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Not-So-Speedy Dressage

From Endurance to Dressage

Slow Down!

1/11/2015

 
When all else fails, or if you're not sure, go slower. That's what I learned at my OMG, I get it! I get it! lesson on Monday. 

I don't write about every lesson I have with JL, but I am telling you, she is one heck of a smart lady. And one of the things I love so much about her is that I can say, "Chemaine said do it like this, so how can I do what you're saying?"

She never takes offense. She simply explains that she is actually saying the same thing that Chemaine has said, or she shows me that what she is asking for is the step before we can turn whatever it is into "dressage."

This week, I wanted to work on leg yielding and canter departures. She's great about letting me choose what to work on. Since she's not a dressage trainer, she doesn't know the tests so she trusts that I am asking the right questions.
Picture
How many do I get?
My first question was how can I tell if Speedy's inside hind is crossing over in the leg yield? JL told me to show her the best leg yield we had. So we trotted across the arena doing a diagonal pass that had zero crossing of the inside leg. I knew it, but I don't know what to change to get it right.

The first thing JL said was to slow down. And of course out popped a but Chemaine says we need more forward and rhythm. JL pointed out that until Speedy was crossing that inside leg, forward meant nothing. In fact, I might have to stop all forward movement and focus on just getting him to step sideways. Sometimes it takes one sideways step followed by a forward step followed by a sideways step and so on.

It took use a few passes and a lot of SLOW DOWNs before I could finally feel when his hind leg crossed over. AHA! We were definitely moving slowly, but I could feel each stride and more importantly, I could feel when I was influencing the stride.

The trick to the leg yield, as everyone but me already knows, is to keep the neck nearly straight. There is a slight inside bend in the neck, but the inside rein does not have a job in the leg yield other than to maintain some bend. Most of the work is done by the inside leg and the outside rein - the Holy Grail of dressage.

Once I focused on keeping Speedy's neck straight, I was able to control the outside shoulder and NOT LET IT LEAD! It works like this: ask with the inside leg, SLOW DOWN THE OUTSIDE SHOULDER. When JL said slower, she meant to slow down his front end UNTIL his inside leg stepped over. Sometimes I had to STOP. Once he stepped over, we went forward again.

Before long, Speedy was moving forward and stepping over with a more forward and rhythmic pace which Chemaine would have loved. We worked on leg yielding both directions and then did a few of the zig zag leg yields which are really fun.

The next question I asked was how to improve the canter departure. We've been working on this for several years (and will probably work on it forever). Again, the answer was to slow down. 

JL had me really shorten Speedy's frame, a lot. With his frame this short, I can really feel each leg moving underneath me, something I can't feel when he's long and strung out. With a shorter frame, I can feel when his front legs are trying to run into the canter so I can work the rein to slow him down. It feels  a lot like revving up an engine - you put a foot on the brake while you give it some gas. When I could feel that I had revved him up as much as I could, I took my foot off the brake.

To ask for the canter departure, I moved my inside hip forward, stepped into the inside stirrup, and then sponged the rein to ask Speedy to let go of the inside rein. When I had all of my aids coordinated, we got a lovely up and over departure. When I let him get strung out, he hoists himself into the canter with his front end clawing his way into the gait, which is not very pretty.

JL explained that once Speedy learns that he has to engage his hind end in the departure, I can try it with a longer and longer frame and from a working trot rather than the super bunched up trot we were doing.

Speedy's a great fellow, but he's quite lazy when it comes to work!
Tracy link
1/11/2015 12:25:00 am

this post is so relevant for me! I'm working on the beginnings of lateral movements and I'm struggling a little bit. I thought I was taking it slow by starting at the walk, but I think I need to go even SLOWER and try the sideways, forward,sideways that you mentioned.

Bakersfield Dressage link
1/12/2015 10:12:00 am

JL is all about results. If we have to stop and back up before we can go forward and sideways, that's what we do. She doesn't worry about the frame - she focuses on the hind legs. :0)

Jodi link
1/11/2015 01:56:29 am

JL sounds like a very good trainer! I have also been working on slower, larger steps instead of letting Indy drop and run. I'm glad that the lesson went well.

Bakersfield Dressage link
1/12/2015 10:13:35 am

She is a good trainer. She constantly works on the "running off" issue. She can tell if Speedy is going an inch faster on the front end than the hind end. I hear it in my sleep - "He's running - slow down the front end!" :0)

Karen
1/11/2015 03:54:00 am

The "schooling trot" is a tool that not many Americans seem to use. Myself included. When I attended a clinic with JJ Tate, she had us to all of our lateral work, on a circle, in the schooling trot - which is very slow (think western pony trot), but before long my horse really started to BEND HIS LEGS instead of just run on the forehand. And that resulting in a much more springy trot - which they you can let forward and WABAM - fancy trot! Forward is of course a good thing, but yes I am guilty of sometimes just letting my horse run away from the aids! Great post!

Bakersfield Dressage link
1/12/2015 10:15:24 am

JL tells me to get him trotting in place so that he is actually using his hind end. We do that teeny tiny trot every time I have a problem. Or, I give him LEG and play the "how fast can you jump forward off the leg?" game. It's always one of the other. :0)

Alanna
1/11/2015 12:06:52 pm

I had this exact same leg yield experience this week. It's funny how slowing it down makes such a big difference.

Bakersfield Dressage link
1/12/2015 10:17:12 am

Speedy's favorite trick is to either blow his energy out the shoulder or just straight out his front end. Slowing him down helps me channel the energy and send it where it needs to go.

emma link
1/12/2015 05:20:22 am

nice reminder!! i think this needs to be tattooed on my forehead lol - esp bc my mare's favorite evasion is to just go faster lol

Bakersfield Dressage link
1/12/2015 10:17:52 am

That's Speedy too. Go as fast as possible and leave the hind end trailing behind. :0)


Comments are closed.

    About the Writer and Rider

    ​I am a lifelong rider. 
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Among other things, Karen is a Wife, Friend, Reader, Writer, Rider, Traveler, and Dog Lover
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  • Home
  • About
  • My Horses
    • Horses
    • Imperioso
    • G Ima Starr FA
    • Sunshine
    • Nakota and Gideon
    • Corky
    • Sassy
    • Montoya DSA
    • Mickey Dee
    • Sydney
  • Show Results
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    • 2017
    • 2016
    • 2015
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  • Dressage Organizations
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