The Schooling Show!

So, I have been really lazy about posting, so I need to note down everything I want to from the past weeks - first the schooling show on April 6th. I already posted some pictures, but here is a bit fuller report.

The show was arranged by Equestrian's Institute, and hosted at my barn, so conveniently I did not have any travel.

That did not leave me any less nervous. Or terrified as L. called it!
I was pretty much frozen, though I am not sure why - I mean I had just done the test in the very same arena the day before? Well, rational thought went out the window, I guess.

Odin, however, was awesome. He was a bit concerned, because I clearly was ultra tense, but otherwise he conducted himself as a gentleman. The first time went to to the outdoor ring (through the other end of the indoor arena), he was nervous, but very relieved once L. grabbed the reins. There was a horse in a trailer nearby who was really dissatisfied and whinnied a lot, in my first test Odin answered him. L. pointed out it was because he was confused and feeling alone, since I was just tense on his back and not being a leader for him.

I think was a great point for me to think about. I can also feel it when we take a walk outside, I think Odin doesn't trust me 100% to not lead him into danger. I am not sure exactly how to work on this...

That didn't prevent Odin for doing his job, and doing the best he could. He totally helped me trough it, I was so happy with him. I really have no reason to be nervous, since he is so seasoned, and doesn't spook easily.
I, however, was standing in the stirrups, leaning forward, clamping my thighs on, etc... All documented in the videos below.

Between the two tests, L. coached me, and told me countless times to SIT BACK! Not that it helped that much, but a little bit. I already tend to sit too much forward, and being tense I do it even more. Bad habits go worse, good habits go away, that is what I learned!

I rode Level 1, test 1 and got 59.67% and Level 2, test 2 and got 58.89%.

A couple of notes from the tests:

The trot lengthenings were hard. Odin knew exactly what I wanted going across the diagonal and putting my legs on, but because he was on the forehand, he just became longer and longer and harder to ride. I need to be able to collect him much more so the push comes from behind and doesn't just consist of Odin running away in the front. He did really try to do what I asked.

In test 2, in addition to trot lengthenings is has canter lengthenings too, and leg yields.

The leg yields went pretty well, and the judge commented they were parallel. I was pretty proud of that, since we worked a lot on that.

One of the canter movements, I turned on a circle too late, and got me and Odin crooked. Odin thought I wanted a change, so I changed him back. Then down the long side, we were supposed to do canter lengthenings, but Odin was clearly riding another test, since he kept doing changes! I can only laugh about it, it was so clear he was really trying to do what I asked him to do.

I only got 3s for the canter movements, but generally my scores in the second test were higher, however, the total was still better for the first one.

Very telling was that I got a 5 for rider in the first, an 6 in the second. 8 for gaits, which shows that Odin is way better than me, hehe!

I got some comments to use less rein, which I will certainly try to keep in mind. I think part of it was that since I was so out of the saddle I had no seat, so I used the rein more. It all comes back to the seat....

Now, the videos:




In the end, I think the judges comment was very appropriate:

"Rider needs to help horse maintain better balance with stronger seat and leg and less use of rein aids"

Yup, horse was helping rider in this case! It really highlighted how much of star Odin is :)


After the show I was so, so tired, amazing how draining it can be. In the end it was great to try, and now I have all these goals I can work towards, I love that. it really gives me reason to work harder, how can I ever ride a nice test if my seat is out of the saddle so I can't do a proper half-halt?

Video from my Lesson March 1st.

Finally got this uploaded:



(link if this doesn't work)

This was a fun lesson with L. telling me to sit like Kyra - which I really don't do.

I have so much work to do on my seat, when I watch myself it is somewhat frustrating.
I think I not only have some lack of strength in my core, but I somehow have some wrong muscle movements imprinted in my brain. Every time I go to do anything; transition, half-halt, what ever, I tense up, tilt forward, clamp my legs on, draw them up and backwards. Stand in the stirrups.

I have some nice books I really need to read more of, Balance in Movement and Centered Riding, but they are a bit dry I must admit. I never was a huge fan of biology, so bio mechanics... *yawn*. But it is useful information.

And then more longing. I did one or two lessons where we longed for half of them after this, and it especially improved my seat in the canter, I could suddenly follow him with my seat a lot better. If I remember to relax. At least I hope that shows it is not an impossible mission.

Pic

Picture from after the schooling show. I am quite relieved!

More pictures from the show at flickr

where have I been?

busy, sick, too lazy to write...

The last couple of weeks have consisted of trying to get ready to the schooling show yesterday, where we rode First Level Test 1 and First Level Test 2. More about that in a separate post!

This meant that we did quite a bit of leg-yielding down the center line, concentrated on precise figures (15 m circles are a bit annoying) and maybe even trying to get me to sit better.

This really have pin pointed how little Odin actually listens to me, it takes me a lot of time to do a halt, for instance.

I really like training with a test in mind, it gives you a lot of focus and reason to do things better, and help find (even more) flaws in you riding.

It was also fun to try and do some lengthening. Odin quickly figured out that we were doing test movements, and legs on on the diagonal means flying away - I'm am sure he thought I wanted extensions, which I cannot ride him collected enough for. The result was him running away and on his forehand! So it will be good to work on controlling that.

Lessons Saturday & Sunday

I gave myself off Friday, and had a lesson Saturday after L. had returned from CA. Odin was being 'hot' which for him means stepping, snorting and looking. A quick go around on the longe and he looked much more like the horse I know.

The lesson was pretty nice, but a bit hard as it always is when I don't have a lesson for about a week. All those things I forget in such short time.

Sunday I had another lesson, and Odin was still acting a bit excited, I think he is in a spring mood!
L. told me I really, really need to canter and trot without stirrups to get my behind in the saddle. I am not happy about it, more like terrified! Stupid irrational fear!

I tried to think about some of the things Barokko's mom told me after giving a very nice critique of me picture, but I cant get my back and legs to relax enough, I still end up in a position where my hips and pelvis are not in the right place.

I know that dropping the stirrups is the answer, so I compromised and did it on the longe, that makes me feel more secure.
And it was great! especially in the canter I could relax and sit and follow Odin's rhythm. I grip so badly with my legs when I ride.
We only did it a little while, and then when back to riding. This was actually a great way of doing it, because now I had the right feeling, and I could immediately apply it.

So, all in all, great lesson!

some days are not so good...

Thursday I went out to ride in the evening. I was really tired, but went there anyway.

Odin was a litte unconcentrated (somehting in the bushes? lunging horse acting like he isn't lameish at all?) and so was I. Well, you have to take the good rides with the bad ones...

Counter cantering in the morning...

L. is out this week, so no lessons. I am quite busy at the moment, so Odin have had Sunday and Tuesday off, with L. riding him Monday before she left.

I was thinking on how he felt, and I think I was able to get him to 'sit' a bit on his hind legs with out that much trouble. It is still hard for me to judge the result on my own...

I did some trot serpentines and canter circles to begin with , it was a bit cold this morning, so I thought we should get going and get warm. I then did some side movements, he felt quite responsive so I think L. must have worked on that!

I then went on to do some counter canter. I feel both that and the leg yields are really helping me to get him a bit less stiff, and that in turn make it easier for him to respond to my half-halts.
I have not done counter canter without being in a lesson in a long time, so it was good to see that I could do it :). I think Odin was not quite straight enough, but he didn't change or break, yay!

he did feel better still after that, I really suspect that he is stiff (he turns 16 April 29th!), so I am trying to focus on riding him out of that on my own, without L. being there. And then practicing the half-halts! I still need to think about following his movement in the trot and canter (I really think my seat should be better in the canter than it is), but it is so hard to do all these things at once.

Oh, and my random thought about my half-halts today: I feel I need to push everything under me and behind me up in front of me using my stomach, seat and legs
I think I need to use a lot more aids than I should be to get through, but I like the idea about pushing the back half of him up and in front, instead of using my hands too much.