forward, bending, on the bit

but that's 3 things at once!

and really what we have been struggeling with the last month or so. I can get Odin bend, and on the bit and then we slow to crawl. Or he goes forward and goes above the bit. Or he rushes through my hands and stiffens and straightens out.

Sigh. It is a little bit frustrating, but I have had lessions which were really good, where it felt like his hind legs came up under him, or as L. put it: "His back needs to carry your seat forward and up".

the core of the issue is that Odin in general is not in front of my legs, especially the right leg.
This results in the sluggish-ness and the unbending and him feeling heavy in my hands.

After the schooling show I had rubbed him a bit with my spurs, because I nag, nag, nag, like you really shouldn't do. So off went the spurs, and we have sessions of small aid -> big correction. A lot of this has to do with getting my timing right, and expecting a big reaction from the smallest aid. I have to be constantly aware of this, so I don't go back to the nagging, and in the end this will be what we need for a harmonious ride. But doing it while I try to sit correctly, keep him bend, and then think in a micro second: did he respond correctly? that is hard.
Of course, this is also why riding is fun to me, it is the challenge of mental and physical work, of coordination...

Still doesn't make it less frustration when I feel I know what I should do, I just can't. argh!

We do have some good lessons, I get him responsive, forward and bending, and then he doesn't feel heavy in my hands which is a great feeling. However, we do have to go through some arguments to get there, Odin really wants to slack off, and gets a bit pissed when I insist that he works. L. tells me I need to learn with time how to get over that hump so I can get him working and him relaxing into the work. I think the main issue is that I am not always good at consistently asking for the same level of work and reactions, so he will try to skip out if he can.
But I think: More practice.

Oh, and the other day I got him nice and forward and collected in the canter, and we did a flying change or two (on purpose!) at the end of the lesson. And he felt really great. His trot also improves a lot after the collected canter, it just takes me too long to get him there.

chipping away at all those things...

Sitting back

So I have neglected to write since the schooling show, and I really should make note of all the stuff we have done since then, so I can remember.

On of the things we working on is my position. L. said she was afraid that if Odin would slip and stumble (the arena was a little slippery in one corner) I would fall over his head!

We did a lesson where L. told me to lean back. more. more! and I felt I was sitting with a 45 degree angle back. Going by the mirrors, I was just sitting upright... hmm. So I try to keep that feeling.

The other thing we did was longe lessons, and lessons where I was on the longe for the first half, and then riding afterwards. That was very helpful too, it helped me transfer the feeling I get for me seat on the longe to riding. Even having a lesson the next day is not the same. I can recommend this approach to anyone.

Speaking of which, longing worked a lot better, I think I had two things which helped.
One was letting go of my fear. I have still some fear of longing or going without stirrups, like all fear pretty irrational (it is not like Odin is suddenly going to buck and run off just because I drop the stirrups...).
I really tried to let go of it, in a visual way too. I imagined my fear leaving me, and flying out of the arena and away over the valley. In my mind I saw this ugly, black thing leave and drift away. Weird? Maybe, I guess I got the idea from an article I read on visualization, and it works for me, helps to relax me down into my seat.

The last thing which helped my seat a lot, both on and off the longe, is that L. started doing this thing where she went next to me on Odin, and pulled on my arm. She told me to stay upright, but not use my legs. So I had to use my core strength. I have never really realized how much you can use your core when you ride! Thinking of engaging those muscles instead of my legs and thinking of that 'feeling' helped me a lot, that is what keeps me in the saddle.
It also helps that I am working out with a personal trainer in a gym, and she helps me to strengthen my core and teach me how to use it.
Learning to apply that to riding has been a huge light bulb moment, and also helps me to let go of my fear.

So, some great progress on that front I think. I haven't video taped myself since though, but hopefully it will stick!

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!