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Not-So-Speedy Dressage

From Endurance to Dressage

Monday's Post-Show Lesson

8/29/2013

 
JL is a very supportive trainer. She doesn't pressure me to move up or move back down. She doesn't discourage me from trying things, and she listens when I bring her information from outside sources. She's happy to hear what another trainer thinks I should do and can usually break down the new idea into smaller bits that I can work on. 

I hadn't seen her a few weeks due to her vacation and a ridiculously hot day that forced us to cancel a lesson. Even so, she was eager to hear how my lesson with Lois went and she happily watched my video of the T1 test.

Rather than being critical, she pointed out every positive aspect of the ride that she could; his walk was lovely, his halts were nice, there were moments of roundness, we got the canter departs (mostly), I kept my sh*t together when he wanted to toss me around, and so on.

Her analysis was that it is now time to get really, really picky about lightness. No more am I going to do the carrying. Lois described it as Sydney being the strong partner while I am the smart partner. Someone other than me needs to start doing the heavy lifting. I was relieved when JL mapped out our new strategy since it was EXACTLY what Lois had described. I ride with Lois this next Monday which means another field trip for Sydney - just what he needs! 

The first thing JL and I worked on was getting some yes, ma'am! kind of halts. JL wanted him halting and backing off the bit in one stride with as little pull as possible. We started with a pull of 7 or 8 (a made up number to reflect "volume") followed by quick pulls of 8 and 9 until he finally halted. We did that over and over until he started offering halts that required pulls of 5 or 6, and then we aimed for a halt that took just 2 pounds of pressure. We got it, too!

Once he was listening to my halts, we worked on softening by maintaing the 2 pounds of pressure with added leg. And when I say leg, JL kept repeating, spur, spur, spur, spur! Whenever he made me hold more than 2 pounds of pressure in my hands, I halted him hard enough so that he started thinking he better back off the bit quickly! Little by little, he got lighter and lighter in my hand. 

When I say 2 pounds in my hand, that's just the number that I assigned to what felt like a light contact. Once he passed that amount of pressure, the number goes up. If he's really heavy, we call it a 10 even though I am probably really holding 50 pounds in my hands!

After he was trotting with a light contact and moving forward from my leg, we worked on backing with the leg from a standstill. I held the two pounds of pressure, but kept spurring until he backed up. To both JL's and my surprise, he did it perfectly the first time we asked. Frankly, we were both shocked! 

It's a tricky exercise for me as I really want to pull back. Instead, I just kept my hands steady and bumped his sides with my spurs until he backed up away from the bit pressure. 

Riding him is such a different thing from riding Speedy who is NEVER EVER heavy. I can ride Speedy with just my pinky fingers; he's that light in the bridle. This of course comes with its own set of challenges, but at least he's never the freight train Sydney can be.

So for now, my homework is to get him halting quickly. Once he is no longer hanging on me, I can ask for roundness by using leg, leg, leg to get him to back off the bit. 

Oh, and another bad habit that both Lois and JL have called me on (having several trainers kind of stinks when they're BOTH picking on you!): I keep a continuous squeeze going rather than bumping with my legs. When I do that, Sydney just ignores me. So an additional piece of homework is to ask with my legs and then release and then ask again more firmly, increasing the "volume" of the thumps until I need to do a barrel racing whack, whack, whack kind of thing.

This new approach feels good. I don't feel like it's a step backward. JL and Lois both think I'm ready to step it up a bit. Okay, ladies, bring it on!
Austen link
8/29/2013 12:07:00 am

All of that sounds awesome! Your trainers sound fantastic, go get it!

Austen link
8/29/2013 12:48:40 am

I'd like to add that the idea of Sydney being heavy on you while still not tolerating pulling is something I should keep in mind. It's a great tip, and something that got me in trouble last weekend!

Kelly link
8/29/2013 01:09:15 am

Love that JL pointed out all the great moments in your test! Encouraging trainers are wonderful :)

Sandra
8/29/2013 01:38:00 am

Sounds like some real good advice. I often have the same problem of using my legs like a vice grip thinking I need to do that to stay on just in case Varro decides to bolt or buck. I really struggle keeping my legs relaxed and soft until I need to ask for more forward movement. Taking Varro out on trail and exposing him to lots of new things has really help the trust issue.... I trust him and he trusts me to take care of him! My first show since by back injury (not from a horse lol) is Sept 29th and I am so nervous! I haunt your blog for ideas to try on each of my rides. Thanks for being such an inspiration!

lytha
8/29/2013 04:47:28 am

so jealous! hey, i know you're a halter snob now (in the opposite direction from me - i love hamilton!) and thought of you tonight when i found these especially pretty rope halters with "beads" - wow. i'm even tempted. i'm thinking about ordering some rope reins from them with those "beads" on them (but they call them "markers").

http://ropehorsetack.weebly.com/braided-items.html

but that would be $65 and i think that's too much for a set of rope reins. but sooo pretty!

Karen
8/29/2013 09:58:18 am

It looks like they have nice stuff! :0)

Since I am paying more than $65 for braided reins, that price doesn't seem bad for a set of reins if you really like them. Christmas is just around the corner ... !

lytha
8/29/2013 04:59:10 am

it sounds like sydney needs a harsher bit.

just kidding *lol*

amazing - you and i are on the same wavelength today. i spent my morning commute thinking about how many grams of weight i have in my hands when i ask for a back up. i was thinking perhaps 500. (1 pound). i don't know, but my horse just stands there resisting when i ask her to take one step back. she eventually grudgingly gives me a half step back, when i finally release the 500.

this is ridiculous. i've been working on her back command from the ground for months now (i can say months now, isn't that sad). she backs OK from the ground. really well if i have treats, sort of OK if i don't, just one step at a time. and never up a hill, god forbid, she cannot back her body up any incline!

so why isn't it transferring to saddle when i say "BACK" and give a steady pressure (not pulling, just not giving at all). my body is also signalling her "not forward." she's totally perplexed about it.

the goals i have now for the arena are simple. walk, stop, back, repeat. i'm not asking for too much more.

i wonder if i need someone on the ground to help. what do you think?

Karen
8/29/2013 10:05:00 am

The answer to nearly al problems in the dressage arena seems to MORE LEG! I think that's true with Mara though. JL had me hold the rein steady and keep increasing the leg whacks until he finally gave the right answer. I rode the same exercise on Speedy yesterday since he was being a bit naughty.

At first, he swung his haunches this way and that and then he hopped up in a mini rear, but I just sat there patiently with 2 lbs of pressure and whack, whack, whacking my legs. Before too long, I felt him shift his weight back as he took a backward step. I praised him and then repeated the exercise one more time.

As he was trying to evade (or find the right answer), his head shot up, out, over, under, but I just kept the pressure on. Be prepared for Mara to do the same, but just be patient and persistent. You might also try to exercise that we did with Sydney, trot and then halt in one step with as much rein aid as needed. Repeat until you can get a halt with the minimum of rein pressure. Once she knows to back off from the rein pressure, you can try the backing up exercise. Good luck. I'll let you know how it goes. We have another lesson on Saturday.

martina peterson
8/29/2013 08:06:38 am

good for you Karen!! A lot of people would be intimidated to have two trainers giving them advice but you seem to take it all in with a good nature and a willingness to improve. I'm so proud of you love mom

Karen
8/29/2013 10:05:29 am

Thanks, Mom. I need all the help I can get! :0)

Teresa link
8/30/2013 12:05:51 am

I am enjoying your updates. Your horse sounds so much like mine. I enjoyed watching your tests because you were riding very well and just dealing with the issues as they arose and then moved on.

I have a prediction that one day someone will come up to you and tell you how lucky you are to have such a calm and obedient horse. If you are like me you will resist the urge to break into maniacal laughter.

Karen
8/31/2013 12:36:36 am

I can't wait for that day to arrive! Thank you for the kind words. I rarely give myself credit, but I will admit that I am good at riding in the moment and moving forward. I don't get stuck "mentally" when things go wrong. I think that's especially important considering the horses that I ride: a diva (he won't tolerate being picked on), and one who is worried about making mistakes (you can't remind him that he did it wrong).

Sarah link
8/30/2013 02:41:27 am

Bah! Double teaming trainers so not fair! =P But yeah, hard to ignore when they are saying the same thing! Ironically I'm having the same yet opposite leg problem as you - I bump too much and Hemie ignores it, so now I need to do the squeeze-and-heel-rake (I don't wear spurs at this point).

Karen
8/31/2013 12:38:15 am

Lois thinks I am squeezing to keep him going (rather than hanging on). JL agrees. They both think I am doing too much of the work. Sydney needs to start carrying himself AND me! Not the other way around. :0)


Comments are closed.

    About the Writer and Rider

    ​I am a lifelong rider. 
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