I arrived on the yard already sweating: the sun was
over 20oC when I left the house at 8:20am, and there had been little shade on
the walks to and from both bus stops. I said hi to the horses, read my
magazine, and got into the office 3rd despite being there
first. Tom and Abbi were taken, two
horses I wasn't interested in that day, and the YO was making the decisions
about who folk were riding. She asked who I was usually on, so I gave the list,
omitting Ransom and putting Corrie first as he's who I wanted but said that I'd
ride anything that isn’t spooky. (I can manage a spooky horse, but it tries my
patience, and can unsettle me if it’s severe enough to ruin all enjoyment). I
quite fancied riding Robbie as I was in a racey mood, but he's a flying machine
and with the weather so nice, I thought there'd be too many pedestrian-induced breaks
in the canters so felt he'd be wasted. YO perused the list and gave me Hutch. I
almost asked if Starsky was in, because Hutch was a plod last time while
Starsky had a bit of life about him. With such a big queue of hackers, trekkers
and lesson-goers behind me though, I thought better of it. There could well be
a plan for all I knew!
I was a bit disappointed about having a plod, but got
chatting to the lady I made friends with on Clyde
last week, and the nervous lesson-goer. Clyde's
unshod at the moment, so I was reassuring my friend that Ghandi was a good boy.
I said I liked Hutch but would put my Granny on him: my friend wondered if I
liked my Granny, as she’d often seen people struggle to hold him while out
hacking. I wasn’t sure we were talking about the same horse! Lol. The nervous
lady was on the gorgeous big grey James: a very handsome boy, but a slow chap I
think. I must remember to ask about him.
I got on, the stirrups didn’t need adjusting, and was
I delighted that I was getting my first hack from LD, as one of my fellow
hackers weeks ago said LD gives great, fast hacks. I also liked that he
dictated what order the horses should go in before we left the yard. Despite
being the biggest, Hutch was put at the back, but I wasn't miffed given how
steady he was last time out. He'd never raced to get past, and didn't keep up
with his brother no matter how much leg I used.
Still, Hutch was not keen to be at the end of the queue when he saw
everyone go. He was pulling, but eventually decided to wait so I could release
the pressure. I had one of those 'thank heavens, because if he really decided
not to wait, there's no way I could hold 18hh of solid draft-type horse'
moments.
With Ghandi in front of me, off we set, and Hutch
power-walked to the river and through it. He didn't hesitate stepping off the
bank – he was blasting along in walk. We got to the other side and we didn't
trot the first trot stretch. It's the first time I've ever not transitioned up
there, but we were directly under the sun, so I wondered if LD was just keeping
the horses cool. Hutch did a lot of jogging: he wanted to be trotting like
usual, as did I. The trees didn't seem so bad on him this time either, or like
they had on Frankie: I didn't have to duck over his neck even once!
We got to the road, and an uphill stretch that is
usually our second trot. As Hutch had stopped to pee, we were a bit behind and
he flew in trot to catch up. I have never experienced such a fast, ground-covering
trot in all my life. Hutch had clearly been fed some rocket fuel! We had a really active trot all the way up
this hill: I had that wonderful, floating feeling of being in total sync with Hutch,
the pace having some cadence. It felt perfect. Hutch even took me out of the
way of the branches without being asked. He was feeling like the perfect ride
so far!
On came the first canter, the uphill stretch. I got
straight into the two-point seat and Hutch took off. We were still in direct
sunlight at this point, and on the final 1/3 of the hill (the steepest bit),
Hutch broke into walk. I pushed him into canter again, but heard him puffing,
so moved him straight down into trot. He's fit as a fiddle, but interval
training uphill in over 20oC was just too much (as it was for Hugo), so I moved
him into walk as soon as we didn't need the momentum for the hill. I gave him a
long rein, and he marched, but with his neck relaxed and blowing to get his
breath back.
I've been missing schooling, and the jump lesson I
intended to go to rather than hack wasn't on this weekend, so I'd decided to school
myself during the hack. I'd been reading up on a clinic Sam Griffiths did about
lower leg, seat and balance in the two-point seat, and also thought about what
Tim Stockdale said to Jennifer Saunders about the seat coming from the upper
leg (which I disagree with: I think lots of lower leg security actually comes
from upper leg placement, and while this is integral to seat, is not the same
thing. I've found Pilates and core engagement is a much bigger component of
seat than leg personally). Anyway, I know I can put my lower leg forward for
comfort, but Sam's said lots of people try and correct that by altering their lower
leg without adjusting their upper leg position. So, I'd left my stirrups one
hole longer than I'd usually do for hacking, but not uncomfortably long. I told
myself I wasn't allowed to over-extend my heels to feel like I'm reaching them
- I had to lengthen my upper leg and try
to soften my stupidly tight hip flexors and abductors. It meant my legs moved
around at times while I was working and comparing one alteration to the other,
but I could feel the difference.
My other main aim was to work on my lower back:
Heather Moffat was saying recently lots of people don't have core stability, so
can't flex their back (the back often tends to lordosis unless the core's
engaged – learned that from Pilates and my Physio) – this leads to them not
absorbing the horse's movement correctly, and leads to bobbing-head and leg
disease in some riders during dressage (something that's especially prominent
in eventing dressage tests). I also have profound lordosis of my spine when at
rest and not engaged. Anyhow, long story short, I'd decided to try and sit to
the second canter, with my new whole leg position, and using my Pilates to tuck
under and allow flexion in my spine. It
worked: I stayed in that saddle and moved with Hutch’s big and fast canter, but
it wasn't what I'd call a comfortable experience like Frankie’s. (I could sit
to a short stride all day long). I then lightened my seat, feel more
comfortable, and Hutch's stride opened up too. I was grinning like a Chesire
cat as Hutch was flying, much faster than my first hack on him, and was itching
to pass. I had to switch to grinning
inside my head to avoid getting muck in my mouth!
Up came canter 3, and we were cantering across the
big, gravelly curve, onto another straight amongst the trees. Ghandi in front
of me cut the corner, and I could see my friend’s balance all on his left and
was worried she'd come off. I was determined to keep Hutch on track and out of
her way, so put my left leg and right rein on to hold him out on the turn,
avoiding the hoses in front and increasing the amount of ground covered. Hutch
kindly obliged, so when we were approaching the straight, I had my gaze right
to make sure I wasn't pushing him into the trees and bushes on the
outside. While that happened, Ghandi got
too close to the kicking mare in from of him, Weazel and her ~10yr old rider,
and with a buck, my already unbalanced friend was off. Hutch leapt/bucked from
left to right to get out of the way (I don't know which – I wasn't paying any
attention to the happenings on the left – I was focused on the trees to the
right), so before I knew it, my balance was forward over his right shoulder.
There was now a gap in front with Ghandi and Weazel stopped and us having taken
the longer and wider line, so Hutch opened up into gallop to close it. I
shouted whoa and pulled on his reins to no avail: I couldn't hold the freight train, and couldn't regain balance at
that speed. Before I could even think (normally I fall in slow motion, so fall
'correctly' as I plan where to hit the ground), I was on the ground, looking up
at the trees and facing the wrong way.
I have never been gotten off by a leap/buck before, and
my balance galloping is good (I’d even been doing some turning exercises with
Hutch in that seat to make sure my weight down both legs was the same). Today,
I had just been so thoroughly caught unawares that I was genuinely shocked to
be on the ground, and it seemed to happen so fast for a chance. I had a “WTF?”
moment, wondering if I'd really hurt myself, but no sooner had I thought that,
then the pain kicked in and I could assess myself. I had a sore arse presumably
from landing on it (I didn't even know how I landed, that's how sudden it was),
and was fine. I could have done with a minute before standing up (and P always
encouraged that: I think you're theoretically not meant to move even when fine
until a First Aider comes over and checks on you). However, I'd fallen entirely
out of view, was on a the biggest horse and was going the fastest, so wanted to
let the rest of the ride know I was grand rather than them panicking, thinking
I was no unconscious in the bush.
I scrambled up, walked out onto the path, shouted “I'm
fine: I’m much more embarrassed than I am sore!”, asked my friend if she was
alright as LD was helping her up, and I saw Hutch stood beside the horse he was
trying to catch up with, but no one had his reins – he was stood like a lamb of
his own accord. He had apparently stopped once I'd fallen off, but speed and
momentum had carried him 20m in front! LD immediately gave my friend and I a
leg up. I pitied him: I'm not light and I'd 18hh to get on top of. We did it
first time, albeit not stylishly. This is the first time I can ever remember
not being remotely nervous remounting a horse. While falling doesn’t always affect
my confidence, I can be jittery from the adrenaline. I had no such rush, and no
such anxiety: I would have laughed in your face a few years ago if you’d said
I’d have fallen off a galloping 18hh horse out hacking, and got back on smiling
and fearless.
Having put my
left foot in my stirrup, I wondered why I couldn’t get my right one in without
looking: I leant over to grab it with my hand to find that it wasn’t there - my saddle had no right stirrup leather or iron
anymore! Uh oh: I love schooling without stirrups, but there was no way I was
hacking Hutch without any. Frankie maybe if I was forced to, as I could sit to
her paces all day, but I really need to school on 17hh+ horses more to get
sitting to bigger canters right. I was
worried the leather had broken and although it took several minutes, it was
found intact in the bushes where I'd fallen. LD said it was a safety feature of
the saddle, which I liked, as I'm using to riding in safety stirrups of some
kind but they don’t use any at the city school.
Anyhow, LD just about got on his own horse from the ground, and off we
went. Weazel, the kicking pony with the only child rider amongst us, went to
the back and I went up behind Dottie. At this point, the rider on Abbi pointed
out that my arm was bleeding and sure as you know, it started to hurt only when
I saw it. I was riding in long sleeves, as I always do, but entirely without
thinking I'd pushed them up as I was sweltered. This is why you should always
ride in long sleeves kids, and beware that you don't push up your sleeves
whilst on auto-pilot!
The first trot after the fall was uncomfortable:
while the pain subsided fairly quickly, I could feel blood on my backside from
a cut or tear, and there was a stone in my breeches that I kept sitting on when
I lowered back into the saddle. I really wanted to root around and dig it out,
but with an audience directly behind me, I decided against it. It took a while
to move down my leg and settle. I found it when I got home: it was about the
size of a Malteaser. No wonder it hurt!
We got to a canter stretch only moment after the fall
and LD asked if we were happy to get going. I shouted an enthusiastic “Hell
yes!”. I had a fast, powerful and keen horse – I was ready to enjoy a fast
canter! Hutch transitioned from walk to
canter, and was close to over-taking Dottie. As Dottie’s not a lover of water,
he dodged a puddle while Hutch charged straight through and took clean over: I
couldn’t hold him back and shouted as much on the way past, but the girl told
me I was faster, should be ahead and Hutch passed safely, so it was fine. We flew like the wind until we caught up to
Abbi, and Hutch looked for a way past, but the path had narrowed. I’d really
felt the wind in my hair, and Hutch enjoyed it too.
The rest of the hack was wonderful: we had more
active, floating trots where Hutch and I were in perfect harmony. Unlike the first hack where he was ploddy and
on the forehand, he felt really balanced and engaged. I also really felt a
swing to his movement, something he hadn’t possessed in plod-mode. He even worked
in walk and trot in an outline: something I thought he might never have been
asked for before, given how he held his head out first time I rode him! I wish
I could have seen us from the ground: it felt like Hutch was really swinging
and over-tracking in walk. I only got a quick glimpse on one window, but it’s
emblazoned like a photograph on my mind. I just wish I had an actual one to
show for it! The only moment we had a dog suddenly appearing and snapping, which
made the first three horses leap, but Starsky just snapped his head and ears
erect to check it out. He was like a rock, and got fussed over like nobody’s
business afterwards.
The journey through the Glen was gorgeous, and the
smells seemed all the more intense for the sun. We did the horse steps, and
Hutch raced up them. I had to hold him going down, as he’d trotted downhill a
lot, and I didn’t particularly enjoy that sensation. I’d hope we were going to
do A’s trick of cantering from the steps to the gallop at the railway line, but
no sooner had I got onto the flat, but LD’s phone went off, and he had to
answer it as it was a fellow trek-leader. We ended up meeting dog-walkers and
cyclers though as LD chatted, so it was a good job we hadn’t started. Still, as
soon as the path was clear, LD called for a steady canter. I made Hutch’s reins
extra short, meaning that I had to get the fluidity of my elbows perfect to
maintain the contact without taking a pull. If we had to go steady on the
straight, I was in for struggle and I knew it.
The canter was beautiful, and when we got the gallop,
A on Shiloh and a trekker on Frankie were
trotting down it. I could see that Frankie was most definitely not happy about
going so slowly! On the upside, we couldn’t see any pedestrians, and LD gave
the words I longed to hear: “Once these guys are out of the way, we’re really
going to have a blast along here!” I knew it: I was going to get a proper
gallop along here, without disruption and without feeling bad (I get a bit of
guilt for letting Frankie gallop when others are cantering, even though she can
safely do so in the gap because her strides covers much less ground).
Hutch was literally chomping at the bit, and I
lengthened the reins: I had no intention of controlling his speed whatsoever,
apart from when the gallop was done. I was excited and grinning, Hutch was doing the impatience passage. Finally, the two ponies disappeared and after
an extra minute or so, LD’s horse leapt from halt to canter, straight into
gallop, and a second or two later, there was enough room for me to start.
From halt to canter to gallop, things were fast but
smooth. I could feel the switch from 3-4 beats, and had the most amazing rush
as the world whizzed by, but in a really comfortable, safe feeling away. On big
horses like Corrie and Hutch the gallop feels slow: I suppose the idea is that
it’s an energy efficient way to run and escape. With their long stride length,
and the extension from canter to gallop, their feet seem to hit the ground with
more of a gap and with such ease, that it provides a comfort that as a kid who
hadn’t galloped, I didn’t think such a quick pace could afford. It certainly
feels faster on Frankie, as her hooves hit the ground so often, but in terms of
actual speed, the big boys have it. Hutch was racing, and although I’d held him
at a gap in halt to make room, he’d made it up about 3/4s of the way along.
Abbi was falling behind the front pair, and Hutch kept looking down the side to
get past like an impatient car behind a tractor, but the path was too narrow to
do it safely. He made that decision all on his own too: I didn’t have to fight
him to keep him in line (and I’m not sure I could have either: there is no
battle with that horse unless he chose to let me).
LD called the end of the gallop, and Hutch
down-transitioned like a dream. I gave him a longer rein to let himself stretch
and relax, expecting him to switch off as often the horses do after a gallop,
as the ride’s fairly quiet from then on.
Not Hutch: the whole way home, he was active, engaged, swinging through
his back, and really working into my contact. The only disappointement to use
both was meeting another walk-trot trek on the final trot/canter by the river,
meaning we had to walk home. Boo! lol. I remember last time I thought Hutch
should have longer reins as I was holding them where rubber ended. Today he was up in his frame, and my hands
were further forward to maintain the contact at a comfortable elbow angle (although
at rest they do look short on him). He also only shook his head once or twice
the whole ride, and not the almost constant fidgeting in walk or trot. I don’t
know what it was that first day: whether Hutch was in lazy mode or he felt my
nerves, and mistook me for a novice that wouldn’t push him. Either way, I was
glad to see an excited Hutch, the Hutch my friend told me about. Also, it fits
with the fact that while in almost every Common Ride I can find (be it yard
staff’s pictures, randomers’ fb photos, or official ride photography), I have
only found Hutch twice, but have found Starsky every other time without fail
(proof that giant, rose/steel grey Fresian crosses jump out of photos). Maybe
this is the real him: an excitable handful. I hope so: I’ll be asking for him
again if it is! Honest as the day is
long, but eager and kind too.
This ride proved something to me, as did Corrie: I am
not afraid of speed and I am not afraid of riding big. I had a challenging hack
on Ransom not because he’s about 19hh, not because he was fast, and not because
he always wanted to overtake: I struggled because balancing to his uneven
movement was hard, and was hurting my hip; I managed it though. So, thank you
Hutch: I may have whiplash, a cut bottom and bruised cheeks, but I had a blast
and learned a lot. Same again next week, yeah?! :D
Hutch on a Common Ride (front right: the grey to his
left is about 16.2hh to give some perspective):
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