Nothing's really new. Nicole is getting used to the fact that she will have to counter canter whether she likes it or not. We went through a phase for about 2 weeks when she realized the counter canter takes work, and she just has to do it. She would switch her lead behind to compensate for a tired outside leg.
The key to everything in dressage, from what I've experienced, is that making sure the horse is through and soft makes everything a lot easier. This sounds elementary, but in the heat of battle is easy to forget, and as Nic strains to accomplish a new task (such as the counter canter), she can become tough in the mouth, which equates to a lack of throughness. But when I don't work towards that softness, she is more likely to switch her leads behind.
We've also been spending some time riding without stirrups, to fix my leg position and tighten up my seat.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
September 2, 2008
Counter canter is coming easier now. She stays relaxed doing the 2-1 serpentine canter/counter canter tour. Bending left, that's a different story. I think it's because she needs her teeth done, but I'm told that I don't make any horse bend left. I mean really bend left, so that the horse is through.
These weird little quirks keep cropping up that are hold-overs from my days skating. Things like, I'm more comfortable going to the left (the way I rotate when jumping). I collapse my left side when going left (also a hold-over from jumping). You know, my left side is bigger than my right side, because growing up there was more muscle development on the left side over many years, just as my right foot is permanently at about a 30 degree angle more than my left foot. Sometimes I wonder just how affected my musculoskeletal system really is by skating, for example, if my left side is shorter than my right side, or if there is a permanent angle to my rib cage or clavicle, because of all the bending.
We are going to start her on working pirouette soon. I don't know about it, I have some amount of apprehension. I can't do them relaxed and confidently on the schoolmaster. Or maybe I do them better than I think (as I do pirouettes and don't get yelled at about having to fix anything). The real thing I wonder about is when we can start working on changes.
These weird little quirks keep cropping up that are hold-overs from my days skating. Things like, I'm more comfortable going to the left (the way I rotate when jumping). I collapse my left side when going left (also a hold-over from jumping). You know, my left side is bigger than my right side, because growing up there was more muscle development on the left side over many years, just as my right foot is permanently at about a 30 degree angle more than my left foot. Sometimes I wonder just how affected my musculoskeletal system really is by skating, for example, if my left side is shorter than my right side, or if there is a permanent angle to my rib cage or clavicle, because of all the bending.
We are going to start her on working pirouette soon. I don't know about it, I have some amount of apprehension. I can't do them relaxed and confidently on the schoolmaster. Or maybe I do them better than I think (as I do pirouettes and don't get yelled at about having to fix anything). The real thing I wonder about is when we can start working on changes.
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