My lesson with Lani this morning went really, really well again. This time, it was just me and one other girl, so I got plenty of individual attention. I really am learning a lot from Lani, even though she mainly teaches only beginners, because I'm sorry to say (but it's true) Barb never really took the time or effort to teach us the basics. I've learned quite a bit from reading so much, but there's still more to learn. Today, I learned that as a rule of thumb, you should be able to fit 4 fingers between the elbow (at the top of the front leg) to the girth of the saddle. At Barb's I was just "taught" to throw it on where it looks right. I rode a cute mare named Splash today, and she had to be lunged before the lesson, so I learned what you're actually supposed to do with the reins when you lunge a horse (I always just used a halter because I didn't know what to do with them). I also learned about your body positioning while lunging, the horse's body language while lunging, and things like that. It was actually really helpful and informative. When I got on, I learned even more still. She actually is a very good instructor when she takes the time and effort to be one. She gave me exercises to do that will help improve my riding, which will help me out all summer when I'm riding without any instruction! She had me do crazy stuff - first staying up out of the saddle for two beats and sitting down for one beat while posting the trot, and then vice versa. It eventually led up to me staying up for 6 beats of the trot, down for 1, doing that 3 times, and then staying down for 6 beats and posting up for 1. And then she had me post the canter (which is not natural and quite difficult, but good for your legs). She's helping me learn to use my legs and body more - rather than just my hands and heels. I've developed that tendency I think from riding so many different horses and having such intense lessons. I get nervous about the horse and just pull or kick, or I'm afraid that if I really use my body and core muscles, then I'll get tired early on in the lesson and not be able to keep up with the class, when in reality it's the opposite. If I just relax and use my whole body to ride, I'll be less tired in certain areas (I'll use my whole body, not just certain parts), and the horses will listen better. Another exercise that she had me do that will help at the canter is holding the reins in one hand and putting the other either on my hip or the back of the saddle. I tend to lean forward and pull on the reins (less work for my thighs and seat), which gives me no control over a horse that wants to run off, and I follow the horse's mouth so much with my hands and not my seat, that it looks like - as Lani puts it - I'm at a baseball game cheering. Haha. It's something to keep in mind and work on. When I put my hand on my hip, I move my hands less, and when I put it on the back of the saddle, I use my seat and sit in the saddle better. She also gave us a little anatomy lesson on thigh muscles and corrected our positions while we were at the halt, which is always helpful. I feel like I've learned so much in these two lessons with Lani - possibly more than both semesters of group PE classes.
