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dancinghorseThe past two weeks and a bit have been busy with lots of things, including the visit of ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
whitezinnia and a decent amount of riding. After years of dinking in the walk and occasional trot, I've finally said thehellwithit and gone for all three gaits, with all the horses I'm currently riding except Camilla. She's still (but not for long) learning to balance under me in walk. We'll be trotting soon. Canter is a ways down the road for her.
For the others, however, it's finally back in its proper place as just one more gait, and one that's highly useful for improving the other two. Even Pandora ("She's too big, too unbalanced, too green, too old") is perfectly happy to take a canter out of a nice forward trot.
And Pooka is a cantering fool. Right lead only for now, as he gets blocked through the bulge on the left side of his neck. But again, not for long. I started picking it up while doing homework from the last session with S., and then one day he gave me The. Most. Awesome. Canter. EVAR. Smooth as glass, but with tremendous power--just gorgeous. He could only manage half a circle, and his canters since have been the more familiar (but still flat-out awesome) big, swoopy, boingy gait, but now we have a dream. Oh, do we.
It really is criminal that we've been held back from this for so many years. Really. But Not Any More!
Yesterday's lesson got rained out--cloudbursts a la monsoon, very warm and heavy for this time of year--but S was able to fit us in this afternoon. She took the gloves off, loaded up the pointy-toed boots, and kicked our collective (and insufficiently collected) butts. It was in many ways the same lesson we would have had with SRS Guy, if he hadn't canceled out this weekend.
We began on the ground, with what S called a "pop quiz"--testing how well both of us have learned the previous lessons. The exercise was for him to step sideways--legyield--without swinging his back end around, and without backing up or bulling forward. It was not easy. He had to be flexed in the poll, softly bent through the body, and connected from back to front. He was also, unlike previous exercises in which I did the work, supposed to do it for himself, in response to a whip-tap on the shoulder.
He was not thrilled. For S he did OK, though he kept trying to cheat and swing his butt and/or back up. She half-halted him to keep that from happening, and persisted until he gave her what she wanted. I had less luck. Need more practice. Much more. The goal is a smooth, undulating, free and flexible dance that opens up the shoulders, frees the neck, engages over the back, and connects the rear.
It was easier under saddle. I tried too hard, used too much leg (right leg especially wanted to go 'way, 'way back), locked up in the seat, and generally got in his way. He used the opportunity to swing his butt, stiffen his neck or jaw, and get above the bit and/or behind the leg. We worked on all of that. We started to understand how the undulation works, and to appreciate how it suppled and softened his body.
We went from halt to walk on the circle, undulating into walk (easy side is right, hard is left, so right-left-right-walk worked), and continuing the suppling in the walk. That was where the "No B.S.!" chorus started. I kept dropping him in the transition--would get a good exercise going, then right before the transition, or right after it, thump. Dropped him. Not allowed to wuss out any more. Must keep him engaged at all times. "His neck is perfectly normal. You will see a normal neck, assume a normal neck, expect a normal neck, and no more excuses!"
From walk we went to trot, same story, and even less nonsense allowed. It was easier again, which, S said, showed a hole in his training: he should have had the same level of ease at all gaits and halt, not increased it with each successively forward gait.
More homework there.
We rode circles. I tried too hard and used too much leg. Had to use no leg. Seat, seat, seat. Plug in, flow from bend to bend, move easily up and down through the transitions.
Then going right, S said, "Walk to trot to canter." Naturally I locked up in the middle, squirted out of the saddle, blocked him with my reins, and generally made an overwrought mess of things. And of course I reverted to getting left behind in the transition, which is an old habit.
The goal was canter off seat. I can do that perfectly easily with the mares. With Pook I was getting all verklempt. But I did finally manage a moderately decent approximation, and he responded with a quite nice, not too unbalanced canter and a very nice down transition. S judged it good. He got a lot of praise, and I got a hug.
It was a pretty serious lesson. This was where we were at the SRS clinic, and from which we were supposed to evolve, two years ago and a week. Took us a while, but now we are back. It feels really good. Pook agrees: he had to work hard, but he liked it. S noted (not for the first time) that he has a wonderful mind; that he never gets angry or frustrated. He just does exactly what you ask, as long as you ask it, until you stop asking. Quite like Capria, who has a reputation as a goddess of lesson horses.
And yes, this is what a stallion is really like, if properly brought up.
We have much homework to do, and three gaits to do it in. I can't let him slouch any more. He has to stay connected, stay engaged, and stay properly bent. No cheating. No sneaking out the side door. I have to, you know, ride him. And no more excuses.
Ow. But also, Huzzahs! Oh, we've needed this. My back aches, my muscles hurt, my brain is melting, but we are doing real riding stuff on a real horse. What a concept.
whitezinnia and a decent amount of riding. After years of dinking in the walk and occasional trot, I've finally said thehellwithit and gone for all three gaits, with all the horses I'm currently riding except Camilla. She's still (but not for long) learning to balance under me in walk. We'll be trotting soon. Canter is a ways down the road for her.For the others, however, it's finally back in its proper place as just one more gait, and one that's highly useful for improving the other two. Even Pandora ("She's too big, too unbalanced, too green, too old") is perfectly happy to take a canter out of a nice forward trot.
And Pooka is a cantering fool. Right lead only for now, as he gets blocked through the bulge on the left side of his neck. But again, not for long. I started picking it up while doing homework from the last session with S., and then one day he gave me The. Most. Awesome. Canter. EVAR. Smooth as glass, but with tremendous power--just gorgeous. He could only manage half a circle, and his canters since have been the more familiar (but still flat-out awesome) big, swoopy, boingy gait, but now we have a dream. Oh, do we.
It really is criminal that we've been held back from this for so many years. Really. But Not Any More!
Yesterday's lesson got rained out--cloudbursts a la monsoon, very warm and heavy for this time of year--but S was able to fit us in this afternoon. She took the gloves off, loaded up the pointy-toed boots, and kicked our collective (and insufficiently collected) butts. It was in many ways the same lesson we would have had with SRS Guy, if he hadn't canceled out this weekend.
We began on the ground, with what S called a "pop quiz"--testing how well both of us have learned the previous lessons. The exercise was for him to step sideways--legyield--without swinging his back end around, and without backing up or bulling forward. It was not easy. He had to be flexed in the poll, softly bent through the body, and connected from back to front. He was also, unlike previous exercises in which I did the work, supposed to do it for himself, in response to a whip-tap on the shoulder.
He was not thrilled. For S he did OK, though he kept trying to cheat and swing his butt and/or back up. She half-halted him to keep that from happening, and persisted until he gave her what she wanted. I had less luck. Need more practice. Much more. The goal is a smooth, undulating, free and flexible dance that opens up the shoulders, frees the neck, engages over the back, and connects the rear.
It was easier under saddle. I tried too hard, used too much leg (right leg especially wanted to go 'way, 'way back), locked up in the seat, and generally got in his way. He used the opportunity to swing his butt, stiffen his neck or jaw, and get above the bit and/or behind the leg. We worked on all of that. We started to understand how the undulation works, and to appreciate how it suppled and softened his body.
We went from halt to walk on the circle, undulating into walk (easy side is right, hard is left, so right-left-right-walk worked), and continuing the suppling in the walk. That was where the "No B.S.!" chorus started. I kept dropping him in the transition--would get a good exercise going, then right before the transition, or right after it, thump. Dropped him. Not allowed to wuss out any more. Must keep him engaged at all times. "His neck is perfectly normal. You will see a normal neck, assume a normal neck, expect a normal neck, and no more excuses!"
From walk we went to trot, same story, and even less nonsense allowed. It was easier again, which, S said, showed a hole in his training: he should have had the same level of ease at all gaits and halt, not increased it with each successively forward gait.
More homework there.
We rode circles. I tried too hard and used too much leg. Had to use no leg. Seat, seat, seat. Plug in, flow from bend to bend, move easily up and down through the transitions.
Then going right, S said, "Walk to trot to canter." Naturally I locked up in the middle, squirted out of the saddle, blocked him with my reins, and generally made an overwrought mess of things. And of course I reverted to getting left behind in the transition, which is an old habit.
The goal was canter off seat. I can do that perfectly easily with the mares. With Pook I was getting all verklempt. But I did finally manage a moderately decent approximation, and he responded with a quite nice, not too unbalanced canter and a very nice down transition. S judged it good. He got a lot of praise, and I got a hug.
It was a pretty serious lesson. This was where we were at the SRS clinic, and from which we were supposed to evolve, two years ago and a week. Took us a while, but now we are back. It feels really good. Pook agrees: he had to work hard, but he liked it. S noted (not for the first time) that he has a wonderful mind; that he never gets angry or frustrated. He just does exactly what you ask, as long as you ask it, until you stop asking. Quite like Capria, who has a reputation as a goddess of lesson horses.
And yes, this is what a stallion is really like, if properly brought up.
We have much homework to do, and three gaits to do it in. I can't let him slouch any more. He has to stay connected, stay engaged, and stay properly bent. No cheating. No sneaking out the side door. I have to, you know, ride him. And no more excuses.
Ow. But also, Huzzahs! Oh, we've needed this. My back aches, my muscles hurt, my brain is melting, but we are doing real riding stuff on a real horse. What a concept.
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sleep addled comments
Date: 2009-01-25 08:15 am (UTC)It really is criminal that we've been held back from this for so many years. Really. But Not Any More!
yes, of course, it's criminal. But it has also given you and Pook the time and space to be READY for S. Because it doesn't always come together this quickly yaknow. ;).
no subject
Date: 2009-01-25 09:30 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-01-25 09:32 am (UTC)Poor you. What a terribly onerous task you have been set.
Pook agrees: he had to work hard, but he liked it.
That's what I've found, too - most horses are perfectly happy to exert themselves if they are treated respectfully and you are working with them rather than bossing them around. Just don't tell him what else is on the horizon...
no subject
Date: 2009-01-25 10:31 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-01-25 12:05 pm (UTC)Paul and I really do want to come out to visit you one of these days, but things keep getting in the way of my asking you for a date for us to come out to visit. But know that we think of you often!
no subject
Date: 2009-01-25 12:52 pm (UTC)Congratulations on finding it again. :)
no subject
Date: 2009-01-25 01:33 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-01-25 02:10 pm (UTC)Addict? Why, yes. Yes I am.
no subject
Date: 2009-01-25 03:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-01-25 04:06 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-01-25 06:10 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-01-26 01:10 am (UTC)Or had never asked correctly, more like. (Not bitter. Not me.)
You would not believe (or wait, yes you would) how soft Mae's eye is these days.
no subject
Date: 2009-01-26 01:26 am (UTC)I hope things continue to come together for you as the year progresses.
no subject
Date: 2009-01-26 04:29 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-01-29 12:16 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-01-30 05:11 pm (UTC)