Henry The Mechanical Horse!

It was a very wet Tuesday morning and there I was in a big open fronted barn riding a mechanical horse at top speed canter like a jockey in the Gold Cup!

My second lesson with Molly, it was decided to start the lesson with improving my cruise control... Or at least the various gears involved in trot. The exercise was to drive her forward to a fast trot, slow her down to a slow trot with me giving the right message with my body movements then drive her forward to fast again. All this while steering her in a series of three circles of varying direction around the school. Now this sounds quite complicated but I just got it! I was on a roll and feeling very smug as we trotted fast, slow fast. Not a Foxtrot, but a Molly trot!

So... It was decided to work on canter, a little morsel of fear entered my mind, what if I fall, it's a long way down, what if I start her into canter and I can't stop her, you get the idea. Still a challenge is a challenge! Amy re-assured me that I had proved to Molly that I was in control, she was listening to all my body commands I naturally talked to her a lot, which she likes and at the end if the day if Amy thought I was in trouble she could slow her down with her voice if need be.

Soo... We went for it! It was great, but... I felt like a sack of potatoes, you are supposed to sit down to the saddle, move from the hips with the animal and enjoy the ride. Molly canters like no other horse I have ridden (actually I have never ridden a horse, only ponies) and I could not get with the motion.
It was not just me it transpired. Amy explained that Molly drives from the front in canter, most horses drive from the back end, so you get a slightly different gait which takes a bit of getting used to.

Sooo... I am riding a front wheel drive, with several more gears than I am used to, it's like driving my little Nissan Micra then driving a Jaguar!
Amy decided I needed a short session on Henry! I wondered what kind of Horse Henry was. We returned Molly to her stall and I followed Amy to the barn. Here stood a magnificent shiny black beast complete with mane and tail and a key to get him going.
Up I jumped again with the aid of a handy step ladder, and Amy turned the key. Henry has but three gears, slow canter, medium canter, and fast wind in the hair canter. It was a great way to find your seat as although the movement is totally authentic you don't have to worry about steering, cornering or braking! Just sit tight and get that hip movement going!

It was a really good exercise and I am sure I will be more confident in cantering Big Moll around the school next week.