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Not-So-Speedy Dressage

From Endurance to Dressage

A Clinic with Christian Schacht

6/25/2013

 
If you've been visiting here for any length of time, you probably already know that I rode with Christian Schacht this past January. I had a pretty emotional ride with him last time which you can read about here. For this trip, I was prepared!

It certainly helped that I got to have a warm up lesson with Chemaine Hurtado on Friday. Riding with her the evening before helped remind me that I am a serious student and that I have the necessary skills to be riding with a clinician.

I was the first rider of the day which was nice because I did my warm up by myself. Speedy was very relaxed and ready to get to work by the time Christian and the auditors were in place. 

As before, Christian first asked me to just ride a 20 meter circle in front of him so that he could assess my riding. I was comfortable doing that. I rode Speedy around doing my best to get comfortable and keep Speedy happy. Within a minute, Christian started giving me directions: shorten your reins, sit to the inside, soften the inside rein, make the circle smaller, use your outside leg, push him forward with the inside leg, and so on.

And while he kept insisting that I smile, smiling relaxes your body which helps your horse to relax, my stern look was actually a face of pure concentration. I wanted to make every moment of the lesson count. His command to smile was received as a poke, but I quickly remembered my experience with the Affective Filter the last time I had ridden with him and quickly found a way to diffuse the tension that wanted to build.

To the auditors, Christian explained that a smile needs to last for ten seconds to have an effect on our relaxation. While sporting a big smile on my face, I cheekily started to count down from ten to one just loud enough for him to hear me. That of course came across as quite sassy, and even I found myself genuinely smiling at my joke. Later, during a particularly difficult moment, I looked his way and plastered a big smile on my face. He seemed a bit taken aback at first, but then laughed good-naturedly with me.

Christian helped me put Speedy together in a way that I've never been able to do before. My pony was round, supple, and truly using his hind end. It was a thrilling ride. The best part for me was when Christian started asking for a variety of exercises, and I was able to do them.

The first was a leg yield. In January, the leg yield created a moment of terrible embarrassment. This time, I was able to "correctly" leg yield at the trot and canter. The last time I worked with Christian, I struggled with the counter canter. This time, Speedy and I were able to do nice canter loops. We also did some beginning lengthenings.

I've mentioned here a time or two that I struggle with feelings of inadequacy. I don't ride a warmblood, and I don't have a lifetime of riding lessons under my belt. In fact, I only started riding in an English saddle just a few short years ago. So it was particularly gratifying to hear the many positive comments made by the auditors. Most had seen me ride in January so they had a good basis for comparison. Overall, the ladies felt that I had improved tremendously in the six months since my last ride with Christian. Hearing that was welcome validation.

I am definitely looking forward to more rides with Christian Schacht!
Picture
Speedy hanging out in his Friday night digs. Chemaine's horse, Spirit, is down on the far right.
Picture
Too much give with the right hand, but Speedy still looks organized.
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My position needs work, but Speedy continues to look decently put together.
Tracy
6/25/2013 02:50:34 am

You and Speedy look great! He is such a pretty horse, and when he moves with impulsion, he is gorgeous. Glad you had a successful clinic!

Karen
6/25/2013 03:23:47 am

Thanks, Tracy! :0)

Mia link
6/25/2013 02:58:57 am

I can't believe you taunted him. Ha. I'm glad it was a good clinic, and that you had fun! Talking about non-warmbloods... when I walk into a clinic with my little friesian paint cross I always hear a groan from the clinician the first time. Usually followed by a "what is THAT?" We win them over in the end, but nothing like starting as the underdog.

Whats the one concept you remember most about the lesson?

Karen
6/25/2013 03:30:22 am

It is tough to be on a non-standard breed. I think there must be enough of us here in CA that I don't experience any breed bias. Most of the judges and clinicians seem pretty open to other breeds, but I know we don't have the right "look." Ava is so FLASHY that I find it hard to believe you don't get anything but oohs and ahhs!

I totally know what the big concept of the day was: weight to the inside, more inside leg for impulsion, and softening the inside rein!

Austen link
6/25/2013 04:03:18 am

You guys look fantastic, and Speedy looks so HAPPY. I'm so glad your clinic went well, and I love the sassy count down! Go you!

I also ride an "off breed" for dressage. Though thoroughbreds used to be pretty normal for dressage, they've fallen so far out of favor that I usually only see one or two at the recognized shows. While I know that I'm learning a lot more about riding from Guinness (he's so picky!), it can be completely disheartening to ride next to a horse that has seeminly never had a tense moment in it's life. I get where you're coming from. Luckily, you and Speedy work hard and have a whole lot of potential. Keep it up!

Karen
6/25/2013 06:34:50 am

Exactly, Austen! Both of my boys, the Arab and the OTTB are high energy and quite sensitive. It doesn't take much to push their tension buttons. I look at so many of the warmbloods and think, well, shoot, I could get 70s on that horse, too! The more typical breeds appear to be more relaxed and "natural" in the dressage court. I am sure their riders would disagree, but they certainly seem more ho-hum about the work.

Thanks for the kind words. I can acknowledge that I work my butt off. Others may get there ahead of us, but we will arrive ... someday! :0)

Lauren link
6/25/2013 05:10:31 am

I'm going to have to remember to smile this weekend! Need all the help I can get.

Karen
6/25/2013 06:42:12 am

Smiling really does help and you look better in pictures! :0) I am rooting for you this Saturday. Drink lots of fluid, Gatorade or other electrolyte source, and don't forget to eat something (watermelon is a great choice). Another thing I like to do when it's hot is to bring a fresh change of clothes for when I am finished. Best of luck to you!

Sarah link
6/25/2013 09:34:33 am

Good reminder to smile! I need to remember that more. Sounds like a fun and productive clinic - challenging yet effective =)

Karen
6/26/2013 04:37:01 am

I enjoyed myself AND felt successful. :0)

Sandra
6/25/2013 12:47:32 pm

What an amazing clinic! I got the Dr.'s OK to start riding again and can't wait to try out some of your ideas! Currently I ride a Swedish WB x Arabian. Even though he has the size and frame of a WB he is ALL Arabian! I LOVE the sassy count down. I laughed right out loud when I read this post! Thank you far making the rest of us feel "normal!"

Karen
6/26/2013 04:42:37 am

I want my next horse to be an Arab/WB cross! Normal? Not sure about that. Crazed and obsessed, maybe! :0)

Teresa link
6/26/2013 12:39:51 am

Good for you. It sounds to me that you are a 'good student'. My def'n of a good student is that you try very hard and apply the lessons learned after. So many people don't do that. For a true clinician that is what matters, not the breed that you are sitting on. If a rider is expecting a brilliant piaffe from a horse that is not conformationally equipped to do it then that is one thing.
Last year I rode with a clinician and ended up in tears. Not that I usually am like that but I was tired. She had me convinced that my crappy riding had ruined my horse. turns out he had a neurological problem and this was affecting his movement. I'm glad that I didn't just buy into her abuse but sought out reasons. Not that I claim any brilliance as a rider but I'm not totally incompetent. I tried to explain that these things she was seeing were new and I didn't understand why they were occurring now and did she have any input. All she said was "I can't help you, you have to figure out what you're doing wrong'. sigh. sorry this post has turned into a vent. :)

anyway, good for you

Karen
6/26/2013 04:51:55 am

I do consider myself to be an excellent student. My trainer and I tease each other about who is the better student/teacher. I frequently tell my own students and their parents that good teaching is lost on poor students, while good students can often muddle through without a great teacher. When both teacher and student bring their all to the lesson, great things can be accomplished.

I am so sorry that you had to experience a bad teacher. So far, I have been blessed to have either excellent instructors, or instructors that left me wondering what we'd done, but never have I had one treat me out and out poorly. I hope I'll recognize a poor instructor before I actually take a lesson from him/her. Her comment to you was mean and completely unprofessional. If we could all figure it out for ourselves, why would we seek the help of a trainer/clinician?

Thanks for sharing. :0)


Comments are closed.

    About the Writer and Rider

    ​I am a lifelong rider. 
    I began endurance riding in 1996 where I ultimately completed five, one-day 100 mile races, the 200-mile Death Valley Encounter, and numerous other 50, 65, and 75 mile races. I began showing dressage in 2010.
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    About Speedy G

    ​Speedy went from endurance horse to dressage horse. After helping me earn a USDF Bronze medal in the summer of 2020, he is now semi-retired. Speedy is a 2004, 15'1 hand, purebred Arabian gelding. His Arabian Horse Registry name is G Ima Starr FA.
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    Izzy was started as a four-year old and then spent the next 18 months in pasture growing up. I bought him as a six-year old, and together, we are showing at the lower levels. He is a 2008, 16'3 hand warmblood gelding. His Rheinland Pfalz-saar International (RPSI) name is Imperioso.
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