2012 London Olympic Games Eventing - First Horse Inspection

2012 London Olympic Games Eventing - First Horse Inspection

2012 London Olympic Games Eventing - First Horse Inspection
(image via chronofhorse) 

Nicola Wilson and Opposition Buzz

Opposition Buzz sported a lovely rose quarter mark. (image via chronofhorse) 

Marcio Carvalho Jorge and Josephine

Josephine showed off an non-traditional braid job in the first horse inspection 

with rider Marcio Carvalho Jorge of Brazil. (image via chronofhorse) 

Niklas Lindback's Mister Pooh

Mister Pooh also wore crown quarter marks, of a different style. (image via chronofhorse)

Niklas Lindback's Mister Pooh

Mister Pooh showed off blue and yellow yarn in his braids as he trotted up 

with Niklas Lindback of Sweden. (image via chronofhorse)

Caroline Powell and Lenamore

Caroline Powell and the 20-year-old veteran Lenamore looked calm and collected 

before jogging up for New Zealand. (image via chronofhorse)

        Just sharing some great photos of the 2012 London Olympic Games Eventing - the First Horse Inspection. For more photos and video, simply click 2012 London Olympic First Horse Inspection

It's Yana's Birthday on Sunday!

Reminds me of how Yana looks
when she doesn't get to ride because of the rainy season
(image via ottenbein)

        It's Yana's eleventh birthday on Sunday. Guess what she wishes for birthday gift?
        Oh well, as my hubby tells me, "Why do you even bother to ask when you very well know what she would say?"
        I guess it's because Yana can be full of surprises at times. Maybe one day, she'll give a totally unexpected answer and surprise us. Let's see how Sunday goes. I just hope the sun would shine for us to be outdoors.

Yana with school horse "Morgan" after their ride

Just something for a quick laugh (image via funny birthday)

"What is A Wrong Lead and A Right Lead at Canter?"

"Wrong lead?"

        I often hear this during Yana's horseback riding lesson when they are asked to canter.
        "Wrong lead Yana", her instructor would say. "Slow down and try again."
        And after a couple of tries, Yana would get it right.
        "There you go!" says her instructor. "Good!"
        As an onlooker, I can't really tell the right lead from the wrong lead. On the other hand, Yana can tell the difference when she watches other riders - but says she still can't feel the proper lead when she rides.
        After researching, I find the easiest explanation about the proper lead at canter to be as follows.

    Leads at the Canter

What is a Lead? When a pony canters, his front and hind legs on one side reach out ahead of the other, like a person skipping. If his left leg is ahead, he is on the left lead. If his right legs are ahead, he is on the right lead.
Why Should a Pony Canter on the Proper Lead? When a pony canters around a ring, or on a turn, he should be on the correct lead. His inside legs must be ahead, so he can balance safely around the turns. If his outside legs are ahead, he is on the wrong lead. (You can try this yourself if you skip with one leg in front of the other. It is easy to turn toward the leg that you are leading with, but if you turn the other way, your legs cross and you can't balance as well.)
How Can You Tell Which Lead Your Pony Is Cantering On? Your pony must be on a steady canter, and you must be sitting deep and tall.
1. Take a quick peek at your pony's inside shoulder (the one toward the center of the ring). You  may see the tip of his toe coming out in front of the shoulder. If you see his toe, he is on the correct lead.
2. Take a quick peek at both shoulders. When the pony is on the inside lead, the outside shoulder moves first and shorter, and the inside shoulder moves second and longer.
Caution: Just take a quick peek. Don't ride along with your head down looking at the shoulders or lean forward to look. That could put you off balance. With more experience in the canter, you will be able to feel the difference between a correct lead and a wrong lead.  

(Source: The U.S. Pony Club Manual of Horsemanship - Basic for Beginners) 

image via the fun learning

Similar Articles :  "What is wrong lead?"
                            "Correct Canter Leads?"
                            "Pick-up the Correct Canter Lead Every Time"

Rain, rain, go away... Yana wants to ride today...

Wet from the rain (image via all kidding aside)

        It's Saturday and it's been raining since yesterday. Weather forecast says it will be raining 'til Monday. So, I guess its just not Yana's day today- No matter how much she wishes the rain to go away! July has more rains compared to last June.
        I remember of a time when Yana was having a pleasure ride and it rained. It was just last month. Guess what happened?

"Yana's Pleasure Ride and it Rains" video
        The other riders in the video are the stables' grooms. 

Yana's pleasure ride with the grooms (in the rain)

image via dont give up world

Horseback Riding Lesson - Doing Circles on Canter

Yana - Horseback Riding Lesson with "Rain"

Doing Circles on Canter - Yana's Horseback Rising Lesson video 

            

        It takes some time for a rider to develop the confidence to canter. A rider is ready to canter once his seat, balance and control improves. Yana went through hours and hours of training to develop her balance on a horse. And she's still developing it. I guess it's a continuous thing... Just like if you really wanna learn to drive- then you have to spend time driving! 

        Yana is still developing her full confidence to ride. There are set-backs at times especially after experiencing some fall. But she really enjoys being able to canter now. A riding session is incomplete without doing canter. Bitin kapag walang canter.

        Learning horseback riding is really not as easy as it looks. It's like learning to drive a conveyance that is alive with its own mind and feelings. The rider must be well aware of his surroundings taking attention of things that may spook or surprise the horse; such as a passing helicopter, a lightning and thunder in a cloudy sky, a loud honk from a car, and others. 

        A horse rider must keep this in mind other than keeping his balance, good seat, maintaining a posture, holding the reins right, keeping the heels down, maneuvering the horse inside the arena, controlling horse speed, and listening to the teacher's instructions.

        There are some basic "aids" by which a rider communicates with his horse. The rider's natural aids are his hands, legs, seat, and voice. The artificial aids are things like the crops and spurs.

        Leg aids and rein aids are used to do circles with your horse. The Simple Leg Aids according to the Pony Club Manual of Horsemanship are: Both legs (used in short squeezes or nudges)- ask the horse to move forward or increase speed; One leg in normal position near the girth- asks the horse to move forward and bend or turn in that direction (left leg for left turn). It can also be used as preventing aid, to tell the horse not to cut  corners; One leg a little behind the girth (about 4 inches)- asks the horse to move his hindquarters sideways. It can also be used as a preventing aid to tell the horse not to swing his hind legs sideways.

        As Yana went on to canter with "Rain", I can hear the horse's hoofs making rhythmic sound against the sand covered grounds of the arena. The canter is a three-beat gait. It sounds like "one, two, three." 

        As her Mom, I often feel nervous hearing this three-beat gait - because it means she's riding on a faster gait. But whenever I see my daughter's face - I see how happy she is - as if she's been in heaven after a good canter, I simply console myself with prayers. And with each riding lesson accomplished, I get to understand more and more just how deeply passionate she is about riding horses.

A happy Yana after a good canter