontwards legs. It is a lot harder. want him to develop confidence, not lose it. It’s especially hard when he exaggerates everything I do, the drama queen, err, I mean king. I’m a little uneven in my reins, presto, “L” shaped horse! He is the first horse that is actually teaching me what to do with my reins and legs. I know I need to work on my form. Punky for all his teaching me to stay on and giving me a Velcro butt, never taught me anything about the hands or steering with my legs. Punky is a pony with a pony attitude and I learned how to be defensive at times. On the other hand, I cannot yank Hamster side to side or be defensive. It just doesn’t work. Instead I must calmly steer with my legs.
All in all, Hamster has improved but still has a little to go. The same is true with me.