transitions with suppleness

Besides starting out with a lot of forward (Odin was lazy after a weekend off), we did the usual no stirrups thing in the lesson. Getting better all the time!

Then we went on to transitions. Which were supposed to happen forward, and result in a more upright, collected horse. Which really wasn't what was happening, more like a strung out falling on his forehand horse.

L. then had me leg yield him into the transition, and drive him forward during it. The leg yielding should keep him more supple, and not let him hand on the bit, together with the forward.
It was hard for me to do this. I had to steer and leg yield, and wrap my head around what the end result should be. I tended to let go of my outside aids too much, so he became crooked instead of bending. In the end I think we got one nice transition from canter to trot, where the trot was forward and Odin was in a nice frame. But more practice needed!

On the fungus side of things, it seems to be almost gone. Only his skin is still full of bare patches, so waiting for that to heal. There were some flaky stuff still, but it looked like it might be the mikrotek stuff, it looked like a film of inorganic material and not like fungus crust. Hmm. We will see.

Ouch, my seatbone(s)!

Tuesday and Wednesday I had lessons, more stirrup less riding.

Tuesday we started off with a bunch of trot-canter-trot transitions, to get Odin a bit more round. We practiced the correct canter aid again, not just running into it. It is quite hard for me, and a bit frustrating. I ended up getting one or two good one, and he did get rounder.

Then I did lots of trot with no stirrups, as I did Monday. L. was noticing that I was working too hard, Odin needs to go more on his own. I think part of it is that I get mentally exhausted from sitting with no stirrups, it wears me out. I have a hard time concentrating on riding, using my aids, and stay upright in the saddle.

Wednesday we started out with an aid sensitivity exercise. I would very, very lightly tap Odin with me legs, and if he didn't immediately scoot forward, a BIG correction would follow. Rinse, repeat. In the beginning L. would ask me to say now when I used my legs, and then she would correct so I could see how quickly she timed it. She then asked me to do it, and it was OK, but I had to practice not pulling back when using the whip, deliberately letting go.
It actually didn't take that many corrections before Odin got it, he moved off nicely from a light aid. Added benefit: When he is in front of my legs, he is a lot lighter in my hand. Just like the theory tells!

The problem is of course that I need to be 100% consistent to make this work. After a minute of going forward promptly, he gets more and more sluggish again. I, of course, don't notice since it gradual (he still moved forward), and I am concentrating on whatever else I am doing. Then we go back to using bigger and bigger aids, and then it goes back to nagging every stride...

Something to continue to work on. The whole concept of having enough mental surplus to train the horse 100% of the time you ride is hard, it does take a lot of effort just to sit up.

It was a very useful exercise, a step on the way.

Then we did trotting with no stirrups again, this time also 10m circles and more serpentines and leg yields. This prompted the seatbone soreness! My right seatbone especially was sore - and one of the things we worked on was me sitting straight, L. said I was not sitting in the middle of the saddle, and collapsing the right hip. Well, I guess the soreness proves it - it was also way harder for me to do 10 m circles to left, even if this is Odin's 'good' side. So we worked on sitting in the middle of the saddle.

Riding without stirrups is getting so much easier, I feel a lot more confident, so while there seem to be an endless list of corrections to make, I do feel a lot of progress.


Also: stupid fungus, I can't get rid of it. Every day there is lot of scabbing to scrub off. I took away his flymask, my theory was that he was sweating under it aggravating it. I also made sure to disinfect his halter with an alcohol wipe, and make sure all the sweat is off his face after we ride. Hopefully there will be less fungus soon!

forward on our own.

With L. out of town I have been trying to keep everything in mind while riding.

I have ridden a lot forward, with very little rein, and it feels good. Probably not as much forward as we could go, but still a lot more movement. I think Odin really enjoys it, and he seems to be easier have forward now he has gotten into the habit of doing it. In fact, he now expects us to rush down the long side, and he does in almost on his own! Maybe I am dreaming, but I feel I need to apply less driving aids, and while he may not be more in front of my legs or on my aids, he does feel like he is more forward from the legs.

we have also done a lot of transitions where I try to use my seat and not my hands. It is still hard for me, but I feel our communication has become better.

Oh, and another thing. When we canter around the arena and attempt to speed, we just canter across the diagonal and does a change in the middle, like a jumper ^_^. Very fun, big changes.

Forward!

This Saturday and yesterday I had lessons, which both had the same focus: Forward.

L. had thought about how hard it is for me to collect and bend Odin, and decided to try something different, namely getting him going first.

So we started the lesson by L. asking me to trot and canter on the rail, especially canter, and canter forward! "Gallop, not lope! make him go!" So I tried to make him go, and I really have to get used to Odin moving with a bit of speed. It feels terrible fast to me, but it is probably just the speed I should want him to go in, also when he is put more together. L. told me to focus on the forward, and not worry about his frame as much, just giving steady contact and pushing. The lesson last night I noticed the difference when he used his hind legs to push more forward, regardless of the contact, that was the feeling I should be looking for.

It was a little scary, a little fun. I really wish I could go trail riding now, I think it would be good for Odin, me and forward.
Part of this was also to get me used to him moving and not crawling, and I think that it is really important for me to get used to this movement. The trot we also did while focusing only on forward felt huge. I had to shorten my stirrups, they have been stretching but I havn't felt until Saturday, I couldn't follow him in rising trot, hehe.

After going forward for some time, L. started to ask me to put him together and bend him a bit, while still going forward. It was easier to make him bend, even if it is still hard to keep the forward while putting him together. Also, I cannot sit his faster trot at all!

We also did legyields and transitions all while focusing more on tempo.

Yesterday I did a lot of transistions, trying to making him listen to my seat and not slowing down while making a downward transition. Very hard! I have a tendency to pull on the reins when I want to do a downward transition, which makes Odin lean on the bit and get long and sluggish. We did a 'communication' exercise, trot-walk from the seat. If he didn't react immidiatly to my seat, turn him a bit into the wall (instead of just pulling back). After a few tries, he got it, and the transitions came much easier.
The canter-trot transitions we did a little differently. I kept him really bend (a bit overbend in the neck even) and made the transition, this helped me to not pull back.
It is hard though, one of those things where both me and Odin want to agree to do it badly...

Then, after forward transitions, I was starting to have a half-halt I could try to get him to go forward out of.

I felt the progressions in these lessons where very nice, forward -> transitions -> half halts. Nice change instead of trying to collect him in the slow, slow gaits (not that all that hasn't been useful).

L. reminded me that I should always use the forward to something after I had got it, and not just continue to ride him around in a long, downhill frame.

This is definitely something I can practice on my own, and L. is going out of town the next to weeks, so we will see if I can be true to my intentions and do it. Most important thing is to be consistent in those downwards transitions. No pulling!

the forward stuff was fun, just cantering down the long side, and I think Odin thought it was a bit fun too. We were both a bit sweaty after that, though!