Riding Video, October 2008

[glenatron]

The weekend before last we borrowed a video camera and took a bit of film of one another with our horses in the school. This is a brief edit from mine- it was kind of an average session, not amazing but not terrible either, so it's actually quite representative of where we are right now - starting to get some good vertical flexion, starting to get a bit of canter, me starting to get a better position but still forgetting about it from time to time. Lots of starts there. Hopefully it will be a good marker to compare with in future.

One thing I'm really conscious of after watching it is that my hands are way forward- I may as well just hang onto his ears for steering. Also in the little bit of groundwork at the start there, it's clear how lame I still am.

Double highscore to the first person to recognise both tunes.

Comments

[skiesfirepaved.livejournal.com]

What a lovely video! :) I adore your stables, I want an American barn and a lovely big sand school like that. I'm impressed you got on without using the stirrups too haha, I am so not that flexible (although to be fair most of the horses I ride are a few inches taller/wider than Zorro...).

Are the rope/reins just to make it easier for switching quickly between groundwork and ridden?

[glenatron.livejournal.com]

The longer rope is a Mecate ( pronounced more or less Maccarty ) which runs through a slobber-strap on each side of the bit, round as the rein and the tail forms a lead rope. The rope is quite nice on the hand and the slobber straps give you quite a clear feel, but the big advantage for me is that I can use it hacking out and not need to leave a halter on as well. I was mostly using it for schooling because I like the feel of it and because it's what's on the bridle at the moment. I'm probably riding a bit english for such an essentially western piece of kit.

Getting on without stirrups is less about flexiblity and more about a very tall mounting block and very long legs...

[penella22.livejournal.com]

well said.

[penella22.livejournal.com]

first of all, when posting videos of oneself, no need to bash yourself to bits just to beat us to the punch...you're posting a video of yourself, which is a brave thing, and i think you'll notice everyone on LJ who posts videos of themselves riding or working with their horses is inevitably tempted to post a million criticisms of themselves, but there's no need to really because no one's perfect...

I realized as I started to post some self-depracating comments on my video post last week that I could go on and on and on...and I decided it was better to just not go into the whole thing, lol.

Feel free to watch me doing groundwork for lameness comparisons that will keep you in good company.

And from what little I can see, your hands are *not* near his ears!!! I see far too many people hanging their hands into the mane and dragging on their horse's mouth that way, and I think leaving your hands too far forward with not enough bend at the elbow is a far better mistake to make as far as your horse is concerned.

I can't hear the music at all, so no guesses from me...maybe its a vista problem? (when in doubt, I blame Vista).

[glenatron.livejournal.com]

It's true enough, I do tend to pre-empt the worst of what I see, but damnit, I know how good I ought to be. I kind of feel like I'm letting everyone down by not being that good yet.

I'm pretty sure you'll be a lot less lame than me on the ground, unless you manage to get yourself kicked between now and then. I'm actually quite happy with the groundwork we were doing- seemed like quite a passable clover-leaf to me- but my hopping along to keep up with him on the straights does make me laugh.

[harnessphoto.livejournal.com]

you two are looking good! i especially loved the ground work at the beginning.

[glenatron.livejournal.com]

Thank you. At some point I want to get a bit of our liberty work on video, but I think I'll wait until I can run again...

[life-of-tom.livejournal.com]

Well, I know the music, since you told me what it was whilst you were picking it. It all looks rather accomplished to me, though of course I've never got further than 'dig your heels in a bit to make them trot for about ten seconds, then wonder if you're hurting them and stop,' so I'm not much of a judge. I'd imagine this works a bit like recording your playing, though- you find yourself noticing all these tiny little imperfections that weren't apparent at the time, or to anyone around you...

[glenatron.livejournal.com]

Absolutely. I know how good I should be and although I doubt I'll ever be able to ride that well, it still seems as though I should somehow...

[stu-the-elder.livejournal.com]

Despite my ability to pick out lyrics from songs and then Google them, Google didn't come up with the goods on the first one, so bollocks to Google. It sounds a bit like the Barenaked Ladies, but it probably isn't.

Okay, on reflection, I've decided it is in fact the Barenaked Ladies in both songs. I still don't know what the songs are though.

I claim triple highscore for ineptitude.

- Crumpwright

[glenatron.livejournal.com]

No hiscore for you, although you do score a single point for identifying one of the artists. The other remains beyond even your capacious musical knowledge, it seems.