Tuesday, June 4, 2013

The beginnings of an actual dressage horse

For realz. That was us on in our dressage lesson on Sunday.

We had our second dressage lesson on Sunday. I was pleased to report to JD that we'd been working hard on our homework (leg yields and squares, along with longeing in side reins and not falling in to the right) and that I felt like we'd really made some progress. I started off showing her our leg yields (excellent to both sides at the walk) and squares (pretty damn good when I remembered not to over-ask) and we quickly moved on to the trot. I'd also been practicing a bit of a leg yield into the trot transition, and we are getting these amazing upwards transitions. In fact, he's stepping under himself so much that he's throwing me out of the saddle. So the transition is great, but I can't stay with it so I make us fall apart. Fail.

We worked in trot almost the whole time. He was about a million times better than the previous lesson, and there were two major take-aways from this ride.

First of all, I have got to RELAX MY ARMS. This basically means having noodle-arms from the shoulder on down. I am really bad about holding my elbows away from my sides and stiffening in my shoulders, because that's how I type on the keyboard all day. Whenever Echo would brace against me (usually on the left rein), I'd immediately relax my arms and he'd go soft. Well, really what was going on is that I was tensing my arm, he'd brace, then I'd remember to let go and he would too. Poor guy was trying so hard to figure it out, and I wasn't where he needed me to be. Something I have got to work on fixing, ASAFP.

Secondly, in my very first lesson on Echo with Adopted Horse Mom, she told me that I was riding the bend "backward," especially to the right. We didn't have a chance to really break down what that meant, but JD explained it in a way that really made sense. What it comes down to is that when we go to the right, my shoulders and hips move as if we're doing a left bend. My right hip moves toward his left ear, and my shoulders are angled to the outside as well. What really needs to happen is that I need to turn my body to the right, starting with the shoulders. My left shoulder needs to lead slightly, my right needs to come back. My hips will follow my shoulders, and you know what? Damned if Echo didn't move his ENTIRE BODY in line with mine when I did that. We still had a smidge of falling in, but for the most part it was magically fixed. It's amazing how nicely your horse goes when you ride him right, you know?

Here's the video proof. It was at the end of our ride, so he was tired and really wanted to curl up and stop by the mirrors, but it had some good moments here and there. 


So my homework for the next week: turn shoulders and hips (in that order), and keep arms noodly and hands down. I may try to get FuzzyPony to longe me on Taran (he's steady on the longe) with no stirrups so I can work on getting my weight to the right... well, really, getting my weight in the center of the horse. It seems so simple, but it's so hard to keep track of all the body parts at the same time! That's the story of learning to ride, though.

In other news, I may have signed us up to go to a schooling dressage show on the 15th. That's right... Echo's first show! SO excited!!!

22 comments:

  1. Yay dressage pony! Good luck at the show, can't wait to hear how it goes.

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    1. My goals for this show are pretty low, so we'll see!

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    2. Hey, I've had goals as low as "stay in the arena" with an OTTB, so I'm sure your low goals are better than that :)

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  2. Progress and hard work. Love it. I'm excited for you for the first show!

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    1. Hard work and doing your homework definitely pays off!

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  3. Looking good!!!

    Yay show on the 15th!! Can't wait to see how it goes! :)

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    1. Thanks, SB! We're improving in leaps and bounds!

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  5. Echo looks great in that photo!

    Hmmm. I think I would ask for another explanation from your instructor. The hips should not do the same thing as the shoulders. The inside hip (and leg) should be forward with the bend (right bend, right hip and leg forward) other wise the inside hip and leg block the horse's inside hip and leg. My teacher is a biomechanics instructor and teaches this religiously. In fact, Harley will actually stop if I block him by putting my inside leg back.

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    1. Val, thanks for the tip! I need to wrap my head around this some more. Maybe what I'm thinking in my head (turn my shoulders) is actually simply helping me weight my stirrup, rather than pushing my hip back? I don't know. SOMETHING worked, that's for sure, and I clearly need to fix the right side of my body. Biomechanics is interesting stuff!

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  6. He looks great! Y'all are going to rock at the show :)

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    1. Well, we only have to walk and trot, and my goal is to stay on my horse and in the arena. Anything else is a bonus. ;)

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  7. Good boy, Echo!!!
    So glad your homework is paying off big time.
    What a nice arena.
    Yay for the show!

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    1. Terry, if only that were MY arena! Drool.

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  8. OK, this is what I had an instructor tell me and I've never had issues turning again - imagine you're a man... what body part does a man lead with? OK, turn with that part of your body... I won't use the crude language because it's the internet, but you can figure it out, I'm sure!

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    1. Hahahaha, Stephanie! I think everyone uses a different visual... whatever works for you!

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  9. Sounds like you have a similar problem to myself, with sitting crooked when going a certain way - if you sort it out let me know how please! :)

    Great to hear that you had such a good lesson and cannot wait to hear all about the training show!
    Exciting times ahead! :D

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    1. It's funny how we insist on our horses being straight but so often fail to be straight ourselves, isn't it? Almost always, the rider is the source of the problem. Sigh.

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  10. Bent, pointy, heavy elbows... with drop-able forearms. That's how I've been taught anyway. Still trying to work out how the hips and shoulders relate to the bend + my crookedness. ;D

    You two are on a roll! :D

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    1. I like your description of "heavy elbows," that's a good visual! I'll have to try that instead of "noodle arms".

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  11. Gratz on the breakthrough my love!

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