Lessons #205, #206, #207: Reinvigorating Goals and Direction

There isn't much to write about with the last few lessons other then I've been working on addressing the right side issue that we discovered 2 weeks back. I try to ride with my right hip relaxes and the leg "falling outwards" so I can keep that in check. It seems that once that hip pulls my right leg in, the rest of my right side follows and that's where the curling inwards comes from. So my lessons are mostly me making the conscious effort to go through the check list at all gaits:

1. Weight in the heels/heels down
2. Right hip open and relaxed so the thigh is off the saddle
3. Hips and lower back relaxed to absorb the movement
4. Chest open and shoulders back and 'down'
5. Looking in the direction I am turning, even for corners
6. Shoulders following my head turn
7. Sitting back/up

Things are coming together more as I am making the conscious effort to ensure that the hip doesn't allow my right leg to collapse. It's really easy to get handsy in the corners instead of using my seat to push Ariel back out and on the right bend.

On Thursday, there were 2 other students in my class and one of them is still working up to getting comfortable with things so it was a good opportunity to focus on flat work. I felt ambitious (though to be honest, I did tell myself I needed to use the time more efficiently) and started weaving in and out of the bending poles that were just standards set in a line. This exercise is difficult even at the walk because you want to use your seat to turn them and not your hands/reins. 

The warm-up consisted of a series of different tasks that for some reason, I felt very comfortable flowing from one to the next...

• Posting trot with and without stirrups
• Sitting trot with and without stirrups
• Adding 2 point position
• Cantering with and without stirrups
• Cantering in a 2 point position
• I even managed to sort myself out to pick up and drop stirrups during canter! A feat that usually leaves me tight and bouncy

On Sunday, I had +ADW pick what we'd do since I usually get to pick on Thursday nights already and I wasn't feeling particularly nervous about anything. I'm glad the picked an over fences lesson because I had done quite a few flat classes recently. We did things pretty low key and kept the jumps low so to get a better feel of the horses' movement over jumps. The lesson went quite well in that we were jumping the course and ended on the highest jump that was set out there at around 2'3" to 2'6". It wasn't pretty which simply means I need to continue working up on the things that I am doing at the lower heights so I am more solid.

Areas of improvement include, but are not limited to:

• Sitting back up between jumps
• Shift our hips back instead of jumping with the horse, over jumps
• Using the space in the arena better so we can appropriately set ourselves up for the jumps
• Looking early for the jump
• Drive with our butts coming into the jump

Hopefully I'll be as diligent with my most recent lessons, for the coming ones so I can continue to improve upon the things I lack. In addition, I am going to be starting ScarletPen's 30 day bottom challenge to address a possible weak backside and start getting in a 45-60 minute yoga session 2-3 times a week. And now that the weather is cooled down, it might not be a bad idea to jump on my bike...

Lesson #204: Quasimodo

The traffic I deal with on week nights really makes me question why I go up in the evenings... especially since right now, I don't work. It took me 30 minutes more than usual, to get up last night. I left early with the hopes that I would have some time to mosey on in. I was SO WRONG. I was even late this time and had to run out into the rain to get a sopping wet Ariel from her paddock and quickly tack up.

Another new student joins the class today. This girl looks to be in her teens and she's returning to lessons after taking time away from riding. That said, I figure it's going to be a pretty low key lesson so I can work on my canter transitions.

After a varying warm-up of posting trot, sitting trot with and without stirrups, I am directed into the canter. The other girl seems to pick it right back up and has no problems at all. I, on the other hand, am struggling with keeping Ariel out at the rail on the right rein and she's falling in and the corners are just plain ol' botched up. I am certain that it has to do with me because as is most of the time, it's a poor rider that gives poor results. Especially with a horse like Ariel who is not particularly forgiving about miscommunication from the rider. While Ariel knows her job and loves to jump (she hates to bend... haha), she demands that her rider is properly clear with her so that she too so that everything flows. After all, the communication means that the rider is giving appropriate physical signals and staying balanced.

It's pointed out I'm using too much rein with the outside one trying to redirect her. Sheri directs me to break down the canter in the arena: trot the long sides and canter going into the corners. Then progressively going into the opposite pattern. The departs and downward transitions are bang on and there is mostly no issues when I'm doing the canter in pieces. It is pointed out to me though, that the cause of the falling in/bad corners is my right side curling in at the corners (I KNOW!!! UGH) and my right leg gripping and coming out of the seat. Seriously, the left side is perfectly fine and that's how my right side should be but isn't. I don't know the cause but I do have to take extra care to keep my chest open and right leg relaxed as much as possible.

I swear I was so frustrated but equally relieved I figured out what the issue is. So now comes the work each and every minute of every single lesson following....

Lesson #200: Whips, Crops and Progress

I had a Thursday lesson in the outdoor jumping arena with one of the other youngsters. She just got a new horse (went from bossy mare pony previously) to a new gelding. He's still new so I don't know a lot about him. I pulled Ariel from her paddock and she's covered in mud despite only having been on there for about 30 minutes and wearing a fly sheet. Seriously. After getting right in those nooks and crannies, I saddled her and we went off to the outdoor. For some reason, it was a super busy night (usually it's just me and MAYBE one other) so both indoor and outdoor were being used.

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.

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.

Lesson #198: Winning!

The show season is in full swing and this season, Ariel's been doing amazing! She's placing at every show she's gone to and now all the kiddies want to ride her and take her to their show. Which means I have a somewhat slow and pokey pony some days b/c she'd rather be out in her paddock bossing around the other horses. Despite that, I have been diligent with keeping on top of my game with her and reminding her who's boss because I don't want another "incident" like the last.

We had another flat lesson just putzing around the outdoor going over canter poles and focusing on position and balance and all that fun stuff. I was also determined to not need the crop/bat, again so I was pretty serious with the mare right from the get go, about what we were doing. I admit, I am getting tired of kicking her to get us going when she's ignoring me but sometimes it has to be done.

The sitting trot was pretty good, and it's the first time in a few weeks that Sheri's taught my lesson and she commented that things are looking pretty good! I said that I was pretty determined the last several lessons and focused on the flat quite intensely. My hips are moving the way they should, now... and I'm not bouncing around as much and not leaning forward. But it still requires a conscious effort b/c it's simply easier not to do all that.

Then we get into canter and changed the trot poles into canter poles on the long side. My canter transitions continue to need a lot of work... We are still chasing her into the transition and she's counter flexing. I am SURE it's because of me... but what that is? I have yet to figure out. We do manage to get into the transition eventually but usually with really big mess up there. Then my right foot manages to fall out of the stirrup and so I decide to toss both and just ride it. Sheri asks me if I did so intentionally and I caught a smile crack when I told her that I managed to canter without stirrups a couple lessons ago! She laughed and said that it was pretty good considering I chickened out last time! hehe

Despite being a low key lesson, I found that there was both progress and some consistent struggles. I would hope that we might amp it up next lesson and I'd start doing some more technical things, really focusing on transitions or doing a few jumps to get me back into it.

Lesson #193, 194 & 195: Dogged Determination

There hasn't been a lot to report on, in the last couple of weeks. That, and I spent an afternoon in the local ER due to a health related concern that I don't have answers to, quite yet. I'm not the type to worry until I know what there is to worry about... we'll know when I demand some tests from my regular doctor. In addition, whatever it was took me out for a week and I'm still having some difficulties being 100%.

But enough about the boring stuff that remains a mystery and out of my control; let's talk about the last 3 lessons! We focused on flat work. I hadn't been feeling up to any jumping and I wanted to gain some mastery with the sitting trot rather than continue to bounce around on top of Ariel. So away I went... lesson after lesson doing nothing other than sitting trot.

J pointed out that he knew when I was doing it wrong (that is, absorbing the motion incorrectly) when the pony tail hanging down my back was bouncing along with me. He reminded me to sit back (which feels like I'm leaning right back) and to absorb with my hips and abs. Apparently it's a momentary "on/off" contraction of muscles; as solid contraction or lack thereof would result in the incorrect motion. So around and around I went... with and without stirrups. Sometimes it was successful and other times (often) it wasn't. I also got into some canter just to keep things interesting and I practiced the dreaded figure 8 exercise that would have the transition of the lead at the centre of the figure. I determined to do the simple change since that was what I was struggling with in the past. I would say things were getting better since I was able to accomplish that when I asked (and when I was late, Ariel did the autochange for us). I also mustered the courage to canter without stirrups since several lessons ago, Sheri asked me to do it but I totally chickened out. I did it!! It started out as me losing my stirrup and going around without them. I came back down just fine so figured, this might mean I can do it without, period! It is tricky though... because it's easy to grip with your knees and curl forward because the horse is speeding up or you're getting nervous.

One of the things I did struggle with remains the smooth and consistent canter transitions as well as my own twisty body. Transitions remain tricky as I tend to lean forward when asking and thus putting Ariel on the forehand. I also wanted to get the transitions without the need for artificial aids like the bat/crop. Like most horses, Ariel sped up when her rider is holding one but I that meant that i was doing something wrong when she would speed up the trot or simply ignore me. I spent my lessons determined not to use them until I was pretty beat fighting with the mare. My twisty body added to the complications and I would torque outwards and so Ariel was doing the same counter bend. Actively telling myself to open up my chest and keeping my shoulders down and back was really challenging since all the other stuff needed my attention too.

During the last lesson, +ADW and I swapped things up again and I hopped on Molson while he practiced his sitting trot on Ariel (apparently the easier of the two). J teased me and said that if we were to do that, I'd need to jump on Molson. I felt more myself and confidently accepted the challenge. We didn't do anything exciting since anyone jumping with the "King of the Long Spot" usually would crap their paints after riding a horse like Ariel. Molson and I went off just fine even though he did his usual power up 3 strides into the jump and I did my usual "omg I'm going to die". We didn't do half bad considering I was crapping my pants up there but I needed to give him more of a release. Yea right. Give more release to a horse that tends to drop his front end. The trick to try? Place both my hands on his neck as we are coming into the jump to give him the release and to get my into the right position over. Worked like a charm! If you can maintain the courage not to pull back and just go with it.

So while it wasn't back with me jumping the 2'3" course, I did pull myself together enough to progress with the sitting trot and got over the fear of riding jumps with the Molson.

Lessons #186 & 187: A cumulation of events

This post will be short since not a lot has been going on, in lessons. My Thursday night lesson was pretty much all flat work with me working on getting Ariel to canter and doing the trot and just focusing on position. In short, it was merely a lesson that I spent focusing on keeping me in check. But, I have been really tired lately that things are falling a bit on the wayside, even during lessons.

My Saturday ride was equally unexciting in terms of the lesson itself. I spent it puttering around on the flat and trying to maintain flexion with Ariel. She was being particularly cranky and bossy this lesson so I spent the better part of it getting her to listen to me. I know she's been testing me for weeks now. The end of this lesson was way messy. I have been expecting another event like this to happen though; Ariel took over and just ignored me and wouldn't listen to me at all. It was awful. And, if I wasn't as tired and just out of sorts, I would have probably been more embarrassed. It got to the point where Sheri had to come out to get Ariel into the arena again, after she refused my aids and decided she'd rather return to the stable. *mortified*

We all know this mare is very dominant and she is constantly testing things to see when she can surpass me, in our relationship. This seems to happen every few weeks so I know I have to be way more consistently diligent about getting what I want. "Ride through it" is my new motto. Even if that means I get unseated or otherwise. Better than letting her win, in this case.

She even flipped me the bird when I was returning her to her paddock. *siiiigh*

P.s. I have not forgotten about the "news"! Things are in flux sooner than I expected so I haven't gotten around to putting it out there. Stay tuned!!

Lesson #184: Saddles

Lately, I've been having a good experience with Ariel in the paddocks. She comes towards me when I arrive and call her. She isn't ignoring me like she has done in the past and best, she isn't trying to turn tail and run the other way! She had her feet done though, so she was a bit sore and getting her to do anything was a full effort. And I am way out of shape. But we all already knew that.

The warm up was really challenging because I was trying to keep her straight, in the arena and willing to walk over the water puddle. She was completely difficult and being crabby about it all. She's just feeling a little toe sore so no jumping (phew) and working on my position, says Sheri. Easier said than done, my friends!! This was definitely a challenge for me to accomplish all that, and keep focused on where I wanted to go. Needless to say, we were pretty messy up there.

Eventually we got into the canter and what I was asked to do is go into a half seat and just ride her like I'm a racing jockey. Round and round we go! She wanted to slow down but I said "no way. We continue to go". It was not easy and it's the first time I have had to really push her to move forward. It's something I haven't had to deal with, with Ariel, like ever. I was most certainly huffing and puffing.

Deb sure was insistent tonight. But I got the better of her a few times!--Ariel 

Our last exercise was trotting around without stirrups. I have definitely been handsy with Ariel but she was being difficult! The aim here? Flow together like we're dancing. I am sure it was less of a flowing ballroom dance and more of a jerky Elaine dance. I was told to let go with my knees (gripping), readjust my lower leg position so I wasn't leaning forward, pulsating squeezes to encourage forward movement. In all that effort, we discovered that the saddle is probably too small for me.

I am on my way to becoming sucked into this whole thing (as if I wasn't already drinking the koolaid!) and turning into a tack whore. Okay that's not entirely true. But I always said, I'm not going to get a saddle unless I own a horse. I started out getting all decked out in the appropriate riding gear. I still wear regular tshirts and such but breeches I have and a helmet and riding gloves for all seasons. Then I moved onwards... to saddle pads and a bridle. Now I have started to consider a saddle!

Our conversations about saddles was typically just in passing. I always thought that as long as it fits the horse and it is generally good for riders, we're good. Wrong. No wonder this is such an expensive sport... the saddle must fit both team members for optimal efficiency. I sort of always thought that and I found out that one of the reasons I tend to lean forward is because of the saddle!! Yes, it's not an absolute explanation but it certainly does contribute to things. And those tough as nails types would say, just suck it up. A good rider can ride without a saddle (that's true) so just learn to ride without one!

We'll look into this a bit more.. in case any readers in the Ontario area might know of a suitable saddle, I'm looking for a medium tree with a size of 17 or so with a lower pommel. For those saddle whores out there, you probably know WAY more so feel free to add details and comment! I certainly don't claim to be an expert of any nature about this stuff!

Lesson #183: Same Old Tune

Saturday's lesson was an extension of what we were doing on Thursday. I needed to work on getting the right position over jumps and just keep riding things through, as I should. I have to admit, I didn't wake up feeling my peachiest. Some part of me wanted to stay in bed and just lie there but I knew I would have a better time going out.

Another one of the seasoned students rides with us and she's good... because she used to ride this cheeky thoroughbred that would try and pull all sorts of antics and she learned to ride him well... because she was the only one riding him! Now she rides a giant Trakhener who's got his own issues but she knows exactly what she needs to do, to keep him in check too. Needless to say, it's both intimidating and inspiring to ride with someone like her.

Today is a stiff day and we notice it because J decides to point it out. My butt is able to stay closer to the saddle but there isn't that "swing" in my lower back when we canter. It's the same thing Sheri said last time when she said that my upper body moves too much and the only part of my body that should be moving in the canter is the seat.

The exercises today are riding a non-course course. I have no idea about the proper name for this exercise but the course was set up and the difference was the poles were ground pole instead of jumps. This got us to practice our ride in and out because (why?) nothing changes over jumps. So riding it flat should translate just fine to a jump. Let me tell you... what trouble I had!! I couldn't get Ariel to start up on the canter when I wanted her to, or I couldn't keep her at it. It was a miserable session that I tried again and again. One of the major issues was definitely that I was leaning forward when asking for the canter depart (which is totally NOT what you're supposed to do!) and so all it became was a speedy trot that got me bouncing around and totally discombobulated.

I did persist though, and got through the course each time, even if it was messy and not ideal. That said, at least I know what my mistakes were. I just need to eliminate the physical barriers that hold me back. It's not really mental anymore, for me. The jumps we do are not "scary" like they used to be and I don't freak out like I used to but, my physical limitations are what's keeping me back. Not a big surprise there but I gotta push in some time to work on that so I can continue to move forward.

Lesson #181: Straightness

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!

Lessons #178 & #179: Therapeutic Riding

For weeks, I have been struggling with back soreness and pain. I did work on the lawn and yard over the long weekend so I probably have miserable posture but in addition to that, my back loin muscles have been killing me. Yesterday was particularly rough because I could not find enough concentration in my being to get through the work day. I was really looking forward to my lesson because I knew that I'd have a better back just after sitting atop Ariel.

Sunday's lesson was no better... it ended up being pure flat work because I just couldn't muster the physical ability to do much else. I always start out stiff and uncomfortable even if I do some mild stretching prior to hopping on. My mid back was giving me issues that led to the forward leaning position which meant more work for Ariel to do anything that requires her to lift her front end. J had me canter with the reins in one hand and my other hand raised to the ceiling to ensure that I wasn't leaning forward.. somehow I managed--to lean forward, that is. The only good that came out of that exercise was that because I was too busy balancing on everything else, I let go of my hips and I actually swung with Ariel's motion instead of against it.

Yesterday's lesson on the other hand, we were jumping. The young rider M rides very well and everything just flow for her. Yes, I'm absolutely jealous of her lack of physical barriers. I on the other hand, struggled with staying up and sitting back and the jumps were not pretty. One time, I had a brain fart and just couldn't decide which way to turn after coming out a jump and Ariel and I were doing our last minute thing of "Hello? Where are we going? um... the rail is coming up kinda fast. You still there? Oh whatever, I'm going this way". I nearly fell off, but totally my fault. Another instance, I have no idea what was happening but I couldn't make the jump in time with her and it was really messy and I fall flat on her neck and also nearly toppled off. It was a messy lesson, to say the least. However, I was still able to do it in a canter for the most part and wasn't over thinking the jumps (thankfully small) and just went with whatever came at me. Sheri reiterated that fact too and reminded me that adults have different challenges than kids do... and one of them is the physical limitations just b/c of years of bad posture or favouring one side or something like that.

Despite all that, my back and hips always feel 110% better just by sitting ontop of Ariel. Even if we're not moving. The burning and soreness is gone when I am ontop. It's better than going to get a massage or chiropractor to look at my old bones. On another thread, I brought the mini-Ariel in to snap a shot with Miss Ariel herself! I don't think she appreciated being copied (though never duplicated!).

Mini-Ariel!

Lesson #171: Simple Change for the Win!

Another intense lesson. I expect that with show season starting and many of the riders looking to get into showing either hunter or jumper this season, even my lessons will incorporate a lot of the same elements. After all, I did say I wanted to be able to successfully jump a 2'3" course this season!

This lesson started with the usual flat work at posting trot and seated trot... even alternating between the two. We also add in some trot without stirrups and focus on pushing our weight down through our heels to keep balanced. I find trotting without stirrups still easier to ride than bareback--which easily unseats me.

The 3 jumps from the previous lesson are still up so we use these to work on the same exercises. The lesson starts with the same exercise as last time where we trot over the figure 8 by going over the pole in the middle of the arena. This exercise is cleaner than it was last time... my turns were flowing and smooth. Next, we increase the difficulty by including the other 2 Xs and it is the figure 8 going over 3 of the X jumps. My "jumping" is becoming cleaner and I'm not having as much trouble with the landing... however, these are still on the low end of things so mastering these are imperative to move forward and up.

I'm as stunned as Bucky is, that I was successful this time around!

Now comes the biggest accomplishment this season, so far, cantering the figure 8 at the canter and using a simple change at the trot, over the X in the middle. The last time I tried to do this was last summer and it was impossible for me to accomplish the simple change over the middle. First, Ariel doesn't like to transition down into the trot b/c she's already not really a fan of the trot. I have to really get her ready as we're coming around the corner and approaching the middle pole. Despite the flashback of last year's outcome, I was successful and we were able to mostly achieve what we set out to do! I certainly feel pretty good about my progress because last year this sort of thing was still a struggle to do.

Lesson #169: Transitions with Seat

With the previous day's clinic fresh in my mind, I keep in mind the things that I have to focus on based on the analysis of the videos. I told +ADW all about the clinic and told him I knew what I needed to focus my attention on: my lower leg and especially my right one. But we all already know about my loopy right side with a mind of its own!

The class is relatively low key in that we spent it on the flat. A brief warm-up was following by no stirrup work. A lot of no stirrup work. We get up to the trot and focus on maintaining our balance by keeping our heels downwards and remembering to not pinch. When I lose my balance, I feel myself tipping forward and my knees grip. Re-adjusting while moving is tricky but it does in fact get us both rebalanced properly. We're also asked to incorporate some posting--tricky!

If only Deb could ride correctly with her seat all the time! --Ariel

Finally, we finish the lesson with bareback riding. It was all about loosening our hips and letting them flow with the movement of the horse. Understanding the movement and being able to incorporate it into the exercise is really neat because I decided to try something that I read about: transitioning gaits with just your seat. Once I get the rhythm, I speed it up just a touch and I'm successful! It doesn't last long but works!!

Frame by Frame

Riding a horse is a dynamic balancing act. While other activities like gymnastics and yoga both test the athlete's balance in both a static and dynamic manner, riding a horse requires the balancing act of rider and mount be in sync with one another. While you're balancing yourself, you're also trying to coordinate your balancing act with that of the horse in a way where you don't interfere with their movements.

This is the first clinic I've participated in, where I'm actually riding. Because I only take lessons, it feels like another lesson with more "go". I got there early so was watching the previous session of girls going. These are the girls who have been riding for many more years and have a supple young body that can bend and move in more directions than mine can. They were jumping up to 3'3". Amazing.

My session turned out to be a single session with just me working on me stuff. It was really nice b/c I didn't have to worry about the other girls (who could be my kids :S) zipping past me flying over the jumps with ease. We started with flat analysis:

• I was asked to post trot on a 20m circle while being filmed. We discovered that I post with my upper body and not my hips... it looked like I was literally bobbing up and down. Focus: post with a loose hip and maintain upper body and still heels/legs.
• Next, canter on the 20m circle. The discovery was that not only is my seat out of sink and going against Ariel's motions but that I was leaning forward and my heels were penduluming back and forth causing the tipping. Focus: drop the weight into the heels and relax my hips.

I have the opportunity to "fix" these mistakes but it requires focus to release my hips and swing them back and forth in both the posting trot and canter. Next, over fence exercises:

• I start with an X jump followed by a canter pole. It is relatively clean and I have only one hiccup getting over it. The discovery here is that my heels aren't actually sinking enough and do come up and my leg swings back a bit. It isn't a major cause for concern but I focus on pushing my heels down coming into the jump.
• Next, add the vertical jump in place of the canter pole. This doesn't go too well. It is messy and I have trouble keeping a straight approach (I look a bit drunk :P). The landing isn't pretty but it isn't particularly messy either. The focus here is push weight into heels as we come into the jump
• Now, the second pole is raised and things start falling apart. My landings are poor and I end up on Ariel's neck often. Upon review of the videos, we discover that my legs swing back significantly and then I am pitched forward and hence the landing is messy and I'm even left behind in some situations. The focus is the lower leg position upon the landing.
• We continue the same jumps but try something different: come into the line in a half seat and nothing changes. There is improvement but I continue to have trouble with the landing and my leg position; it's as if I am trying to jump for Ariel instead of just staying still and letting her come up to me. J says, "think of your position needing to be in a position where if I snapped my fingers and Ariel disappeared beneath you, you'd land on your feet and not your face or arse". The focus here is most definitely keeping my legs, seat and weight over the same axis.

I really enjoyed this clinic because of the ability to review all my positions in each frame. The videos were slowed right down into frames where I could see exactly where things were going awry and what was happening. I have been wondering for some time now, why the bigger jumps cause me to fall on Ariel as opposed to landing appropriately. And now I see that my leg position is likely the cause to many of the errors that I am making. Perhaps another ride on Bons is what I need to "remind" my body where my leg and seat position need to be.

Lesson #163: Details Details

I get to ride Ariel again! She's not away at a schooling show so it's nice to get back to my old routine. I went out to get her in the paddock and that girl got sassy with me and bolted when I approached. I'm not familiar with horse speak so I"m not sure if she was being defiant or just excited to see me (I'll go with the former *sigh*). That said, I chased her around a bit until she settled and went to put the halter on... she greeted me with a soft sigh and we were good after that.

It's shedding time and I am covered in hair when I'm ready to get on. Sheri is riding her boy today as well so it's nice to see her do her thing. The lesson was spent on me keeping my position and riding Ariel deep into corners and on the circle. We worked at the walk and the trot. At the walk, I was swinging my legs with her ribs to open her walk and maintaining a consistent trot that is relaxed. I admit I've been having more and more trouble with my own body as late and I find my right shoulder rolls in, my right leg tends to grip at the knee and I have a terrible habit of leaning forward.

I'm reminded to sit up during my circles so I don't collapse on her front but I do find it tougher because I have to remember to bend Ariel and put up with her fussing about bending. We go again some more and I'm told my position has improved so that's a good thing to hear, considering my riding frequency and my major lack of exercise. Ariel puts up a fuss in the same corner a couple times and that's enough for Sheri to jump on her back to tell her who's boss. I love watching Sheri ride because she's SO AMAZING. She gets on Ariel and immediately, she's in a frame. As Sheri is going around, she tells me that Ariel is actually constantly fighting her; she does fight less as time goes on but Sheri has to be on her all the time. She's shaking her head or throwing it up or pulling on the reins and avoiding contact whenever possible. Those are all apparently "I don't wanna do this" comments so I'm told that I need to counter every argument/opinion with a leg squeeze and firm closed grip on the reins. The other thing is that my arms should be soft and my shoulders and core firm and in control because then when Ariel is pulling or fussing, she's got nothing to pull or fuss on. I never thought about it like that so it's going to be good to test next lesson.

In the meantime, I definitely have no more excuses to get my act together outside of riding and start working on getting back a fitness routine because I feel like I've been crunched up all winter!

Lesson #160: Transitions

I didn't go into this lesson with any real expectations considering the ride I had the day before. I figured that as long as I learned something during the lesson and get through the ride in a calm and logical manner, then that is a successful lesson.

Ariel seemed to be in a more composed manner and I was practising my slow and deep breathing with her. It seems that she's particularly sensitive about that and the simplicity of just slowing down my breath and focusing on the goal was key to a successful lesson. Ariel demands a clear head and clear communications from her rider.

I started at the walk and Sheri told me to feel Ariel's body move beneath me and alternate leg pressure in union with her body to "open up her walk". The few times we did bareback riding, the goal was to get our seat to flow with their movement and effectively swing each hip as the horse was moving. Getting the feel for this in the saddle is a little trickier but loosening up meant that I could also alternate my legs according to the way her body swayed side to side. Our lesson was spent on getting a feel for transitions and what it took for us, to "talk transition" be it up or down.

I started out with no rein contact and was told to get Ariel super long and low at a relaxed steady pace. The best part about it was that as I relax, I in turn encourage her to relax too and she isn't speeding around the arena. This is tricky though, because when she did speed up, the natural thing to want to do is grab the reins and hold and pull. Instead, I was told, do the complete opposite to bring her back and add lots of half halts to get her attention. This isn't change immediately but in a stride or two, Ariel would relax and lower her head and I would regain control.

After several bouts of adding in seated trot with the objective to keep her head in the same relaxed frame and the pace consistent, we move onwards to transitioning up to canter, down to trot and back to canter and then back to walk etc. Sheri was telling us, you gotta feel that there is a difference with what your body is asking for, depending on the transition: a transition from canter to trot vs a transition from canter to walk are different. I also have to remember a transition down is not a loss of impulsion through the front where the horse falls into their transition down but rather, a collection of their bodies into a slowing down where you continue to push their hind ends beneath them. I would say that the transitions where we properly transition down have a much smoother ride whereas when she falls into her transitions down, it's jolty and usually abrupt.

The entire lesson was composed of transitions up and down and short or long bursts based on what was being asked of us. Definitely a very productive lesson that gave me the opportunity to regain control and be reminded of riding with our bodies and seat before hands.

Lesson #159: For the Win!

I've been away from the stable for 2 weeks due to the extreme cold weather we've been experiencing this way. It was around -30C before wind chill a few weekends. I mean who wants to work? Today's make up lesson was one of those "let's just get on and see what happens". Ariel, along with the others had been cooped up inside for 2 days because it's so cold and she hadn't been ridden since Tuesday. UGH. Granted, I didn't know that until after she started acting up.

Things started relatively well when I went to get her... I remembered something Paola wrote in a post about how she's being taught that training of the horse starts the moment you take them out of the paddock. I went to get Ariel in a calm and determined perspective and this time she actually walked over to me since +ADW said he spent some time chasing Molson in the paddock :P

The ride did start relatively unassuming... in that it was like any other ride. But, once we started moving around, Ariel decided that a walk wasn't quite fast enough and just broke out into the canter or the trot. This was really not fun for me because I tried to be nice and use the seat and half halts to regain her attention to come back but she continued to ignore me until I was yanking on her face to get her to transition back down. When we got into the trot, it was choppy and zippy and she hopped the trot poles and then went into a canter. It was just plain frustrating because I wasn't doing anything that would have indicated her to do anything more!

Even when I did manage to slow her down enough, she would hop over the trot poles again! That was enough for me to get her to walk over the poles and yet she STILL and hopped over!! Time to change things up again and focus on just getting her trotting around on my terms--no trot poles. I focused on breathing deep and half halting often to regain her attention to what I wanted us to do. After some time, I was able to get her to a relaxed trot with the rein at the buckle and I got me some snorts and sighs. I went around several more times and by the time my little team was relaxed and listening to me, we went over the trot poles. Finally.

Lesson #158: Snort, Sigh, Relax

Hello out there, from underneath all this snow and cold. It's finally stopped and we're in the process of cleaning up this city.

Blargh!! Welcome to winter in Canada.

It is currently -15C in the GTA and likely colder in Hillsburgh/Erin. With windchill, we're looking at closer to -25C or -30C. It wasn't very different yesterday... less snow but just as frigid. And there we go, trekking out bright and early Sunday morning for our weekly lesson. In come the horses with ice hooves that we were lucky to have J grab some sort of hammer to help us save 10-15 minutes of chiselling away at the ice with puny hoof picks.

We enter the indoor arena and it is -10C. Lots of warm up time. My aim this time is to listen enough to Ariel relaxation signs such as loosening of her body, the pace and even snorts and sighing. I am looking for that moment/position that elicits those responses from Ariel that tell me what she's looking for. I add in curves to my warm up and do a few shallow loop serpentine and circles throughout the arena. All the jumps have been put away today so I figured it was going to be a flat lesson. I am told to get Ariel to relax in an extended relaxed trot with a low head carriage; I am holding the rein at the buckle but the trick now is to maintain that head carriage while keeping deep corners and the pace/rhythm.

Next, canter. The canter was such a mess at the get go. I was not collected myself and Ariel was thus not starting up. After recollecting myself in a proper trot, I initiated the canter and things were pretty good! I did ride it in the half seat again just so that I got off her back and got out of her way and she seemed far more relaxed about that and we went round and round but keeping her in the corners on the right rein had its occasional challenges. Not only that, keeping her straight was something I had to focus on maintaining because she was keen on falling into the centre--which probably meant that I need to be more aware of what I'm doing when I lose focus.

The transitions are cleaner than they used to be when we'd go speeding down the long end with me bouncing around trying to get her to pick up the canter. But things have gotten smoother, even though that doesn't mean I know what exactly I'm doing differently.

In an effort to return to the previous goal of keeping straight and relaxed, we are told to get into seated trot without stirrups and keeping pace and ensuring relaxation and looseness. My hips were awful; everything was tight and I was flapping in the seat and Ariel was clearly not enjoying things and started to act up by telling me I was doing things wrong. It took some time but eventually, something came and went and I got a few steps. A few times moving forward from the halt, she would raise her head and back up a step or two when I asked her to move forward. Sheri pointed out that when I ask her to move on, my hips actually lock up and pretty much everything in that 'seat' area gets rigid and for Ariel, that's confusing because I'm telling her to go but not, all at the same time. I need to learn to use my calves to urge her on and not tighten my entire seat. That's going to be tough b/c I haven't quite figured out exactly how to... it's so natural to just tense everything to push her forward because my body just tends to go that way!

Despite that though, the improvement in transitions, snorts and relaxation sighs and having a relaxed trot with a flowing canter was progress enough for me!

Lesson #156: No Preconceptions

I've learned to go into lessons without any expectations in terms of having a "good" or "bad" lesson. I usually make that assessment afterwards and even then, I try to accept things as they are: an opportunity to learn. This is more important this time around because for the last 2-3 lessons, I've wanted to cry after each lesson. I've been struggling with Ariel more than usual. She's a dominant mare and apparently I've been letting her get away with a lot because it's cumulated in one of the most palm-sweat inducing lessons to date.

The lesson starts with posting trot and I'm able to keep Ariel mostly in the corners. I also decided to leave the spurs out and focus on clearing up my aids instead of relying so much on artificial aids because I never needed any before. The left rein has been great and she is bang on with that one and nothing I've done seems to agitate her. Now for the canter: the rhythm is right on and everything is relaxed and clean. However, get on that right rein (specifically in canter) and she's cutting that one corner and just being a plain biznatch. Posting on the incorrect diagonal in the 'bad' corner forces her to rebalance herself and more inside leg is definitely needed but she's ignoring me and getting her way. Sheri hands me a crop/bat and says, "when she tries that trick again, tap her on the shoulder to remind her of what you want." Not only do I have to sit up more so that she doesn't speed off because of the crop but I have to prepare while getting into that corner so that I'm ready both with the correct flexion and body/seat/leg aids. There's no point to fight with her through hands since she'd win every time. As we approach that corner, she's falling in so I push the crop against her shoulder and attempt to push her back out--no tapping or slapping.

It's not an easy feat and I struggle to get it right. At this point, we've tried this several times and only partially with success and she's not at all happy with me and with a mixture of frustration and anger, she's started rejecting my requests and deeking inside at that corner so it doesn't matter what I do. What happens next is probably the most nerve-wrecking situation I've had to deal with, to date. She plain refuses to do as she's being told and in addition to the deeking, (mini-) rearing, backing up, side stepping, shaking her head, leaping into the air and ignoring anything that's being asked of her.

And pray you don't fall off!

Ariel and I are having a full on fight; a battle of the wills. And I better win because I'm not going to be very happy if I don't. Things happen very quickly and Sheri tells me, keep cantering large and speed up just a touch coming into that corner and really push her back out. In that whole mess of things, I remember fearing for my life, almost toppling over her head, getting jossled about, smacking her shoulder firmly and wanting it all to stop. Even as Sheri is firmly telling me, "Ride through it! Sit up and canter now! Bring her back to a trot ... and canter! Go go go! Don't let her stop!!" I remember responding very loudly as I zip past her, "Okay but I'm really scared right now!!!!!!!" *eeep!* Even recounting this escape makes my palms sweaty!

Somewhere in that whole mess with Ariel, we sort out our differences and Ariel snorts in submission. *THANK HEAVENS* Now I can focus on what my body is doing correctly and incorrectly. I realize that part of the issue is I'm telling her one thing and then asking for the opposite. My right shoulder actually falls in so my own body is torqued. I make a point to ensure everything is turning and going the right way even if it feels like too much. Things get better and more snorts of submission and relief.

We end the this stressful flat lesson with a lengthened and relaxed trot with the aim of having their heads low and the reins to the buckle. I slow my posting and in a few steps, Ariel slows and reaches and her head drops in a relaxed state. We then alter between seated and posting trot with the aim to "listen" to them to understand whether we are doing the right thing for them by ensuring that their heads remain low/relaxed and the rhythm remains unchanged. If they get tense at seated trot, we return to posting trot. And guess what? This mare's right on her game when she's submitting to your requests. We manage to get around and around at a even rhythm with a relaxed pace at both posting and seated trot. I do manage to get moments of that swinging motion in seated trot and it's evident when everything about Ariel remains as is and we go round a few more times.

Lesson #153: Circles are Hard to Do

I took a day off to go riding yesterday (left over vacation day--I thought I had none left!). The weather is freggin' freezing; looks like winter is well on its way. I still love getting out there during the day to ride though... morning or afternoon beats going out at night. Anyways, Ariel's been ridden during the jumper/hunter clinic already so we're not going to be doing anything too extenuating. Good thing for me because I need to sort out my issues with that 20m circle from Sunday.

Such a busy day today... clinic and then a lesson with Deb

So what do we do? We school the 20m circle after a trot and canter warm up. There aren't any issues at either gait during the warm up but into the 20m circle we go and things just aren't coming together properly. Ariel would fall in and the circle would spiral smaller without any success of more inside leg. J asked me to try a variety of exercises on the 20m circle, ranging from:

• posting the inside hip towards the outside hand, just a little
• dropping my inside hip and "polishing the saddle with my arse"
• pulsating the inside leg but keeping the outside in case we drift outwards
• spiral the trot circle in and then back out

As a continuation from the last lesson, I even peeked the at the outside of the circle at one corner again and again and Ariel would take that as an excuse to drift outwards and it would mean that my leg wasn't enough to push her back in. I do get a bit too handsy when things come last minute so I'll need to work on paying more attention to what's happening and using my legs (seat is even better) to redirect us.

Eventually Ariel just protests and says enough. She is rearing a bit and refusing to turn into the circle. Since she's had such a busy morning, it was likely the explanation to her fussing. Not one of my better lessons but not every lesson is going to be totally ah-may-zing. I still accomplished some of the things listed above so that's a success in my books!

Lesson #151: Return from Paris

I'm going to interrupt the Paris series to write about the return lesson on Sunday. I didn't mention it before but we have returned from Paris as of last Monday and been spending our time getting ourselves sorted out but I still have a couple more Paris related posts to finish up. And for those who are still trying to sort something out for Christmas for the equestrian in your life, check out +Laura's Christmas blog series "12 Days of (Horsey) Christmas".

We've been absent for 2 weeks so it's definitely one of those instances we take our time and gauge initially, where we are at. In the past, I've returned with stiff hips or lower back and it's proved to be problematic for a more intensive lesson. The lesson was done on the flat and we didn't even do ground poles. I focused on keeping Ariel in the corners and ensuring that she is supple enough to do the things I was asking of her. In addition, I was checking out where I was at in terms of physically. I returned with a funny torqued upper body (to left) and a funky tight right hip that has been feeling (for a few days now) like it needs to popped out and then back in.

Our rising trot was pretty good and my focus was keeping Ariel straight and deep in corners. At this speed, things are typically manageable. I even added in some sitting trot when I felt more comfortable with my balance and control. So far so good. Sheri then suggests that I move towards no stirrup work. Okay, I think, pull my feet out of the stirrups and dangle them. She adds "... now let's stretch and flex out those hips and lower back: lift your legs out and upwards off the saddle" so that there is a stretch in the inner thighs. Keep in mind, I'm still trotting. This is not easy! Argh. LOL. I get a few strides like this but when the contact with the seat is dramatically reduced, it is very noticeable that I don't have as good balance as I'd like!

Our trotting is good so Sheri pushes us to the canter--nothing fancy and just around, large. But this is much easier said than done! The left rein is okay... and manageable but once we get onto the right rein, things go to crap. I nudge and squeeze and push and pulse and all I get is a faster trot and a crappier seat and a major decrease in position. I am now bumbling around up there like a sack of potatoes. Eventually I get fed up and spur Ariel to get her hind in gear and it works. But she's leaning in and cutting corners! Pulsating with the inner leg is doing little good... all it seems to manage is to keep her from falling further in but I can't get her out far enough.

I go a few more rounds like this with all my might (my inner thighs are having me waddle today) and even have to pull her into a circle a few times... there was one successful step forward to have her cantering a 20m circle without falling in but I couldn't replicate it large. *sigh* To finish up the lesson, I do some suppling exercises like the leg yield at the walk. Best part? Sheri's gotten on her horse and is getting him to do some simple moves (that look freakin' amazing!) like the leg yield.