Not-So-Speedy Dressage
From Endurance to Dressage
... was a real stinker! We're still trying to get some left bend. JL liked the idea of the bucking strap, anything that I feel comfortable grabbing to hold my left hand steady works for her. She also saw the benefit of the strap as it allows me to maintain my seat. Burying my knuckles in Speedy's crest requires I ride in a two-point position.
Right off the bat, Speedy noticed a discarded lunge line on the other side of the fence. And of course, it was in the corner where he likes to pick up speed. Of course he spooked and warned, "Snake, snake! There's a giant snake approaching!" JL coiled up the line, showed it to him, and even rubbed his dorky face with it while he soaked up the non-working attention. Since maintaining a left bend is hard work, Speedy spent the entire lesson rearing, bucking, or bolting past the place where said snake had been lurking. Each time I approached the corner, I asked him to move sideways away from my inside leg while maintaing a left bend. As that requires some work, he would instead offer some naughty form of resistance. At places along the circle, I was able to finally get some truly connected, rhythmic sideways movement that was FUN! We had one series of steps that were like floating: he had a lovely bend and was connected from the bottom of that inside leg all the way through and over his back down into the bit. I laughed out loud. Most of the time though, he just said no. At one point, we had an all out rodeo. I finally had to "cowgirl up" and flail my legs and yeehaw him to get his feet moving forward through the corner. Somewhere during the bucking and rearing, he slammed me into the arena fence and bruised my knee. I recognized the bump when it happened, but I didn't stop to check it out. We finished the ride with the knowledge that we have a lot of homework to do, but I know exactly how to get it done. On my drive home, I realized how sore my knee was. I ended up needing to ice it that evening. I also decided that Tuesday would be a good day to skip the barn, which I don't do very often. The day off proved very valuable. I accomplished a million little errands that had been piling up:
Today, back to the barn for a ride on Sydney and if time, a quick lunge with side reins for the reluctant-to-bend Speedy G. 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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