Not-So-Speedy Dressage
From Endurance to Dressage
Yesterday, I wrote about getting a bit of piaffe on a schoolmaster and also showed Chemaine riding my lunatic. I felt a bit bad posting a video where neither Chemaine nor my horse looked good, but it was only to show what we're dealing with. Here's a quick screen shot to prove my point ... It only took Chemaine a few minutes to convince Izzy that he didn't need to be such an ass. Once he quit trying to bolt and jerk the reins from her hands, she was able to feel where he needed help, and then she taught him a few things. Here's a another screen shot from just 30 minutes later, but this time it's me aboard. There's nothing magical happening, but he looks much more composed and willing to listen. So how did this happen? In a nutshell, Chemaine showed me how to get control of his haunches and outside shoulder. I knew those were the problem areas. That's why we couldn't pick up a canter, especially the left lead. That was also why he was blasting through the outside shoulder and avoiding any contact or even going forward. The video KG took will show you better than I can tell you, but it is a bit long at five minutes. The audio is excellent though and you'll feel like you got a lesson yourself. If you don't have time to watch it, here's a quick breakdown. To get control of his outside haunches and shoulder:
This "maneuver" puts him in a counter bend while keeping his haunches behind his face. The instant his haunches start to drift, he leaves the conversation, and nothing good happens. See for yourself how to put it all together. That was the first time I was able to ask for and get a left lead canter. I know it wasn't pretty and we couldn't carry it past the corner, but it did improve as we worked. Now that I know that the problem has been his fish-tailing rear end, I can keep the canter by applying the counter bend aid.
As he gets stronger and understands what is being asked of him, we'll be able to refine the canter aide so that it's not done from the counter bend. I have one more video of working to the right, but I'll share that tomorrow. 8/13/2015 11:56:24 pm
I hope it helps. I've ridden him since the lesson, and I found that I had total control over his outside shoulder and was able to get the canter both directions on the correct lead. Once we figure it out, I will be able to modify the amount of counter bend until we're back on a true bend. That's the plan anyway. :0) 8/13/2015 11:58:13 pm
I HATE watching video of myself ride, but I am so grateful that KG managed to capture the perfect moments of the lesson. I have watched the videos several times, and now that I can hear her and see myself, the whole thing is easy to see. Comments are closed.
|
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
|