Set Goals for Showing

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. . . I share this with you as an example of how goals and putting concrete actions into place can have a positive effect on your show experience.  One of my favorite moments prior to going in the show ring came about accidentally.  It was early morning, and I stood on the mounting block braiding my horse’s mane in the sunlight shafts through the pines, my partner quietly held and scratched my horse’s head, and I realized that deep inside me, the world felt in balance – and I was happy. 

May you find the balance that brings you happiness as you compete with your horse.

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Introduction to My 2015 Show Season

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Introduction to My 2015 Show Season

Universo and I like the minor changes in Fourth level, Test 1; the flying changes from counter canter at M and H  feel more fluid and easier to accomplish than riding through the corner to change at C, adding the 3 changes of lead across the diagonal increased the level of difficulty, and moving the walk pirouettes off the rail to the line between M and H actually made it easier for me and Universo to execute them correctly (you may remember my post last year about working on walk pirouettes in preparation for showing). 

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Canter Zig Zag

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I did not know that I was going to be practicing canter zig zig.  I simply warmed up as normal.  We went through all of the familiar exercises, checking in for accuracy and quality.  What I did not know was that throughout the lesson we were stacking my skills on top of each other, making sure the foundation was solid as I worked in collected trot on shoulder-in and trot zig zag, did some single flying changes of lead, and checked for responsiveness by shortening and lengthening within trot and canter. 

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Walk Pirouettes

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...it was time to move on to using the correct aids with the correct timing to execute a walk pirouette in both directions.  It is incredibly difficult for me to accomplish this movement; I seem to get different variation of WRONG every time I do it.  And if I get it RIGHT in one direction and try the same aids with the same timing in the next direction, it is inevitably WRONG. 

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Sitting Trot and My Lower Leg

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One of the high standards I have set for myself is to ride sitting trot correctly; perhaps like Dr. Reiner Klimke, although I would have to be put on the medieval stretching rack in order for my body to at all simulate his long elegant frame.  Regardless of the hopelessness of achieving that quality of perfection, at least I could hope not to be bouncing around in the saddle, nodding my head, leaning back in a perpetual chair seat, flailing my arms out like chicken wings, or swinging my legs wildly back and forth.  

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Riding Bareback

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Riding Bareback

...what did I expect, after all these years (I am now 50 years old) of riding in a dressage saddle, when my instructor told me I should ride my horse bareback to give both him and me a break?  It would be relaxing.  Ha.  Relaxing!  Perhaps she would be relaxed, but I had visions of me clinging and bouncing on my 4th level dressage horse.  I figured it would not be pretty, but I was game to try anyway. 

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Learning to Halt-Halt: Part II

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Then there was that one magical moment in my lesson:  My stomach muscles held and my seat deepened as my legs continued to drive into my resisting rein aid, the minute I felt the hesitation of my horse, I released my holding seat, and used a driving leg into a yielding rein - and, the result was incredible!  I felt my whole horse’s body change as the hindquarters lowered creating more engagement and lighter steps.

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Learning to Half-Halt: Part I

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…Okay, here I go.  I am cantering down the long side of the arena.  Now I am concentrating on holding with my seat.  About the time I reach the corner and round the long side, I am concentrating using my driving leg aid, and then I remember to hold with rein.  Down the next long side, I release the rein or provide an opening with my hands, drive with my legs, and at the last minute, remember to open my hips and allow the increase in motion, which I think I was actually supposed to do first, since the order of sequence is always:  seat, leg, rein.  Apparently, it takes me roughly one lap around the arena to half-halt!  I don’t know how I am ever going to execute one single half-halt before the corner, much less the multiple ones that my instructor is asking me to execute around the arena…

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Leg Aid in Canter

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I keep on learning new skills!  But, once again, the skill of applying the leg aid it is not as easy as it sounds.   We started by working on my seat.  Then we focused on my legs.  After all of my body parts were moving in concert with each other and following my horse’s motion, I could concentrate on closing my legs for a canter leg aid.  For me, it helps to feel like I wrap my legs around my horse’s barrel and pick him up under my seat using my legs.  Now I feel like I am making the canter happen with some control over the length of stride and activity vs simply following the canter.  I have leg aids in canter!  

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