Ride with Your Eyes and Shoulders

On Friday morning, I had a really interesting lesson with Chemaine Hurtado, owner and trainer at Symphony Dressage Stables. With a two-day USDF show coming soon, I needed a lesson that would address my sudden onset of confidence eroding inferiority. 

When I go to "big" shows, I suffer from feelings of not belonging. I feel like Speedy and I are just completely outclassed. True or not, relevant or not, it feels like everyone has more money which so often means better tack, better clothes, better training, better everything. So each season, I am forced to put on my big girl panties and suck-it-the-heck-up. Life is not fair. Do what you can with what you have. The end.

This photo reminds me that money can't buy everything.

When Chemaine rolled up, I told her how I was feeling even though we've been busting our butts to improve our Third Level work all winter. I asked if we could just do a lesson that focused on test preparation. What could I improve on in just a few days, and where could I stop "leaking" points? Since Speedy was already warmed up, Chemaine told me to ride 3-1, and we would take it from there.

Overall, Chemaine was pretty pleased, but she had lots of great tips for me.

• Since Speedy wants to drift right up centerline (that day anyway), look left to H to turn my shoulders left which will keep his shoulders from drifting right.
• For the shoulder-in, look INSIDE the arena instead of down the long side. By looking straight, I am losing the bend and the angle of the shoulder-in. 
• For shoulder-in to V, look at P instead. For shoulder-in to P, look at V instead. This will keep my shoulders turning in which will help me maintain the angle of the shoulder-in.
• Getting Speedy's haunches positioned correctly for the trot half pass after the shoulder-in is a challenge. To help, Chemaine suggested I ride an extra stride in the half circle after the shoulder-in which will help me maintain the correct bend for the half pass.
• To finish the trot half pass and prepare for whatever comes after, just before M or H, change the bend of the half pass and push the haunches over to the rail. I'll need to do this at 4-2 in the half pass anyway, so it's good to start setting up for it now.
• Just before the medium and extended trot, get his head and neck UP.

He has such a pretty face!

For the canter work, Chemaine also had some suggestions for ways to either raise our score a bit, or keep us from losing points.

• Just before the extended canter, make sure to establish a bend so that Speedy's on the outside rein as I make the transition to collected canter at K and F.
• Before the 10-meter canter circles at V and P, I need to think shoulder-in so that Speedy is already bent around my inside leg and on the outside rein to balance him through those circles.

Nicely balanced after the second flying change.

We worked on each component of the test, with me trying to implement Chemaine's tips. She was right about each one. Every movement was improved just by turning my shoulders or looking where I wanted Speedy's shoulders to be. I've ridden several times since that lesson, always working on keeping my shoulders turned or looking at a particular letter to keep Speedy in a better position. 

We last showed in October, so it's been a while for both of us. We were supposed to go to a show this weekend, but it got cancelled on Monday. The property owner was afraid the county would levy fines for a COVID-19 violation. Things are pretty confusing here as professional sports have been allowed - with no spectators, but some some Ventura County officials are calling horse shows a "festival."

I sent in an entry for a show next weekend, also in Ventura County, but that property owner is confident that her facility meets all of the county's requirements. We're about as ready as we can be for our first show, whenever it happens.