Not-So-Speedy Dressage
From Endurance to Dressage
Last week I wrote about JL showing me how to get the hind end more active. Woo hoo, is that ever working! Yep, we have hind end movement, but it's coming at the price of submission and acceptance of the bit. I know, I know. What that really means is that Speedy has been fooling me for a while. He's been soft and steady up front, but that's because he hasn't been thoroughly connected from his back to his front.
What's been happening this past week is this: I ask for some activity behind and Speedy does this hippity-hoppity thing up front trying to get away from the contact. I keep the contact by widening my hands or sitting tall and leaning back. Then we canter ... hard. Again, the side effect is that his canter transitions are improving quickly, but we look terrible at the trot. But I get it. I can now feel when he's actually pushing off from his hind end rather than dragging us around with his front. When I rode on Monday, we spent a lot of time cantering. When I felt that he was at least somewhat active behind and connected back to front tracking left, I gave him a walk break and changed direction. He started out with the same No, I won't attitude!, but after a couple of canter circles, he decided to play ball. From a working canter, I sat up, tightened my core and gave a soft squeeze on the outside rein. Speedy rewarded me with a very nice canter to trot transition that was active behind. Good boy! I praised him like he'd just won gold and hopped off. We had only worked to the right for just a minute, but he gave me all that I could have asked for so what more was there to do? I am hoping that JL can help me fine tune this more activity behind thing at this morning's lesson. We're leaving for a CDS/USDF/USEF two-day show on Friday and I want to leave feeling confident. I'll let you know what she thinks! Comments are closed.
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About the Writer and RiderI 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. Welcome to my dressage journey. About Speedy GSpeedy 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.
About IzzyIzzy 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.
National Rider AwardsState Rider Awards
State Horse Awards
Working Towards:
CDS Sapphire Rider Award Third Level: 63.514% Third Level: 62.105% Fourth Level: Fourth Level: 2023 Show Season
Show Rating (***) CDS/USDF/USEF (*) CDS (s) Schooling (c) Clinic (r) Ride-a-Test Clinic 2023 Show Schedule
TBD 2023 Completed … Pending 2023 Qualifying Scores
Regional Adult Amateur Competition (RAAC) Qualifying Training Level 3 Scores/2 Judges/60%: Score 1: Score 2: Score 3: Archives
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