Not-So-Speedy Dressage
From Endurance to Dressage
Not mine though! I was reading the August issue of Dressage Today and landed on the "Ask the Experts" column. The letter rider was having problems at the canter. I was delighted with some of the answer and thought to myself rather smugly, well at least I am doing something right!
Since I've only had formal training in the last year or so, there were many things that I never learned until last year. Posting to the outside diagonal was one of them. Man, oh, man that took me forever to learn! I am not 100% accurate, but I am getting much better. Back to the expert's answer ... (by the way the column I am referring to is on page 72 if you get the magazine.) Elizabeth Madlener, USEF "S" judge, suggested that the rider check her "position and be sure that you have your weight on the inside seat bone." She went on to say that "if your weight is to the inside, your horse will throw you quite naturally up with the inside hind." And of course, "if you find yourself consistently coming up on the outside diagonal [outside hind?], then you need to get your weight down into the inside seat bone and leg." Well woohoo for me! I wasn't sure how I was doing it, but I nearly always get the correct diagonal when we return to rising trot from the canter. This must mean my seat and leg are in a somewhat correct position! Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, I'll take the atta girl! 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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