We moved indoors after it started raining and focused on straightness. Ariel is the least straight horse, ever. She does all sorts of counter flexing/bending or no bending because she's just like that. I always have to work a little harder with her, to keep her bent on the straight way. This lesson was focused completely on riding them straight, keeping them on the bit and getting them to round up. All things I'm still not completely understanding or "feeling" when I do ride.
Ariel is an Appaloosa so her breeding primarily marks her well for doing cowboy sort of stuff. Despite this background, Ariel loves to jump and gets her and her rider placed every time they've gone to show (not me, I've never shown her). But keeping a proper bend and flexion...? Easily, it's a challenge on even a good day. Sheri has ridden her once and told me that riding Ariel is about riding her body and keeping her straight and being able to do that before she even gets crooked. So that was the mission this time around.
After the usual trotting and cantering, Sheri starts by pointing out what position we want to keep their head carriage at, where they are round, accepting the bit and using their backs. I always thought that it's a rather curved head and neck carriage but for Ariel, she's not that long so there isn't a lot to carry that way. It's a matter of the height at which her head is being carried because I notice that when my balance is off, she lifts her head to tell me I've mucked up. But the step that I get back into balance, she relaxes and her head lowers. Add to all this, the proper flexion to keep her straight. I have to use the appropriate leg and rein aids to redirect her and the thing is, I find myself doing this a lot when she's going round and round. As Sheri reminds us, generally, we should always be doing something up there be it telling them to do something to continuing to support them if they are doing it correctly.
I didn't think I'd find this as much a challenge as I did nor as enjoyable but it was very satisfying to work on it and see glimpses of it when I got it right!
Showing posts with label dressage. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dressage. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 3, 2015
Tuesday, March 10, 2015
Lesson #162: Dressage Saddle
It's finally starting to warm up this way (yea, watch me type that and then a polar vortex head into town). Show season has started and the students competing at the schooling show are doing very well! That said though, Ariel is one of the horses at the shows so I'm riding Molson for a full dressage lesson. I've never ridden in a dressage saddle before so I thought this was a great chance to try something new.
All I know about dressage saddles is that they keep you more in the seat and you're meant to sit deeper and your leg is 'longer' and straighter than in a jumper saddle. First things is first though, Molson's rider doesn't have to be as crystal clear with their body and he rides with way more contact. One of those things I'm thankful for and the other, I'm rethinking whether I like that better or not. It takes some time for me to understand how much contact I should be having with his mouth because I'm used to such light contact with Ariel that I hesitate to push more on Molson. J tells me that Molson can be ridden with a lot more contact so I spend the better part of the lesson trying to figure out what that might be. I also work on trying to get him to frame up.
The entire lesson was spent on me going around and around (Molson must have been okay to go on autopilot!) at the sitting trot because I found posting trot to be more difficult to accomplish in the saddle. We spent time on trying to move with their bodies at the trot which remains elusive even at the best of times. I found moments where my body was absorbing his movement and going with things but the second I tried to do something else or when Molson sped up, I'd lose it and had difficulty getting it back. We were told to include half halts (checks) at each letter in the arena to rebalance the horse and to ensure that we're where we're supposed to be. I'm also trying to get Molson into a frame which proves to be challenging. That full body half halt is elusive because timing it with Molson is also imperative so I don't lose my seat. But, it is particularly effective and he does compact more. Another exercise we try is to half halt them into a transition down and a stop where the objective is to get them to compress into a transition/halt versus falling onto the forehand to transition down. Molson is particularly accommodating but he isn't schooled nearly as well as Bons and it proves to be difficult.
Due to my determined nature (that's what I'm going with!), I rode the sitting trot for the ENTIRE hour while transitioning up and down (no canter this lesson) throughout the arena. Not often gracefully but I kept at it for the whole of the hour trying to get that position and the movement that I needed to get for dressage. It isn't easy but I totally can't wait to get back to lessons twice a week!!!
All I know about dressage saddles is that they keep you more in the seat and you're meant to sit deeper and your leg is 'longer' and straighter than in a jumper saddle. First things is first though, Molson's rider doesn't have to be as crystal clear with their body and he rides with way more contact. One of those things I'm thankful for and the other, I'm rethinking whether I like that better or not. It takes some time for me to understand how much contact I should be having with his mouth because I'm used to such light contact with Ariel that I hesitate to push more on Molson. J tells me that Molson can be ridden with a lot more contact so I spend the better part of the lesson trying to figure out what that might be. I also work on trying to get him to frame up.
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| Order this print through Fine Art America |
The entire lesson was spent on me going around and around (Molson must have been okay to go on autopilot!) at the sitting trot because I found posting trot to be more difficult to accomplish in the saddle. We spent time on trying to move with their bodies at the trot which remains elusive even at the best of times. I found moments where my body was absorbing his movement and going with things but the second I tried to do something else or when Molson sped up, I'd lose it and had difficulty getting it back. We were told to include half halts (checks) at each letter in the arena to rebalance the horse and to ensure that we're where we're supposed to be. I'm also trying to get Molson into a frame which proves to be challenging. That full body half halt is elusive because timing it with Molson is also imperative so I don't lose my seat. But, it is particularly effective and he does compact more. Another exercise we try is to half halt them into a transition down and a stop where the objective is to get them to compress into a transition/halt versus falling onto the forehand to transition down. Molson is particularly accommodating but he isn't schooled nearly as well as Bons and it proves to be difficult.
Due to my determined nature (that's what I'm going with!), I rode the sitting trot for the ENTIRE hour while transitioning up and down (no canter this lesson) throughout the arena. Not often gracefully but I kept at it for the whole of the hour trying to get that position and the movement that I needed to get for dressage. It isn't easy but I totally can't wait to get back to lessons twice a week!!!
Monday, August 18, 2014
Lesson #123 & 124: It's not about Perfection...
Thursday's lesson was a flat work version of "Sheri Says" and I rode with J and T. A little intimidating, considering both have been riding since they were tots and each are riding their own horses. But it's time to learn. We didn't canter at all, during the lesson. Instead, the exercises were solely focused in the trot and walk gaits, with lots of transitions, bending and collection. We ended the lesson on some leg yielding and Bons is a beautiful mover even though he hates doing dressage exercises. I've also been getting the incorrect diagonal for a few lessons now... and it's making me crazy. I don't seem to notice it until Sheri calls me out on it. Otherwise, the lesson was relatively uneventful.
Come Sunday, I was assigned to ride Hank. He's a chestnut... one of the many chestnuts at the stable. All I know about Hank is that he needs A LOT of leg and that he otherwise knows his job in the ring. He places regularly places at shows with his rider, and is ridden by both beginners and experienced riders alike. I should have no problems. WRONG. I didn't anticipate what "a lot of leg" meant and I spent the entire start of the lesson trying to keep him from slowing down or dropping in, on the left rein. It was maddening. There I was smacking him and man-handling him to do what I wanted of him. I was usually too late when I realized he was falling in and so correcting him was a real pain: inside flexion to get that bend and then lots of inside (left) leg pushing him back out while maintaining the contact in the outside (right) rein. He's miserable on the left rein and the rider has to do most of the work. I was riding square corners and they still didn't look square.
As we were going into corners (and circles), I needed to first, prep him but keep him 'straight' and continue to go straight until the end and just nudge ever so slightly to turn. I literally have to ride every single stride. After lots of circles over the arena, we continue on cantering around and maintaining deep corners. Hank has a wonderful canter transition from walk. It's not launchy or all over the map; he makes my transitions look good! Then we move onwards to a very small X jump... Hank steps over it. So Sheri ups the ante by having me go at it in a canter instead. Again, a lovely transition into canter and an autochange! I don't know when I"ll get used to those things; it feels like the horse is doing a little skip mid-stride. I think the reason I'm "not prepared" for it is because my seat isn't always as secure and so my weight is actually off-center. I do spend some time with remembering to post appropriately and keeping my posture etc. It's probably something I need to focus working on in the next few weeks while I can.
I do see what others mean when they say that Hank knows his job and does what he's asked to do without any major issues. As long as I tell him what I want nice and early (and clearly), he's good as gold. I think my biggest lesson is recognizing that I didn't do as poorly as I thought I had. I was lamenting that I didn't feel like anything went well. Sheri corrected me and reminded me that I hoped on a new horse, got the walk, trot and canter and added a little jump. Each horse is different and most riders aren't immediately perfect right at the get-go nor do they get perfection every single time. In addition, they often have to work a lot of up there.
Come Sunday, I was assigned to ride Hank. He's a chestnut... one of the many chestnuts at the stable. All I know about Hank is that he needs A LOT of leg and that he otherwise knows his job in the ring. He places regularly places at shows with his rider, and is ridden by both beginners and experienced riders alike. I should have no problems. WRONG. I didn't anticipate what "a lot of leg" meant and I spent the entire start of the lesson trying to keep him from slowing down or dropping in, on the left rein. It was maddening. There I was smacking him and man-handling him to do what I wanted of him. I was usually too late when I realized he was falling in and so correcting him was a real pain: inside flexion to get that bend and then lots of inside (left) leg pushing him back out while maintaining the contact in the outside (right) rein. He's miserable on the left rein and the rider has to do most of the work. I was riding square corners and they still didn't look square.
As we were going into corners (and circles), I needed to first, prep him but keep him 'straight' and continue to go straight until the end and just nudge ever so slightly to turn. I literally have to ride every single stride. After lots of circles over the arena, we continue on cantering around and maintaining deep corners. Hank has a wonderful canter transition from walk. It's not launchy or all over the map; he makes my transitions look good! Then we move onwards to a very small X jump... Hank steps over it. So Sheri ups the ante by having me go at it in a canter instead. Again, a lovely transition into canter and an autochange! I don't know when I"ll get used to those things; it feels like the horse is doing a little skip mid-stride. I think the reason I'm "not prepared" for it is because my seat isn't always as secure and so my weight is actually off-center. I do spend some time with remembering to post appropriately and keeping my posture etc. It's probably something I need to focus working on in the next few weeks while I can.
I do see what others mean when they say that Hank knows his job and does what he's asked to do without any major issues. As long as I tell him what I want nice and early (and clearly), he's good as gold. I think my biggest lesson is recognizing that I didn't do as poorly as I thought I had. I was lamenting that I didn't feel like anything went well. Sheri corrected me and reminded me that I hoped on a new horse, got the walk, trot and canter and added a little jump. Each horse is different and most riders aren't immediately perfect right at the get-go nor do they get perfection every single time. In addition, they often have to work a lot of up there.
Monday, August 11, 2014
Lesson #122: Dressage App
The primary purpose during Sunday's lesson was to continue to work on the dressage test we started. For me, I needed to work on collection for downward transitions and collection for the turns down centre line. Otherwise it felt like I was driving an 18-wheeler. It's funny how Bons really doesn't enjoy dressage because he's such a big guy that he has difficulty getting collected and I'm riding him for just that. hahaha! During warm up, we were puttering around the harrowed arena and approached a very slight indentation in the footing where the big lug had a panic at what it possibly was and did a bunny hop over.
I slowed him down and took him back over at a walk, to assure him that it wasn't anything to be scared of. He absolutely refused to step over it and would continually walk around it. It took Molson to nonchalantly walk over it, to finally convince him that it wasn't going to jump out and eat him.
We moved on, from there, to the dressage test. Sheri couldn't locate her binder with the tests but earlier in the week, I had downloaded a new app (Android) called Dressage Lite and input the entire test onto it; there is a full version but at this point, I think I can make do. I'm a visual learner and reciting the call sheet didn't help because I still don't know where the letters of the arena are anyway. App to the rescue! I was trying to memorize the test through the app because it was a visual learning aid that played the steps over and over again and was even colour coded to help: red for canters, green for trot and blue for walk. For a free app, it was decent and I was able to input the test with a few modifications since they didn't have the type of move, listed.
Despite the few adjustments to those steps, it did the job and we had the call sheet and a visual interpretation of what the entire test should look like! It is definitely a good tool to have and I would recommend it to anyone who's just starting out with dressage and trying to memorize their tests or get a visual of where they should be. Depending on how things go, I may eventually pay for the full/pro version but until then, this is a really great app for my purposes!
The lesson itself had some short comings that I'll need to continue to work on...
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| Artist David R. Dudley |
We moved on, from there, to the dressage test. Sheri couldn't locate her binder with the tests but earlier in the week, I had downloaded a new app (Android) called Dressage Lite and input the entire test onto it; there is a full version but at this point, I think I can make do. I'm a visual learner and reciting the call sheet didn't help because I still don't know where the letters of the arena are anyway. App to the rescue! I was trying to memorize the test through the app because it was a visual learning aid that played the steps over and over again and was even colour coded to help: red for canters, green for trot and blue for walk. For a free app, it was decent and I was able to input the test with a few modifications since they didn't have the type of move, listed.
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| Dressage Lite Android app |
The lesson itself had some short comings that I'll need to continue to work on...
- Collection before the turn, up the center line--though the test actually asks for entry from A and not a what we were doing where we trot from E and turn up at A. Except the end where I am required to turn up the centre line...
- The canter transition (into) on the right rein needs work because I can't seem to get him into it when I want him to. The left is no problem at all though.
- Preparation for transitions (down, specifically) with plenty of half halts to prepare Bons.
In addition to the actual lesson specific items, I should continue to improve my personal fitness and schedule the week ahead with various activities like running and yoga. Also, my back and neck issues from the epic fall are still bothering me so I really need to be diligent about the daily physio exercises I've been prescribed. And how can any of this be bad? I might just have a looser dress come September, for the wedding!
Monday, August 4, 2014
Lesson #120: First Foray into "Training Level Test A"
Happy Civic long weekend, to my Canadian friends! It is a nice temperate summer weekend and most of the city is away at their cottages or otherwise. I'm sticking around and had a lesson Sunday morning. I'm riding Bons again and we're working on training level dressage tests today.
Our warm-up consists of the usual trot and today, I didn't have any issues getting into the posting (hooray!). For the remainder of the lesson, we worked on this dressage training level test. We are told that Cadora Inc. makes tests for a provincial level of dressage. Everyone gets the same list of tests and when you show/compete, you will have the same selection of test as everyone else. The expectation also includes the rider to memorize the test but they may request to have a caller.
A standard dressage ring looks like this:
We start entering from A at working trot and then halt, immobile and salute at X. The immobile part is a requirements of 3 full seconds of immobility. Then we continue forward in a working trot towards C. From there, we track left in trot to K and continue A to F and then make a change of rein through X to H. And here's where things start to fall apart for me: between H and C, I am to initiate a working canter into a 20m circle. I've always had difficulty with initiating canter and it's probably because when I'm so focused with doing everything else, I think it but I don't get my legs to translate my thoughts. But, good thing Bons is obedient and just does as he's asked to when I try it again. It isn't completely miserable but it isn't great either. The rest of it isn't too bad but the canter departs continued to be something I struggled with. +ADW on the other hand, did wonderfully with his buddy Molson and the pair looked like real pros.
It's the first try at the test so we weren't working on anything other than just getting the transitions in. Right now, everything is coming at me pretty fast. Next week we'll add in the bending and other fine-tuning like getting Bons collected when we're making tighter turns because riding this boy is like driving an 18-wheeler. All our turns were over but if I didn't, then they were not enough turned in and we ended up stomping over the pylon.
This week's homework is to memorize the test before Thursday's lesson. I think it's very possible because I've downloaded an app for that! I'll input the test and then play it over and over again. For me, learning visually is the best way for me so it should work out just fine.
Our warm-up consists of the usual trot and today, I didn't have any issues getting into the posting (hooray!). For the remainder of the lesson, we worked on this dressage training level test. We are told that Cadora Inc. makes tests for a provincial level of dressage. Everyone gets the same list of tests and when you show/compete, you will have the same selection of test as everyone else. The expectation also includes the rider to memorize the test but they may request to have a caller.
A standard dressage ring looks like this:
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It's the first try at the test so we weren't working on anything other than just getting the transitions in. Right now, everything is coming at me pretty fast. Next week we'll add in the bending and other fine-tuning like getting Bons collected when we're making tighter turns because riding this boy is like driving an 18-wheeler. All our turns were over but if I didn't, then they were not enough turned in and we ended up stomping over the pylon.
This week's homework is to memorize the test before Thursday's lesson. I think it's very possible because I've downloaded an app for that! I'll input the test and then play it over and over again. For me, learning visually is the best way for me so it should work out just fine.
Sunday, July 27, 2014
Lesson #118: Dressage!
My trot warm ups are more composed and I get on Ariel with conviction, control and confidence. And you know what? I can feel her being more agreeable with me. However, as soon as we move into canter work, things get messy and she fights me and falls in. Apparently I'm not the only one with that problem... one of the other adult riders told me (her daughter was riding Ariel at one point but seems to have moved onwards to another gelding) that she has the same issues with Ariel when she rides her. At least I know it's not just me. I mean it is "me" but I'm not the only one experiencing issues.
Anyway, I struggle with Ariel at the canter and I have to really man-handle her to get her deep into the corners. I do pulse my inside leg on her and it helps. It takes a lot more than me pulsing once she's falling in though... I have to prepare as I'm coming into the corner with a reminder and continue with some pulsing and pushing her back out and I just let her do her thing if she's doing as she's being told. But I have to be quick if I feel that she's starting to fall back in or lean or get naughty.
Today's lesson: a command lesson. At least that's what I think Sheri called it. No jumping today, we focused on flat work exclusively. It's the first time we've done something like this. At first, we start out on the rail and we merely do as we are told--kind of like Simon says. We haven't worked on a lot of technical moves like shoulder-in, leg yielding (just on occasion), pirouette, collected canter etc. Right now, we're doing things like walk (both collected and extended), trot (collected sitting and extended/working), canter, turn on the forehand. It's simple stuff in terms of items considered separately but putting it all together with smooth and instantaneous transitions at the letter is challenging.
Our first turn at it has all three of us, K, +ADW and I out on the rail just doing what we're told. One we finish this, we take turns. I'm first. And everything is fine until we have to do canters. The transitions are not smooth nor on cue; often they are speedy trots leading into the canter. Other times they are cutting corners and just zipping around in an unbalanced mode. I know my cues and I know what I'm supposed to do but I don't always translate that correctly to our friend Ariel.
Sheri adds that at this point the type of showing we should consider are things like dressage tests since we still need work on jumping courses. It does feel nice to know that I'm moving forward in my learning/training though! And this is just the "training level"... our aim is to be so on the letter and so close to the end of the rails that things look effortless and you don't hear me cursing and muttering under my breath when things go wrong.
ADW and K take their turns and are doing varying things too. When we finish, Sheri tells us our homework for the week is to look up some training level dressage tests that have things like trot, canter, walk and some basic turn on the forehand or such. Nothing about leg yielding or the such at this point. I have been checking out the FEI and EC for some but so far (really, just this evening) nothing suitable has really turned out. When I find something good, I"ll be sure to post some up, of what we're going to be working on in the next few weeks/months :)
Anyway, I struggle with Ariel at the canter and I have to really man-handle her to get her deep into the corners. I do pulse my inside leg on her and it helps. It takes a lot more than me pulsing once she's falling in though... I have to prepare as I'm coming into the corner with a reminder and continue with some pulsing and pushing her back out and I just let her do her thing if she's doing as she's being told. But I have to be quick if I feel that she's starting to fall back in or lean or get naughty.
Today's lesson: a command lesson. At least that's what I think Sheri called it. No jumping today, we focused on flat work exclusively. It's the first time we've done something like this. At first, we start out on the rail and we merely do as we are told--kind of like Simon says. We haven't worked on a lot of technical moves like shoulder-in, leg yielding (just on occasion), pirouette, collected canter etc. Right now, we're doing things like walk (both collected and extended), trot (collected sitting and extended/working), canter, turn on the forehand. It's simple stuff in terms of items considered separately but putting it all together with smooth and instantaneous transitions at the letter is challenging.
Our first turn at it has all three of us, K, +ADW and I out on the rail just doing what we're told. One we finish this, we take turns. I'm first. And everything is fine until we have to do canters. The transitions are not smooth nor on cue; often they are speedy trots leading into the canter. Other times they are cutting corners and just zipping around in an unbalanced mode. I know my cues and I know what I'm supposed to do but I don't always translate that correctly to our friend Ariel.
Sheri adds that at this point the type of showing we should consider are things like dressage tests since we still need work on jumping courses. It does feel nice to know that I'm moving forward in my learning/training though! And this is just the "training level"... our aim is to be so on the letter and so close to the end of the rails that things look effortless and you don't hear me cursing and muttering under my breath when things go wrong.
ADW and K take their turns and are doing varying things too. When we finish, Sheri tells us our homework for the week is to look up some training level dressage tests that have things like trot, canter, walk and some basic turn on the forehand or such. Nothing about leg yielding or the such at this point. I have been checking out the FEI and EC for some but so far (really, just this evening) nothing suitable has really turned out. When I find something good, I"ll be sure to post some up, of what we're going to be working on in the next few weeks/months :)
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