I incorporated bending and circles into the trot warm up but noticed that my right leg tends to hug Ariel too much and she ends up leaning on my leg. During one circle, she leaned so much on my leg that she tripped--not something that typically happens. She's also more pokey and slow than usual probably because she's got a slightly heavier work load with all the kiddies wanting to ride and show her!
The rest of the lesson is mostly just working on the flat at trot and canter and transitions. I have been doing yoga this past week and notice that my balance and whatnot is better and I'm able to initiate the canter transitions more effectively. I suppose it helps that I had a dressage whip too. BTW, I didn't realize that the way to use a dressage whips is different than a crop/bat!
Riders generally know this but for those who read the blog and aren't aware... there is a continuum of severity in communicating with your horse. It's like I was always told to ask, ask louder, demand. I personally prefer not to use one because I find it distracts my position but some days, I need extra help.
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| Top: dressage whip; below: crop/bat |
Crop/Bat: after asking and asking louder, you can demand your request with the bat/crop by angling it towards the shoulder and tapping them with it. And if that doesn't work and you need more go, get that thing behind your leg and give them a good smack with it. Nobody (including horses) like getting hit so they'll likely move forward.
Dressage whip: you hold this piece on your thigh and when you require the "demand", you simply lift it and tap it against your leg because it's flexible enough to 'kiss' their hinds to get them moving. When you're not using it, you want to avoid accidentally tapping them so direction is down a bit, against your thigh. With the dressage whip, your position remains more consistent since you're not moving your arm as much.
Back to the lesson: I tried to maintain the canter without breaking so I have to remember to sit back when I ride and not lean forward. Continuing on the flat work, I am asked to do some leg yield and wow, what a hot mess for both of us!! It isn't a very successful portion of the lesson and I'll need to come back to it another time.
To finish the lesson, I am asked to do some jumping of single jump. The first one I take is a nice low one where the pole is placed on the seat of two patio chairs (so not all that high but a good start). My first try was actually quite successful and I felt good about it. J asked me to move it up a notch and try the two wood crates/boxes that are about 2'6 in height and also a source of anxiety formerly. I am really happy to report that that jump didn't phase me at all and while my position is still a work in progress, I didn't freak out while riding into the jump and my recovery following a poor position was quick.
Glad you were able to end the lesson on a strong note! I remember the first time I was given a dressage whip to ride with, it was like "how do I even hold this thing" for the first couple minutes haha It definitely takes a bit of finesse to hold it like an extension of yourself and also to time application correctly.
ReplyDeletethanks! me too.
Deleteif nobody told me, i'd probably wonder a while.. LOL it never occurred to me that it actually does a little bend when you tap it on your leg!!
I'm happy you are making progress! I use a dressage whip during my rides as well, mostly to get the horse in front of my leg, though sometimes I need to use it at her shoulder because she leans to the inside a lot. It's a useful tool, though it is difficult to use at first.
ReplyDeletethanks! i am too. the dressage whip is certainly a good tool to add to my repertoire :)
Deletei never used to carry a whip with my mare (tho i always take a crop out on cross country - just in case!), but am learning that it's such a useful tool to have that little bit of back up so i can stay soft and quiet as a rider while still being perfectly clear about what i'm asking
ReplyDeletefor sure! it takes the edge off some so you're able to focus on the other stuff instead of trying to get them to move.
DeleteI remember how hard it was for me to learn how to use a dressage whip vs a bat. I was VERY uncoordinated for a long time and, in fact, sometimes I could not even make contact with the horse. Funny memories! Another reason to use the dressage whip is to keep your lower leg from moving about too much. You always want that long, still lower leg in dressage and kicking your horse and pumping your legs to get forward momentum does not add to the picture! ;-)
ReplyDeleteLOL when ariel is being pokey, i am going all those awful flapping around with my legs and it does look quite funny!! i find though, that using either is very distracting and i don't know if i prefer spurs more...? i hate artificial aids :(
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