# -pony's lesson journal



## look-a-pony (Mar 26, 2007)

*Date*: 3|15|07

Personal Goal: Look ahead!

Details/environment: 9:30am, Dancer, eggbutt snaffle, outdoor arena, 75 degrees, _My mood_; a little tired, _Horse's behaivor_; calm

Warm-up observations: *Scale 1 - 5* (1 very responsive, 5 not very responsive)

Walk-halt-walk: 2

Trot-walk-trot: 1

Turns: 1

Me: Relaxed
Leasson theme: Work on my steering!

Trot and canter 20 meter circles

Trot and canter figure 8's
Most heard critique: Heels down!

Evaluation: _My goal_; I remembered to look up most of the time, and when I did my steering was 100 percent better!
_Lesson Theme_; Trotting and cantering the cirles were a breeze, but when we cantered the figure 8, Dancer did flying lead changes. I had never done flying changes before, but we finished our figure 8 very well.

Goals for next ride: Keep my heels down, toes pointed forward and stirrups on the balls of my feet (instead of letting my feet slid through them).


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## look-a-pony (Mar 26, 2007)

*Date*: 3|20|07

Personal Goal: Keep my heels down, toes pointed forward and stirrups on the balls of my feet (instead of letting my feet slid through them).

Details/environment: 9:30am, Daisy, twisted snaffle, draw reins, outdoor arena, 75 degrees, _My mood_; calm, _Horse's behaivor_; little excited.

Warm-up observations: *Scale 1 - 5* (1 very responsive, 5 not very responsive)

Walk-halt-walk: 2

Trot-walk-trot: 5

Turns: 2

Me: relaxed
Leasson theme: Getting Daisy to relax.

Trotting and cantering circles

Trotting serpentines
Most heard critique: Thumbs up!

Evaluation: _My goal_; after I wrapped my stirrup leathers, I kept my heels down and the stirrups on the balls of my feet mush eaisier! I also pointed my toes more forward. The shorter stirrups obviously helped me control my entire leg base better.
_Lesson Theme_; after we trotted during the warm-up, Daisy started to relax a lot and dropped her head well, while we trotted.

Goals for next ride: Keep my thumbs up!


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## look-a-pony (Mar 26, 2007)

*Date*: 3|21|07

Personal Goal: Keep my thumbs up!!

Details/environment: 9:30am, Daisy, twisted snaffle, standing martengale, outdoor arena, 75 degrees, _My mood_; calm, _Horse's behaivor_; little tense.

Warm-up observations: *Scale 1 - 5* (1 very responsive, 5 not very responsive)

Walk-halt-walk: 2

Trot-walk-trot: 3

Turns: 2

Me: relaxed
Leasson theme: Getting Daisy to drop her head and relax.

Trotting and cantering different size circles circles

Trotting and cantering figure 8's
Most heard critique: Thumbs up!

Evaluation: _My goal_; Trainer had to remind me several times to put my thumbs up! So, I really have to work on that!
_Lesson Theme_; Daisy relaxed much better today and was stretching her neck out good while we were trotting. She still has to relax a lot at the canter.

Goals for next ride: Keep my thumbs up!


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## look-a-pony (Mar 26, 2007)

*Date*: 3|23|07

Personal Goal: Keep my thumbs up!

Details/environment: 9:30am, Daisy, twisted snaffle, standing martengale, tacked noseband, outdoor arena, 75 degrees, _My mood_; calm, _Horse's behaivor_; tense.

Warm-up observations: *Scale 1 - 5* (1 very responsive, 5 not very responsive)

Walk-halt-walk: 2

Trot-walk-trot: 4

Turns: 1

Me: relaxed
Leasson theme: Getting Daisy to relax into her upper transitions and drop her head.

Lots pf 'trot-walk-trot' and 'canter-trot-canter' transitions.

Trotting and cantering 20 meter circles

Trotting serpentines
Most heard critique: Where's your leg?

Evaluation: _My goal_; I kept my thumbs up a lot better today, my hands have deffinatly improved a lot but still need work.
_Lesson Theme_; Daisy's trot has improved so much, and the up and down transitions helped her relax more and not "jump" so much 
into her trot. The up and down exercise also helped her relax her canter too. She only bucked a couple times and didn't swish her tail or lay her ears back! She's becoming less and less tense and isn't anticipating the canter as much.

Goals for next ride: Keep my thumbs up!


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