Hoppla hoppla!
We are now here for four days and the time passes frighteningly fast! Apart from lying in the sunshine by the pool and watching each other ride, we have also done some sight seeing. The views are magnificent and the general atmosphere quite relaxed.
Yesterday was the day of the second lesson we got to switch horses and I got rid of the portugese saddle. Instead I found a very flat english version, size 17, ouch! The horse of today was slightly bigger than the one yesterday and 9 years old. Very soft and supple. T got the smaller more energetic horse and the portugese saddle, wich takes some time to get accustomed to. Apparently we where calmer, more relaxed and more aware of our bodies this time, so we got to do some more advanced riding. Our german instructor Petra was still very patient and good at explaining. 
We walked backwards in a halg eight using only our legs and hips. Amazing! A good way to make the horse use the back and to both relax and collect him. We also got to canter in smaller circles around cones, until almost the size of a big pirouette, using legs and hips.
In the evening we practised hipmovements on the kichen chaits to get the right feeling gor the canter.To sit normally on the chair, fairly much in front, with both legs on the floor, just like normal. With the hips make a moveent to get the chair on just one leg, with balance. To find the feeling of the right canter, balance on the right front leg of the chair. Takes some training!
We also got to try some piaffe and practise differently long strides of trot, keeping the rythm. The horses are sensitive and at one point my outer shoulder was too far back and I got no reaction from the horse. "Get a better possition and let your outer shoulder follow the shoulder of the horse!" And voilá! Suddenly the horse was as eager as ever and I was astouned to get so much reacton from such a small movement.
The horses are all very intelligent and easy learners. One of the older stallion likes to play a trick when he is tied up outside his box and turns the nob of the water, so that suddenly it starts flowing water all over the floor and he gets a reason to get everyone all excited. Another old gelding knows how to opens the doorhandles to the other boxes so that he can pick a fight with the other stallions when bored... Horses with a sense of humour?
Today we finally got to ride the stallions. More people have arived to the farm and we are beginning to get the right feeling of camping together. Wich also means that all the ridable horses will be busy. T did a good job with a stallion, practising piaffe and shoulder in and half pass as well as collected canter. My stallion had not been ridden for a few days as it seemed and was so frisky and restless that the instructor decided to ride him herself. I was just as happy since unknown stallions jumping on their hind feet really is not my cup of tea...
So I got to ride another (one-eyed) stallion and had the opportunity to practise different transitions between walk-trot-halt- and passage. Also how to ride shoulder in and half pass. Just shift the position of the weight and lower the hand where the weight is. Why hasn´t I been tought this before? Suddenly it is so much easier...
This is how it goes: The hand ofthe rider on the side of the horse wich carries the weight, is to be slightly lower than the hand wich supports the up- and forward going motion. When cantering on in the right rain, the right hand goes sligtly up and lets the riders right hip move forward. The left hand stays low. In the shouler in on the right rain, the left hind leg of the horse carries the weight and the outer hand stays low and the riders weight is the middle or slightly outside of the center of the horse, the riders right hip is in the direction of the movement, shifting the weight to the right. The right hand goes down and out to show the way and the left, outer hand, is slightly lifted...et voilá!
"Imagine how you would move if you where on the ground and do the same on the horse!" says the instructor.
The reins are to be very soft at all times and must never hinder the movement of the horse. "Don´t lean backwards, you must sit straight and use the tension in your belly to hold the speed and the rythm, never hold back with the hands!" And I thought that I had nice, soft hand, oh no! "If the rider has 2 grams in the hand, the horse has 6 grams of pressure in the mouth. The coeff is 3 times. With a double bridle it is even stronger, so be very gentle!"
I have learned so much in these tree days that my feeling is that I have not truly ridden before, just spent time in the saddle... From the very generous trainer I have been given a few good books e.g. on body awareness for riders and different practices to loosen and collect the horse and so I´m fully busy studying by the poolside in the afternoon. I hope tha I will be able to bring some of my new skills on to my pupils wen I come back home aga
