I had another slew of questions about the three day, and started the lesson with those. The first was how awkward going downhill feels. Britt said to just keep working on it until the lightbulb goes off for Charlie. She suggested starting on a small, gradual hill, and just riding a circle until he gets it and gets balanced and has cadence - then move to a hill that's a little bit steeper and work my way up to a real hill. My second question was where do I warm up for cross country day, and the answer is - nowhere! You just get on and ride. No warm up fences in between A and B or C and D. Third question was my same question to John about this time last year - if I work at it, can I do training level at the end of the year. Britt's answer was the same - I can work at it, but I might not make it. She explained that for training, there is a big jump in the technical aspect, and you really need to be able to rock back before the fence and have control over the shoulders for the turns because they are so tight. And then I had to sheepishly confess that my fourth question was that I really struggled with exactly that since last week. So we started by working on it with a new exercise. She also told me that although Novice is a little easier, I probably am not going to have much horse for the Major Beale clinic the weekend after we get back.
Our exercise was to trot a long side, leg yield a few steps, then go straight a few steps, leg yield, straight - so there were three leg yields. The part I focused on was using the outside leg (my left leg - we were going left) to "turn on" when I went straight. At first, I just quit using my right leg, but once I started to use the left leg to make the outside frame, Charlie would slow down. When I added the whip on the right with the left leg, he started to poof up in the shoulders. Then we added circles - we'd leg yield, go into a smallish circle (15 meters), go back into the leg yield. This really helped me use my outside rein on the circle.
Then Britt came and held the rein and held my leg and demonstrated the proper feel. What I think of as contact is barely contact at all. As soon as I added the actual contact, it made a huge difference. The hard part was feeling the difference between rounding contact and flattening contact. So Britt showed me which muscles to watch on his neck to see the difference. The other tricky part with this was not to pull back to get contact, but to have steady contact, and when he gives, it releases just by his giving. I don't have to fling the reins forward when he gives.
So then we did the same thing but at the canter, and other than a total out-take moment where I tried to switch the whip, got my rein wrapped around my thumb and the whip, then dropped the other side of the rein and careened around in a wild circle, this exercise was pretty good too.
So THEN we did our steeplechase triple bar. Last week I set up a 3'1" triple bar without too much of a spread, and a 3'7" vertical since that is the maximum height the brush can be. The triple bar was an absolute delight to jump, even at 470 mpm, but the vertical gave me trouble, so I only did it twice and decided to wait for the lesson.
First we did the steeplechase fence, and Britt noted that I'm probably working too hard, and so Charlie is tuning me out. I basically whip him every stride all the way around. And it was true - he kept going, even when I wasn't whipping him. She also reminded me of the two whip rule, which was timely, although since I won't have my dressage whip, I feel like I'll basically be whip-less anyway.
She also demonstrated, after the warm up fences, that I'm working too hard over the fences, flinging myself in half over his neck, when I should just let him close my angle, like you do when you're skiing moguls. This makes perfect sense, and I have noticed that I fling forward (increasingly) but I couldn't figure out why I was doing it or what to do instead. So then she talked about what the steeplechase is for (not sitting up before the fence, but letting the fence close your angle), and so we worked on it a couple more times. It was too much change at once, and I got more stupid over the fence, but it was all good information.
Then we went from the steeplechase fence to slowing the canter and jumping the 3'7" vertical. The first four fences were horrible, but then I started to get it. I had to sit up and half halt until about four strides out, then kick to the fence. It's the first time I've really had to ride two fences so differently, and it was a lot for my brain to take in, but once I got it, the light bulb kind of went off. It also helped that I did them so badly at first, because Charlie wasn't doing my job for me anymore, and I had to think it through and actually ride the fence. Britt said not to work on those on my own, but I'm really glad we did them. I feel like another layer of gauze just got peeled away so I can see a little bit about what's in store.
I'm not sure this is going to be the year to go Training, but I did realize, in asking her about it, that I just don't know - I have no experience at all - what it means to have that connection and why it's so critical over the fences. But this last exercise really helped me get it, and that gives me something concrete to understand and work on over the winter to get ready for next season.
Britt has a very patient way of explaining things that really helps with the stuff that is totally unfamiliar to me, and I feel like I am getting closer to the point where I am not just being tootled around on Charlie's back but actually starting to contribute a little bit. At least, I am starting to see how I could contribute, which is leaps and bounds ahead of where I was two years ago and my whole life up to this point. It is amazing how much I don't know.
Charlie with the long sought after cooler
Spring NWEC 2013 Novice
Monday, July 14, 2014
Monday, July 07, 2014
Lesson #2 with Britt
We had two primary things we worked on today, after a barrage of questions I had about the logistics of the three day.
First, we worked on a circle at the trot, then at the canter, and worked on bending each direction without Charlie's shoulder bulging out. In other words, instead of bending at the neck (and the circle getting smaller), Charlie stayed on the same track and bent through his body to make a "macaroni" shape. This meant I had to use the outside rein as a half halt, and then when the bend flipped "backwards", the inside rein became the half halt. It took me a little while to catch on, but once I did, I could feel him balance instead of bulge out. Doing the small canter circle - where the circle is coming from his shoulders - it helps to count 1-2-1-2 to keep the rhythm and not let him slow down.
The second thing we worked on was some fences, using the same feeling to get on a straight line to go over the center of the fence. First, instead of just turning my head, I need to also turn my shoulders towards the fence. Second, the impulsion comes before the turn starts, not on that final few strides in front of the fence. Third, use that same bending hands - like wheelbarrow handles, but thinking of having like a short broomstick handle connecting my two hands - to use to push his shoulders around the corner instead of pulling his head around the corner. This is also outside leg. Fourth, then, once we come around the corner, inside leg turns on to keep him straight so we don't keep drifting on the angle out of the corner. And fifth, once he is heading towards the fence, I can quit working. Kicking at the last minute doesn't help - the impulsion came from before we started the corner. This is just counting and keeping the rhythm.
Britt showed me to use my leg 1-2-1-2 and then if I need to a BIG 1- BIG 2 - BIG 1- BIG 2, but not a steady anaconda squeeze. It really helped to have her do the movement so I could feel the difference between what I am doing (and not feeling) and what she meant.
First, we worked on a circle at the trot, then at the canter, and worked on bending each direction without Charlie's shoulder bulging out. In other words, instead of bending at the neck (and the circle getting smaller), Charlie stayed on the same track and bent through his body to make a "macaroni" shape. This meant I had to use the outside rein as a half halt, and then when the bend flipped "backwards", the inside rein became the half halt. It took me a little while to catch on, but once I did, I could feel him balance instead of bulge out. Doing the small canter circle - where the circle is coming from his shoulders - it helps to count 1-2-1-2 to keep the rhythm and not let him slow down.
The second thing we worked on was some fences, using the same feeling to get on a straight line to go over the center of the fence. First, instead of just turning my head, I need to also turn my shoulders towards the fence. Second, the impulsion comes before the turn starts, not on that final few strides in front of the fence. Third, use that same bending hands - like wheelbarrow handles, but thinking of having like a short broomstick handle connecting my two hands - to use to push his shoulders around the corner instead of pulling his head around the corner. This is also outside leg. Fourth, then, once we come around the corner, inside leg turns on to keep him straight so we don't keep drifting on the angle out of the corner. And fifth, once he is heading towards the fence, I can quit working. Kicking at the last minute doesn't help - the impulsion came from before we started the corner. This is just counting and keeping the rhythm.
Britt showed me to use my leg 1-2-1-2 and then if I need to a BIG 1- BIG 2 - BIG 1- BIG 2, but not a steady anaconda squeeze. It really helped to have her do the movement so I could feel the difference between what I am doing (and not feeling) and what she meant.
Sunday, July 06, 2014
Pilates with Beth
I had my second dual mat session followed by a lesson with Beth Glosten today. Like our prior mat sessions and riding lessons, it was tremendously useful.
The quick version of what I need to think while riding is the feeling of a rope around my waist pulling me to the right. The second "clue" for correcting my position is when my right leg starts to curl and stick tight to the saddle. That is my reminder that I am too far to the left, and I need to put my weight back into my right leg, which lets it relax and then be a useful aid.
The more complex version to fix my funny sashay twist is this:
1. Use my left hamstring, plus the push up in the posting trot, to push my left hip up.
2. Keep my left toe from moving forward, to keep my leg underneath me. Using the hamstring properly kind of solves this one on its own.
3. My hips need to make a plane with an angle that feels like it is with the left hip back and the right hip forward. This is easiest to think about pushing the right hip forward (instead of pulling the left hip back).
4. Then my left oblique muscle needs to shorten/engage. This is the hardest one to do. This one helps to think of the criss cross from the left hip to the right shoulder.
5. Continuing to move up, my left shoulder comes back and my right shoulder comes forward. This makes my sternum ride in the same plane as Charlie's.
When I manage to get all 5 of these together, the sashay gets dramatically diminished, and there is less wiggle in my spine. But as soon as I drop one (usually the oblique, which then very quickly results in the toe moving forward), the sashay is back with a vengenance.
It sounds simple, but I think it is going to need some real concentration before I start to get the muscle memory and don't have to think so hard about it. It is one of those things where I have to stick my tongue out while I am going around (I actually had my tongue out while I was typing it!) because I am concentrating so hard.
The oblique is really tricky. I don't have very good control over it, so sometimes it responds and sometimes it doesn't. What was useful was that it was the same way in the mat session, so it isn't just when I'm on Charlie. Beth also gave me some great exercises to work on at home, to help strengthen it and feel it.
The good news is I can feel the sashay, which I couldn't the last time I visited her, and when we rode around with one stirrup dropped and then the other, there wasn't nearly as dramatic a difference as last time.
We did a bit of work on upper body, getting my shoulder blades together and then pulling down my back, and then sitting leaning forward just a bit. I very quickly round up when I am concentrating on other things.
We also did some work at the canter, and Beth said the same as my dressage tests, the left canter is not as good as the right. But she showed me how it was a lot of extra wiggle in my spine, and when I got everything lined up, all of a sudden it was amazing. It was like I had Charlie's shoulders up between my legs so I could have turned him right or left or forward or back, and I was just completely stable and perfectly in place. It was divine.
I'm really glad to be so fortunate to be able to work with someone who can help me with these weird little quirks. I want to get them resolved so that we can keep progressing and don't get hung up later because I ignored the problem.
The quick version of what I need to think while riding is the feeling of a rope around my waist pulling me to the right. The second "clue" for correcting my position is when my right leg starts to curl and stick tight to the saddle. That is my reminder that I am too far to the left, and I need to put my weight back into my right leg, which lets it relax and then be a useful aid.
The more complex version to fix my funny sashay twist is this:
1. Use my left hamstring, plus the push up in the posting trot, to push my left hip up.
2. Keep my left toe from moving forward, to keep my leg underneath me. Using the hamstring properly kind of solves this one on its own.
3. My hips need to make a plane with an angle that feels like it is with the left hip back and the right hip forward. This is easiest to think about pushing the right hip forward (instead of pulling the left hip back).
4. Then my left oblique muscle needs to shorten/engage. This is the hardest one to do. This one helps to think of the criss cross from the left hip to the right shoulder.
5. Continuing to move up, my left shoulder comes back and my right shoulder comes forward. This makes my sternum ride in the same plane as Charlie's.
When I manage to get all 5 of these together, the sashay gets dramatically diminished, and there is less wiggle in my spine. But as soon as I drop one (usually the oblique, which then very quickly results in the toe moving forward), the sashay is back with a vengenance.
It sounds simple, but I think it is going to need some real concentration before I start to get the muscle memory and don't have to think so hard about it. It is one of those things where I have to stick my tongue out while I am going around (I actually had my tongue out while I was typing it!) because I am concentrating so hard.
The oblique is really tricky. I don't have very good control over it, so sometimes it responds and sometimes it doesn't. What was useful was that it was the same way in the mat session, so it isn't just when I'm on Charlie. Beth also gave me some great exercises to work on at home, to help strengthen it and feel it.
The good news is I can feel the sashay, which I couldn't the last time I visited her, and when we rode around with one stirrup dropped and then the other, there wasn't nearly as dramatic a difference as last time.
We did a bit of work on upper body, getting my shoulder blades together and then pulling down my back, and then sitting leaning forward just a bit. I very quickly round up when I am concentrating on other things.
We also did some work at the canter, and Beth said the same as my dressage tests, the left canter is not as good as the right. But she showed me how it was a lot of extra wiggle in my spine, and when I got everything lined up, all of a sudden it was amazing. It was like I had Charlie's shoulders up between my legs so I could have turned him right or left or forward or back, and I was just completely stable and perfectly in place. It was divine.
I'm really glad to be so fortunate to be able to work with someone who can help me with these weird little quirks. I want to get them resolved so that we can keep progressing and don't get hung up later because I ignored the problem.
Monday, June 23, 2014
Lesson with Britt
Britt has been coming to Forest Park every other Monday, and for months I have been meaning to take a lesson with her. It was great and I'm sorry it took me so long to get my schedule together to try one.
She has a very good ability to describe the precise movement that the rider needs to make, in order to make an adjustment in the horse, and then to get the desired result. For example, she described in the canter that when Charlie's neck comes toward me, that is when I should do a half halt on the outside rein. That was easy for me to feel (his neck coming towards me), a precise movement (half halt on the outside rein), and then a result (rounder, lifted Charlie).
She had several suggestions for how to modify my warm up for stadium jumping, to try to keep Charlie responsive instead of zoning out, since he knows his job and doesn't need a lot of drilling right before we ride. She suggested instead of trotting the cross rail first, try trotting the vertical. Then, jump the vertical at two angles, then straight, then the oxer at two angles, then straight. After that, work on walk to canter transitions - to get that feeling of "jump" and to make sure he is responsive, and also try canter 10 meter circles to get his hind legs working underneath him.
The first thing we worked on was not throwing the reins away when I ask Charlie to go forward. When he's being lazy and I kick him forward, I just fling the reins out and so going forward isn't really doing anything but teaching him to run around on the forehand. Britt suggested thinking of a wall and so with firm hands, he has to bounce up when he goes forward, instead of just flattening out. Just holding the reins with more contact made a huge difference. Charlie was like "oh, THAT'S what you want" and rounded up into the contact. However, Britt said he was good at faking it - his front end would get round but he still wasn't really using his hind end or lifting up through his back.
Then the big exercise we worked on was a sequence of transitions. We would trot, walk, halt, then rein back (going in a straight line, without his head popping up - because that is defeating the purpose of the rein back which is to get him to step underneath himself lifting his hind legs up - and when he does, I can feel his back lift), and then halt and go forward into trot. It took a few tries for me to catch on, but then once I could feel what was needed, it became a really cool exercise with a big difference in the trot at the end.
Britt mentioned using yardsticks - to objectively measure how a horse is responding - and she thought the rein back was a good yard stick. If I can't get Charlie to back straight, it means I lost his hind end in the trot or walk heading into it. This was another really good exercise because once I got it right, I could really feel the difference from when I didn't.
Charlie was really lazy today - he had two days of Major Beale back to back and then was on the grass today, but in a way, that is good because that's where I need help the most.
Then we worked on cantering and making a circle from the outside rein, without using the inside hand. This is really hard, but for a few circles, I used the inside leg to outside hand and it was AMAZING. All of a sudden, he was like a motorcycle popping a wheelie and I could steer him and float him and do anything. Britt related it to basketball - it's the move where you can go forward, up, or sideways because you've got all the energy where you need it.
We did a few small fences off of the circles and this was also a really great exercise. Because I had to concentrate so hard on riding from the outside, Charlie rode in very balanced and could round up over them, even though they were little. They were way more effective than my cheating method of just raising them higher.
Britt suggested that I really focus on always riding precisely to the center of the fence, because on a long horse like Charlie who likes to wiggle to escape hard work, it's going to catch up with me as I try to move up the levels, and it's probably what's causing my rails down, if I come in at just the slightest angle. She said to keep the fences where I have to concentrate to ride the tight circle to get to them, but also to put a ground pole with a glove in the center and always ride exactly over the glove.
Having these kind of clear exercises, with a goal to see in Charlie, and clear instructions to obtain them - with measurable objective information on the other side - is exactly my style. I'm so glad she's coming to Forest Park!
She has a very good ability to describe the precise movement that the rider needs to make, in order to make an adjustment in the horse, and then to get the desired result. For example, she described in the canter that when Charlie's neck comes toward me, that is when I should do a half halt on the outside rein. That was easy for me to feel (his neck coming towards me), a precise movement (half halt on the outside rein), and then a result (rounder, lifted Charlie).
She had several suggestions for how to modify my warm up for stadium jumping, to try to keep Charlie responsive instead of zoning out, since he knows his job and doesn't need a lot of drilling right before we ride. She suggested instead of trotting the cross rail first, try trotting the vertical. Then, jump the vertical at two angles, then straight, then the oxer at two angles, then straight. After that, work on walk to canter transitions - to get that feeling of "jump" and to make sure he is responsive, and also try canter 10 meter circles to get his hind legs working underneath him.
The first thing we worked on was not throwing the reins away when I ask Charlie to go forward. When he's being lazy and I kick him forward, I just fling the reins out and so going forward isn't really doing anything but teaching him to run around on the forehand. Britt suggested thinking of a wall and so with firm hands, he has to bounce up when he goes forward, instead of just flattening out. Just holding the reins with more contact made a huge difference. Charlie was like "oh, THAT'S what you want" and rounded up into the contact. However, Britt said he was good at faking it - his front end would get round but he still wasn't really using his hind end or lifting up through his back.
Then the big exercise we worked on was a sequence of transitions. We would trot, walk, halt, then rein back (going in a straight line, without his head popping up - because that is defeating the purpose of the rein back which is to get him to step underneath himself lifting his hind legs up - and when he does, I can feel his back lift), and then halt and go forward into trot. It took a few tries for me to catch on, but then once I could feel what was needed, it became a really cool exercise with a big difference in the trot at the end.
Britt mentioned using yardsticks - to objectively measure how a horse is responding - and she thought the rein back was a good yard stick. If I can't get Charlie to back straight, it means I lost his hind end in the trot or walk heading into it. This was another really good exercise because once I got it right, I could really feel the difference from when I didn't.
Charlie was really lazy today - he had two days of Major Beale back to back and then was on the grass today, but in a way, that is good because that's where I need help the most.
Then we worked on cantering and making a circle from the outside rein, without using the inside hand. This is really hard, but for a few circles, I used the inside leg to outside hand and it was AMAZING. All of a sudden, he was like a motorcycle popping a wheelie and I could steer him and float him and do anything. Britt related it to basketball - it's the move where you can go forward, up, or sideways because you've got all the energy where you need it.
We did a few small fences off of the circles and this was also a really great exercise. Because I had to concentrate so hard on riding from the outside, Charlie rode in very balanced and could round up over them, even though they were little. They were way more effective than my cheating method of just raising them higher.
Britt suggested that I really focus on always riding precisely to the center of the fence, because on a long horse like Charlie who likes to wiggle to escape hard work, it's going to catch up with me as I try to move up the levels, and it's probably what's causing my rails down, if I come in at just the slightest angle. She said to keep the fences where I have to concentrate to ride the tight circle to get to them, but also to put a ground pole with a glove in the center and always ride exactly over the glove.
Having these kind of clear exercises, with a goal to see in Charlie, and clear instructions to obtain them - with measurable objective information on the other side - is exactly my style. I'm so glad she's coming to Forest Park!
Sunday, June 22, 2014
Miracles by Major Beale, part 2
Today was just as miraculous as yesterday.
We started "where we left off" - which was a little hard for me. It was good for it to be hard, because I won't see Major Beale again until August, so I really want to work as hard as I can in between, and even the very next day from how far we made it yesterday, I had a hard time getting Charlie back to where we were at the end of the ride.
The main thing missing was the promptness. I let Charlie take three or four steps to get into the next transition.
And our eureka moment was why I let that happen. It's because I'm slow. I'm a slow thinker, and I'm an analytic thinker, so I am running through the checklist for each thing - whether that is an upward transition, downward transition, lateral working, making a circle ...) - and that gives Charlie lots of time between when I start to ask for it and when I finish asking for it.
Major Beale said he has three levels of riders: reactive, interactive, and proactive. It is time for me to move from reactive to interactive. This - I think - is the stepping block I have been butting my head against for too long. I know (mostly) what to do. And I know (mostly) when to do it. But I think through it, instead of feeling and responding.
The second major thing Major Beale had me do, was instead of staring off into space - or up at the ceiling - or anywhere at random - to look at Charlie's ears (and where we were going). When I focused on Charlie, and watched him (with soft eyes) while I was riding, I could suddenly feel so much more of what Charlie was doing, and by feeling it, I could react to it more quickly, instead of just being like, "When I want to canter, first I put my inside leg on, then I pull my outside leg back, then I squeeze with the inside rein." It was a second eureka moment, and he did the Major Beale magic where he figured out what I was doing, why, and then explained how and why to do something else to progress as a rider. It made the entire lesson worthwhile and I felt like I leaped forward a year or two in my progress.
But we haven't even gotten to the riding yet! Then he had me work on very prompt transitions. When Charlie was sluggish off my aids to start - he had me gallop, then trot, then canter, then walk, etc. And they were quick. He had mentioned galloping last time, but I have been doing it too long and taking too long to do it - his were quick bursts - to catch Charlie's attention and make him work all on his own. He compared it to a grand prix dressage horse whose ears are pricked, he's proud of the job he's doing, and he's listening for what he's supposed to be doing next. As soon as we perked Charlie up, he got lighter and more attentive.
Then we did some lateral work (shoulder in and shallow loops), including at the canter, and then we did the real work. We did the exercise that was impossible for me last year - successfully. This was, in essence, a circle on the forehand, converted to a circle on the haunches, then a brief straightening, then pick up the canter.
And when we picked up the canter, it was like that time in Mike's saddle - the heavens opened up, angels sang, and I was riding on a rainbow on top of a cloud with fairy glitter falling around me. It was divine. Charlie was lifted in his back, lifted in his shoulders, his hind legs were coming underneath him, and he was light in the bridle. It was nothing like a regular canter, and I felt like I could do ANYTHING from it. It was amazing.
So take away #3 was that I don't ask for enough from Charlie on my own. I am kind of wimpy and afraid of ruining him, so I play it safe and am content with what he offers. And the lessons with Major Beale show me that Charlie can offer like 100x more than what I have seen, and it is gorgeous.
I can't wait to see how much I can maintain and improve on this until he is back in August. It was an absolute, 100% delight. It made my whole month.
Also, yes, he should work like this all the time. Even a relaxed walk should be a forward, energetic walk.
And a "hack" is mellow conditioning - trotting and cantering. It is not just walking on a loose rein on a trail ride.
And hills are good work, but I can't let him run around on the forehand on the hills.
We started "where we left off" - which was a little hard for me. It was good for it to be hard, because I won't see Major Beale again until August, so I really want to work as hard as I can in between, and even the very next day from how far we made it yesterday, I had a hard time getting Charlie back to where we were at the end of the ride.
The main thing missing was the promptness. I let Charlie take three or four steps to get into the next transition.
And our eureka moment was why I let that happen. It's because I'm slow. I'm a slow thinker, and I'm an analytic thinker, so I am running through the checklist for each thing - whether that is an upward transition, downward transition, lateral working, making a circle ...) - and that gives Charlie lots of time between when I start to ask for it and when I finish asking for it.
Major Beale said he has three levels of riders: reactive, interactive, and proactive. It is time for me to move from reactive to interactive. This - I think - is the stepping block I have been butting my head against for too long. I know (mostly) what to do. And I know (mostly) when to do it. But I think through it, instead of feeling and responding.
The second major thing Major Beale had me do, was instead of staring off into space - or up at the ceiling - or anywhere at random - to look at Charlie's ears (and where we were going). When I focused on Charlie, and watched him (with soft eyes) while I was riding, I could suddenly feel so much more of what Charlie was doing, and by feeling it, I could react to it more quickly, instead of just being like, "When I want to canter, first I put my inside leg on, then I pull my outside leg back, then I squeeze with the inside rein." It was a second eureka moment, and he did the Major Beale magic where he figured out what I was doing, why, and then explained how and why to do something else to progress as a rider. It made the entire lesson worthwhile and I felt like I leaped forward a year or two in my progress.
But we haven't even gotten to the riding yet! Then he had me work on very prompt transitions. When Charlie was sluggish off my aids to start - he had me gallop, then trot, then canter, then walk, etc. And they were quick. He had mentioned galloping last time, but I have been doing it too long and taking too long to do it - his were quick bursts - to catch Charlie's attention and make him work all on his own. He compared it to a grand prix dressage horse whose ears are pricked, he's proud of the job he's doing, and he's listening for what he's supposed to be doing next. As soon as we perked Charlie up, he got lighter and more attentive.
Then we did some lateral work (shoulder in and shallow loops), including at the canter, and then we did the real work. We did the exercise that was impossible for me last year - successfully. This was, in essence, a circle on the forehand, converted to a circle on the haunches, then a brief straightening, then pick up the canter.
And when we picked up the canter, it was like that time in Mike's saddle - the heavens opened up, angels sang, and I was riding on a rainbow on top of a cloud with fairy glitter falling around me. It was divine. Charlie was lifted in his back, lifted in his shoulders, his hind legs were coming underneath him, and he was light in the bridle. It was nothing like a regular canter, and I felt like I could do ANYTHING from it. It was amazing.
So take away #3 was that I don't ask for enough from Charlie on my own. I am kind of wimpy and afraid of ruining him, so I play it safe and am content with what he offers. And the lessons with Major Beale show me that Charlie can offer like 100x more than what I have seen, and it is gorgeous.
I can't wait to see how much I can maintain and improve on this until he is back in August. It was an absolute, 100% delight. It made my whole month.
Also, yes, he should work like this all the time. Even a relaxed walk should be a forward, energetic walk.
And a "hack" is mellow conditioning - trotting and cantering. It is not just walking on a loose rein on a trail ride.
And hills are good work, but I can't let him run around on the forehand on the hills.
Saturday, June 21, 2014
Major Beale the miracle worker
Charlie and I had the most amazing lesson with Major Beale today. The essence of it was how to get Charlie using his hind legs more. There were three things that brought it all together. First, my expectations for Charlie need to be immediate response. Not a few seconds after I ask, not after a few steps of walk, but when I say "trot", he says "how fast?". So the first thing we worked on was transitions with prompt responses. It helps to have another person saying it, instead of me, because then I don't get to pick the time and spot (although when I'm alone, I pick a spot - like passing a particular rail so that I make it prompt).
The second part was thinking about the first step of the next gait before I finished the transition. So if I was doing a canter to trot, I started thinking about the trot, and how I wanted the trot to feel, just before I asked for the downward transition. What this really was thinking through each part of the movement and not "blurring" it. Instead of skidding down, I thought about a half halt and how the first step should feel.
The third was lateral work. But - good lateral work. I am prone to overdoing (overangling, more precisely) the lateral work, which defeats the purpose of it. So lateral work needed to be prompt and responsive - Charlie's legs needed to move the same speed as they would if we weren't doing lateral work - but not too angled so that he hit himself with his own legs. Major Beale had to draw the lines on the ground with his foot, but once he did, I could picture where Charlie's legs needed to go. Head to the wall leg yield is only a 35 degree angle, which is much, much less than what I've been doing.
All of these, plus thinking about my outside rein and sitting back a bit more in the canter with my legs a bit more in front of me, allowed Charlie to lift up his back, get even through his shoulders, and then it was like riding on a cloud. It was divine. I was grinning from ear to ear.
Once we got there, it was magic, but it was hard for me to get there - I'm really uncomfortable with feeling it on my own. For the walk, I had to think about holding him with my core while I tickled him with the whip and the spurs until he really lifted up and got moving. As soon as he lifted, I could feel it, but it will be hard on my own to trust that I've got it right and am not just pushing him onto his forehand.
I also needed to do a bit of shoulder fore in the canter to keep him from getting crooked.
For rein back, you ask with one side, then the other. It isn't pulling back with both hands, which makes his head pop up.
And as a special bonus, with one halt, we were absolutely, perfectly square!
So transitions are prompt and quick and with impulsion - I want that feeling of his back lifted being the first step of the next transition.
It was a really amazing lesson, and I got what felt like a year's worth of information out of it, but in a way that was really easy for me to feel and digest and understand. What a great way to start the solstice.
The second part was thinking about the first step of the next gait before I finished the transition. So if I was doing a canter to trot, I started thinking about the trot, and how I wanted the trot to feel, just before I asked for the downward transition. What this really was thinking through each part of the movement and not "blurring" it. Instead of skidding down, I thought about a half halt and how the first step should feel.
The third was lateral work. But - good lateral work. I am prone to overdoing (overangling, more precisely) the lateral work, which defeats the purpose of it. So lateral work needed to be prompt and responsive - Charlie's legs needed to move the same speed as they would if we weren't doing lateral work - but not too angled so that he hit himself with his own legs. Major Beale had to draw the lines on the ground with his foot, but once he did, I could picture where Charlie's legs needed to go. Head to the wall leg yield is only a 35 degree angle, which is much, much less than what I've been doing.
All of these, plus thinking about my outside rein and sitting back a bit more in the canter with my legs a bit more in front of me, allowed Charlie to lift up his back, get even through his shoulders, and then it was like riding on a cloud. It was divine. I was grinning from ear to ear.
Once we got there, it was magic, but it was hard for me to get there - I'm really uncomfortable with feeling it on my own. For the walk, I had to think about holding him with my core while I tickled him with the whip and the spurs until he really lifted up and got moving. As soon as he lifted, I could feel it, but it will be hard on my own to trust that I've got it right and am not just pushing him onto his forehand.
I also needed to do a bit of shoulder fore in the canter to keep him from getting crooked.
For rein back, you ask with one side, then the other. It isn't pulling back with both hands, which makes his head pop up.
And as a special bonus, with one halt, we were absolutely, perfectly square!
So transitions are prompt and quick and with impulsion - I want that feeling of his back lifted being the first step of the next transition.
It was a really amazing lesson, and I got what felt like a year's worth of information out of it, but in a way that was really easy for me to feel and digest and understand. What a great way to start the solstice.
Monday, June 16, 2014
Three day conditioning
This is the schedule I came up with to get Charlie ready for the Novice 3 day at Rebecca this July. Each resource I looked at used a slightly different approach, and I also wanted to take into consideration what Charlie needs, which is a day off each week. He's not the sort of horse who enjoys working 7 days a week.
Week 1: 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, cool down* (= 10 minutes) (* cool down is as long as it takes, which was pretty long in the middle when it got warm and he really got working)
Week 2: 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, cool down (= 15 minutes)
Week 3: 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, cool down (= 20 minutes)
Week 4: 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, cool down (= 25 minutes)
Week 5: 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, cool down (= 30 minutes)
Week 6: 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, cool down (= 35 minutes)
Week 7: 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, cool down(= 40 minutes)
Week 8: 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, cool down (= 45 minutes)
Week 9: 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, cool down (= 50 minutes)
Week 10: EI Horse Trials
Week 11: 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, cool down (=55 minutes)
Switched weekly riding schedule to:
Day 1: Dressage & hack
Day 2: Show jump & hack
Day 3: Dressage & hack
Day 4: Show jump & hack
Day 5: Condition
Day 6: Off
Day 7: Repeat Day 1
Week 12: 10 minutes trot, 2 minutes walk, 10 minutes canter, 4 minutes walk, 2 minutes at 470 mpm, 4 minutes walk, 10 minutes trot, 2 minutes walk, 10 minutes canter, cool down (= 55 minutes)
Week 13: Aspen
Week 14: 12 minutes trot, 2 minutes walk, 12 minutes canter, 4 minutes walk, 3 minutes at 470 mpm, 4 minutes walk, 12 minutes trot, 2 minutes walk, 12 minutes canter, cool down (= 65 minutes)
Week 15: Inavale
Week 16: 14 minutes trot, 2 minutes walk, 14 minutes canter, 4 minutes walk, 4 minutes at 470 mpm, 4 minutes walk, 14 minutes trot, 2 minutes walk, 14 minutes canter, cool down (= 75 minutes)
Week 17: 16 minutes trot, 2 minutes walk, 16 minutes canter, 3 minutes walk, 5 minutes at 470 mpm, 3 minutes walk, 16 minutes trot, 2 minutes walk, 16 minutes canter, cool down (= 80 minutes)
Week 18: 18 minutes trot, 2 minutes walk, 18 minutes canter, 2 minutes walk, 5 minutes at 470 mpm, 2 minutes walk, 18 minutes trot, 2 minutes walk, 18 minutes canter, cool down (= 85 minutes)
Week 19 = Rebecca!
Week 1: 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, cool down* (= 10 minutes) (* cool down is as long as it takes, which was pretty long in the middle when it got warm and he really got working)
Week 2: 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, cool down (= 15 minutes)
Week 3: 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, cool down (= 20 minutes)
Week 4: 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, cool down (= 25 minutes)
Week 5: 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, cool down (= 30 minutes)
Week 6: 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, cool down (= 35 minutes)
Week 7: 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, cool down(= 40 minutes)
Week 8: 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, cool down (= 45 minutes)
Week 9: 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, cool down (= 50 minutes)
Week 10: EI Horse Trials
Week 11: 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes canter, 1 minute walk, 4 minutes trot, cool down (=55 minutes)
Switched weekly riding schedule to:
Day 1: Dressage & hack
Day 2: Show jump & hack
Day 3: Dressage & hack
Day 4: Show jump & hack
Day 5: Condition
Day 6: Off
Day 7: Repeat Day 1
Week 12: 10 minutes trot, 2 minutes walk, 10 minutes canter, 4 minutes walk, 2 minutes at 470 mpm, 4 minutes walk, 10 minutes trot, 2 minutes walk, 10 minutes canter, cool down (= 55 minutes)
Week 13: Aspen
Week 14: 12 minutes trot, 2 minutes walk, 12 minutes canter, 4 minutes walk, 3 minutes at 470 mpm, 4 minutes walk, 12 minutes trot, 2 minutes walk, 12 minutes canter, cool down (= 65 minutes)
Week 15: Inavale
Week 16: 14 minutes trot, 2 minutes walk, 14 minutes canter, 4 minutes walk, 4 minutes at 470 mpm, 4 minutes walk, 14 minutes trot, 2 minutes walk, 14 minutes canter, cool down (= 75 minutes)
Week 17: 16 minutes trot, 2 minutes walk, 16 minutes canter, 3 minutes walk, 5 minutes at 470 mpm, 3 minutes walk, 16 minutes trot, 2 minutes walk, 16 minutes canter, cool down (= 80 minutes)
Week 18: 18 minutes trot, 2 minutes walk, 18 minutes canter, 2 minutes walk, 5 minutes at 470 mpm, 2 minutes walk, 18 minutes trot, 2 minutes walk, 18 minutes canter, cool down (= 85 minutes)
Week 19 = Rebecca!
Saturday, June 14, 2014
Friday, June 06, 2014
Monday, May 26, 2014
Equestrian Institute Horse Trials
Although dusty, at least it wasn't raining in Cle Elum like it was on the west side. We had a good time. After dressage, we were on the bottom of a 5-way tie for 3rd in Rider Novice. Cross country timing broke the tie, and we were in 4th. We had a rail down in show jumping (totally my fault), but so did everyone else, so we stayed in 4th.
The great news is Charlie was a bit strong given the new location, so I had to ride him differently for cross country (and was able to do it successfully), but he was an honest champ, like always.
For show jumping, he was just absolutely 100% perfect in warm up, but my timing was off, so I had him wait a long time before we warmed up, then walk for a long time after we had a perfect warm up. We did a bit of trot and canter before going in to ride, and he was awesome. I had watched some of Training and had an idea what was giving people problems, so I didn't have any issues with those fences (and was immensely proud of myself for figuring it out). However, I shouldn't have been too congratulatory because I applied my new found knowledge to certain fences, but not other fences (with exactly the same issue), so I didn't give Charlie enough forward out of a turn and knew the rail was coming down before we even got to the fence. While disappointing, I did get 10 fences right, and could feel it, so I'm pretty happy with that.
Charlie had a horse-pooling buddy, Duke, which was nice too. Duke's owner even got a few pictures!
The great news is Charlie was a bit strong given the new location, so I had to ride him differently for cross country (and was able to do it successfully), but he was an honest champ, like always.
For show jumping, he was just absolutely 100% perfect in warm up, but my timing was off, so I had him wait a long time before we warmed up, then walk for a long time after we had a perfect warm up. We did a bit of trot and canter before going in to ride, and he was awesome. I had watched some of Training and had an idea what was giving people problems, so I didn't have any issues with those fences (and was immensely proud of myself for figuring it out). However, I shouldn't have been too congratulatory because I applied my new found knowledge to certain fences, but not other fences (with exactly the same issue), so I didn't give Charlie enough forward out of a turn and knew the rail was coming down before we even got to the fence. While disappointing, I did get 10 fences right, and could feel it, so I'm pretty happy with that.
Charlie had a horse-pooling buddy, Duke, which was nice too. Duke's owner even got a few pictures!
June Major Beale clinic - two openings - call ASAP!
Major Beale will be at Peteton Farm on June 21 and 22, and there are (unusually) two extra slots. Call Cynthia Dickinson ASAP if you want to ride, or if you want information about auditing: (360) 357-
Major Beale is a USDF gold medalist and a former Olympic eventer for Great Britain. His lessons are phenomenal.
Major Beale is a USDF gold medalist and a former Olympic eventer for Great Britain. His lessons are phenomenal.
Sunday, May 18, 2014
John's!
Today we braved a downpour and got fortunate enough for a break in the heavy rain for a jumping lesson with John outdoors.
The short version is I have not miraculously turned into a different rider without lessons from him over the winter (and fall and spring).
I need to:
- Sit up
- Get Charlie in front of my leg. Think about where his poll is. If it is up, I am good. If it is down, I need to get it up. When Charlie is in front of my leg, I can move him forward and backward easily, but if he is long and low, my only option is to lunge flat for pukers. This means big canter going into a corner and then half halt and sit up coming out of the corner towards the fence.
- I need to get Charlie rounder, right from the start. I let him warm up all long and low but then expect him to automatically work round. Part of this is a steady outside rein and push into that rein from the inside leg.
- I also need to get him to flex his jaw and not tilt his head out to the left.
- I need to be more precise. If I want a transition at M, it needs to happen at M, not three strides later (even if it is well done).
- I also need to ride the fences like I mean it. My trick to make them bigger might be to make me work harder, and so I just need to channel that energy to the regular size ones.
I'm on track for the Rebecca Novice 3 day. For the next couple weeks, I'll stick with my current conditioning, then we will switch to a 10 day schedule. The two weeks before Rebecca, we will switch again to get him ready to go. He says Whidbey is fun, but is ok to skip it this year since it and Young Riders are both so close to Rebecca.
I wish his schedule and my schedule weren't so hard to find lesson times. I really like riding with him - every time I feel like I learn more and get more tools to improve.
The short version is I have not miraculously turned into a different rider without lessons from him over the winter (and fall and spring).
I need to:
- Sit up
- Get Charlie in front of my leg. Think about where his poll is. If it is up, I am good. If it is down, I need to get it up. When Charlie is in front of my leg, I can move him forward and backward easily, but if he is long and low, my only option is to lunge flat for pukers. This means big canter going into a corner and then half halt and sit up coming out of the corner towards the fence.
- I need to get Charlie rounder, right from the start. I let him warm up all long and low but then expect him to automatically work round. Part of this is a steady outside rein and push into that rein from the inside leg.
- I also need to get him to flex his jaw and not tilt his head out to the left.
- I need to be more precise. If I want a transition at M, it needs to happen at M, not three strides later (even if it is well done).
- I also need to ride the fences like I mean it. My trick to make them bigger might be to make me work harder, and so I just need to channel that energy to the regular size ones.
I'm on track for the Rebecca Novice 3 day. For the next couple weeks, I'll stick with my current conditioning, then we will switch to a 10 day schedule. The two weeks before Rebecca, we will switch again to get him ready to go. He says Whidbey is fun, but is ok to skip it this year since it and Young Riders are both so close to Rebecca.
I wish his schedule and my schedule weren't so hard to find lesson times. I really like riding with him - every time I feel like I learn more and get more tools to improve.
Saturday, May 03, 2014
Sessions with Beth - 3 exercises that make a world of difference
Today I brought Charlie to Beth Glosten's, in Redmond, for a pilates session for me, and then a lesson on Charlie. I have been struggling with how to try to fix a crookedness I can't feel. Beth very patiently went through how I would describe how things feel, so that I can label them and fix them without getting confused. For example, if I start looking in the mirror, I can see that my left leg is much longer than my right. But my right seat feels much heavier than my left, so if I try to fix it by putting more weight in my left leg, I just make the problem worse.
Beth identified three things for me to focus on:
1. When going to the left at the trot, make sure my shoulders are in the direction I want Charlie to go. I usually have to think to myself to put my right shoulder forward, and then I also turn my head, so I have to put my head back looking between his ears.
2. Still going to the left at the trot, try to sit with my left seat bone as close to the center of the saddle as I can get it. One way to do this is by putting my left hand under my butt so I have another way to feel where it's at.
3. Use my core. This is both to control my seat bone (for example, I use my core muscles to sit "softly" instead of slamming my weight down on the sitting step of the trot) and also to reduce the S curve in my spine. A side note here, I can get the lower part of the S correct, but I can't feel the upper part of the S. I need to lean forward a bit, but not round my shoulders, and then put my head back. So shoulders, you are on deck once I master this twisty pretzel thing in my hip.
When I first get on (or take a break), I look in the mirror, and if my left leg is long, I shorten the distance between my hip and my ribs on the left side (do a "hula"). This sounds simple, but is really hard to get those muscles to do their job. My leg and my butt are far more willing to do the work than my core muscles. I think the same thing trotting.
4. Cantering right is also all about the core. If I try to push my left sit bone towards the center using my leg, Charlie still flings out through his left side. But if I use my core to hold my sit bone in the center, Charlie comes up balanced underneath me and stops bulging out. It was like a miracle once I figured out the two different ways to try to move the sit bone and how differently Charlie reacted depending on which one I did.
We did 10 meter figure 8s at the walk, and then 20 meters at the trot. Beth said the exercise without the left stirrup is a good one, but for now, I need to retrain the muscle memory so I don't panic and revert to the bad habits. We also did 2 point, but a "correct" 2 point where I hinge at the hip, keep my leg back, and use the core in "plank" to hold me up, instead of just pushing my butt over the back of the saddle and letting my legs slip forward.
It sounds really simple, and I could feel the difference, but I just don't have very good muscle control yet to keep holding those movements. I have my fingers crossed that with something this specific to focus on, I'll be able to see some progress by my next session with her.
Beth also had a couple other observations - she noticed my saddle is always tilting left, and since it is a Flair (with the air panels) I let some air out of the right side to try for the next ride. The gel pad also shifts left. She said she thinks that I am landing first on my right sit bone, and so I twist sideways to make up for it. She thinks that I feel heavy on the right side because the sit bone is in a different place in the saddle - it rides much closer to center while the left one is way out to the left, so that is why I'm getting confused because the right leg feels strong and secure but the left one feels loose and flappy, even though it is the one bearing all the weight (proof is in the long stirrup). She suggested also getting on from the right side instead of the left, just to make my brain have to flex a bit.
After she watched me, she could do a really good job mimicking the movement and then showing me how to change things to change the way the movement would work. As a kinesthetic learner, this was spectacularly useful for me because I don't always get it with just words.
She has also given me exercises (that are in her book) to work on at home to strengthen those core muscles and refine them so that I don't have to move in one giant block and can get the core working. Right now, it is an embarrassing soft squishy marshmallow.
I am inspired! All is not lost and I don't have to quit riding!
Beth identified three things for me to focus on:
1. When going to the left at the trot, make sure my shoulders are in the direction I want Charlie to go. I usually have to think to myself to put my right shoulder forward, and then I also turn my head, so I have to put my head back looking between his ears.
2. Still going to the left at the trot, try to sit with my left seat bone as close to the center of the saddle as I can get it. One way to do this is by putting my left hand under my butt so I have another way to feel where it's at.
3. Use my core. This is both to control my seat bone (for example, I use my core muscles to sit "softly" instead of slamming my weight down on the sitting step of the trot) and also to reduce the S curve in my spine. A side note here, I can get the lower part of the S correct, but I can't feel the upper part of the S. I need to lean forward a bit, but not round my shoulders, and then put my head back. So shoulders, you are on deck once I master this twisty pretzel thing in my hip.
When I first get on (or take a break), I look in the mirror, and if my left leg is long, I shorten the distance between my hip and my ribs on the left side (do a "hula"). This sounds simple, but is really hard to get those muscles to do their job. My leg and my butt are far more willing to do the work than my core muscles. I think the same thing trotting.
4. Cantering right is also all about the core. If I try to push my left sit bone towards the center using my leg, Charlie still flings out through his left side. But if I use my core to hold my sit bone in the center, Charlie comes up balanced underneath me and stops bulging out. It was like a miracle once I figured out the two different ways to try to move the sit bone and how differently Charlie reacted depending on which one I did.
We did 10 meter figure 8s at the walk, and then 20 meters at the trot. Beth said the exercise without the left stirrup is a good one, but for now, I need to retrain the muscle memory so I don't panic and revert to the bad habits. We also did 2 point, but a "correct" 2 point where I hinge at the hip, keep my leg back, and use the core in "plank" to hold me up, instead of just pushing my butt over the back of the saddle and letting my legs slip forward.
It sounds really simple, and I could feel the difference, but I just don't have very good muscle control yet to keep holding those movements. I have my fingers crossed that with something this specific to focus on, I'll be able to see some progress by my next session with her.
Beth also had a couple other observations - she noticed my saddle is always tilting left, and since it is a Flair (with the air panels) I let some air out of the right side to try for the next ride. The gel pad also shifts left. She said she thinks that I am landing first on my right sit bone, and so I twist sideways to make up for it. She thinks that I feel heavy on the right side because the sit bone is in a different place in the saddle - it rides much closer to center while the left one is way out to the left, so that is why I'm getting confused because the right leg feels strong and secure but the left one feels loose and flappy, even though it is the one bearing all the weight (proof is in the long stirrup). She suggested also getting on from the right side instead of the left, just to make my brain have to flex a bit.
After she watched me, she could do a really good job mimicking the movement and then showing me how to change things to change the way the movement would work. As a kinesthetic learner, this was spectacularly useful for me because I don't always get it with just words.
She has also given me exercises (that are in her book) to work on at home to strengthen those core muscles and refine them so that I don't have to move in one giant block and can get the core working. Right now, it is an embarrassing soft squishy marshmallow.
I am inspired! All is not lost and I don't have to quit riding!
Sunday, April 20, 2014
Saturday, April 19, 2014
Day 1 with Major Beale
Major Beale made just a few tiny changes that turned Charlie from a downhill slug to an uphill collected, balanced cloud.
First - when Charlie is being a slug, just quit whatever I am working on and gallop him, two or three times. Then go back to work. Then if he gets sluggish again, gallop again. Charlie wasn't a slug today, but I've been struggling with how to get him going forward.
But ...
It's hard for Charlie to go forward, or use his left hind leg, because I am riding way over to the left. Way, way over.
Second - I stand up in my stirrups, stomp hard to the right, and sit down on the right side. It feels insane, but when I look down, the zipper on my pants is lined up with his withers. The other part of this exercise is, during warm up, to drop my left stirrup and trot around. The difference between going right and going left is amazing. Going left, it's just totally normal. Going right is excruciating and close to impossible. I didn't believe him when he told me how different it was going to be because the first way was so easy.
Third - Push my right hip forward and put the weight down in my right leg. My right leg looks shorter than my left leg, and my left leg is ineffective because it is always reaching for the stirrup.
As soon as I made these little adjustments, Charlie could straighten out and come up underneath himself and actually move forward.
Finally - don't overbend to the right, and counterbend to the left. Charlie is too bent going right, and then still bent right when we go left. So if I counterflex for a bit to the left, it helps us get straight. I also think of moving his shoulders to the left (when we are going right) instead of trying to put his haunches underneath him, because he is still in a C shape when we go to the right.
We worked on "double" up transitions (halt to trot, walk to canter), and head to the wall down the long side to trot or canter. We also worked on halting and then flexing at the poll and jaw instead of Charlie grabbing the bit and rooting his head down. Major Beale said Charlie never needs to lower his poll lower than his withers because it puts him too much on the forehand.
We did a bit of single loop at the trot, working on changing the bend but not starting it too early.
We had one absolutely incredible collected canter from the walk, but then I freaked out because it was so perfect and goosed Charlie forward. At the canter, I can keep a bit more contact, so he doesn't fall forward and fast.
And when I finally got the bend and balance all figured out, Charlie was so confused he tried to do a flying change.
It felt divine. And I could feel the difference and I understood the exercises, so they will definitely give me something to work on before Major Beale comes back. He says tomorrow we'll work on counter canter.
First - when Charlie is being a slug, just quit whatever I am working on and gallop him, two or three times. Then go back to work. Then if he gets sluggish again, gallop again. Charlie wasn't a slug today, but I've been struggling with how to get him going forward.
But ...
It's hard for Charlie to go forward, or use his left hind leg, because I am riding way over to the left. Way, way over.
Second - I stand up in my stirrups, stomp hard to the right, and sit down on the right side. It feels insane, but when I look down, the zipper on my pants is lined up with his withers. The other part of this exercise is, during warm up, to drop my left stirrup and trot around. The difference between going right and going left is amazing. Going left, it's just totally normal. Going right is excruciating and close to impossible. I didn't believe him when he told me how different it was going to be because the first way was so easy.
Third - Push my right hip forward and put the weight down in my right leg. My right leg looks shorter than my left leg, and my left leg is ineffective because it is always reaching for the stirrup.
As soon as I made these little adjustments, Charlie could straighten out and come up underneath himself and actually move forward.
Finally - don't overbend to the right, and counterbend to the left. Charlie is too bent going right, and then still bent right when we go left. So if I counterflex for a bit to the left, it helps us get straight. I also think of moving his shoulders to the left (when we are going right) instead of trying to put his haunches underneath him, because he is still in a C shape when we go to the right.
We worked on "double" up transitions (halt to trot, walk to canter), and head to the wall down the long side to trot or canter. We also worked on halting and then flexing at the poll and jaw instead of Charlie grabbing the bit and rooting his head down. Major Beale said Charlie never needs to lower his poll lower than his withers because it puts him too much on the forehand.
We did a bit of single loop at the trot, working on changing the bend but not starting it too early.
We had one absolutely incredible collected canter from the walk, but then I freaked out because it was so perfect and goosed Charlie forward. At the canter, I can keep a bit more contact, so he doesn't fall forward and fast.
And when I finally got the bend and balance all figured out, Charlie was so confused he tried to do a flying change.
It felt divine. And I could feel the difference and I understood the exercises, so they will definitely give me something to work on before Major Beale comes back. He says tomorrow we'll work on counter canter.
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Saturday, March 15, 2014
New and improved rider pilates book is available for pre-order
Dr. Beth Glosten's rider pilates book is out!
The Riding Doctor
I can't wait to read it. I found her prior book enormously helpful in identifying my body's tendencies and then providing the tools on and off the saddle to improve them.
The Riding Doctor
I can't wait to read it. I found her prior book enormously helpful in identifying my body's tendencies and then providing the tools on and off the saddle to improve them.
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