Ye! Utuvienyes!
Dec. 3rd, 2009 08:31 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dancinghorse(points if you know what language and what it means)
Lesson day today. Winter is here: it's mild in the sun but brisk in the shade, and nights are chilly. Pook objects. He wants me to turn the heat back on. But he's been loving the part where he gets ridden Every Day.
We have been dropping whole sacks of pennies, all sorts of things that teachers have been telling me for years and years and years. Most having to do with what I'm doing when I ride--quirks and crookedness, shifts in balance that disturb the horse, tension, clamping, the whole wonky litany. Camilla told me about outside aids, Capria about keeping my spine upright without tension. And Pook has been relaxing more and more in trot as well as walk, and having a nice time with lateral movements. But we have been messed up in the canter. Because, of course, it's a Big Honking Deal to me and it shouldn't be. I can canter any other horse effortlessly. Bip, bop, go. Pook? We run out, we grind to a halt. We get nothing.
On the longe he's effortless. Flows right into it. But, on the longe he's unrestrained, no rider on his back to either make him bend or get in his way. Especially the latter.
Today we worked on solving that.
We started with a new dance, as S. put it. It was another exercise to loosen his neck. We used the whip handle to shape each part. First flex in the atlas/poll/jaw. Then run the handle up the groove of his shoulder and flatten it against the big muscle of the neck, running it firmly up to the jaw.
What this does is flex, collect (rock back at the pressure on the shoulder, but also stretch the neck), stretch over the topline all the way to the poll. Genius. S. showed him how with a masseuse's firm touch--programmed him to respond to the lighter touch of whip (or fingers), then showed me how on both sides, first standing, then in motion. Result: lateral and longitudinal flexion, with shifting of weight to the hindquarters (collection!).
Then of course, on to the ridden part. I did a little pendulum to start, to balance him for mounting. Next was a repeat of the ground exercise but with me in the saddle: flex, half-halt, straighten, forward. He had objections, especially when I overstated my case. Swung his hip out. Fussed with his head. Skittered sideways. Solution: OUTSIDE REIN (and seatbone and thigh and leg and all of that). Camilla's lesson again: Outside Aids are Important.
When he was straight, he would soften and his whole body would bend, and he would lighten in front (collect!) and be ready to move into walk. The exercise was to alternate bendy sides, walk-halt-walk, until we both had it figured out.
At that point we added another element: long and low. Flex, half-halt, collect, forward. When forward, with very, very clear outside rein (seat, leg), see how far down he'll stretch his neck. Counterintuitive moment: the firmer and clearer the outside rein, the deeper he can stretch. Feels as if he should veer off to the outside, but nope--inside leg and seat are fluffing up the back and engaging the inside hind, and he curls right up around it.
When that was looking and feeling good, we upped the ante to trot, which involved an increase of collection and a bit more oomph in the half-halt, building forward that turned into a trot in straightness. Same specs as before, with stretch as far as he would go, then back up and together. That meant more outside aids, more collection, more lightness in front, and then it was there. So light and balanced and straight, the response to the half-halt was canter.
Ho-kay. This is the canter depart you can need a piaffe for: collect, sit, lift. No running into it. Collectamatic mode with bells on.
We got it to the right, and when it was there, we had a gorgeous collected canter for a quarter of a circle. Triumph!
To the left we got as far as the collecty-stretch in trot. He was too pooped for the sit-and-lift. It takes a Lot of strength and he's still weaker on the left than the right--though notably less so than he used to be.
So that's my homework. Groundwork and work under saddle.
I don't have as many old tapes getting in the way with collected work at all. The last time I really did it was before I got on the perfectionist hamster wheel, and I didn't do enough of it to get all twisted up about it. This is very useful with Mr. Collecty Guy, who needs to rock back and get those rear wheels going anyway.
Besides, I want that canter back. Best Canter EVAH, up so many levels it's waving howdy to the fighter jets as they go by. Pure weightless power. Oh yes.
And after that I took Capria and ponied ze keed on a middle-length road ride. Tiiiiiiiired now.
In further notes, Project Boots or Bust is getting there. Wearing paddock shoes for all barn chores has reshaped my feet enough (for the good, believe me) that the Dehners were only mildly excruciating. I hosed them as recommended, which did nice things to the leather--softened it up--and indicated that with some more time and hosing, I may actually have boots that are, you know, comfortable.
Even in this half-broken-in condition, they did remind me why tall boots are the thing for serious work. I could get a better, clearer leg on, and the responses were just a little bit crisper than with half-chaps. Though S., Jedi Master of riding in sneakers, did mock. (But she too suffers for art--she's riding in the SRS clinic next month, too: she broke down and got breeches and good half chaps and is, with much bitching and moaning, forcing herself to ride in them.
(But I win on Pain Points. Tall boots always trump half chaps for those.)
Lesson day today. Winter is here: it's mild in the sun but brisk in the shade, and nights are chilly. Pook objects. He wants me to turn the heat back on. But he's been loving the part where he gets ridden Every Day.
We have been dropping whole sacks of pennies, all sorts of things that teachers have been telling me for years and years and years. Most having to do with what I'm doing when I ride--quirks and crookedness, shifts in balance that disturb the horse, tension, clamping, the whole wonky litany. Camilla told me about outside aids, Capria about keeping my spine upright without tension. And Pook has been relaxing more and more in trot as well as walk, and having a nice time with lateral movements. But we have been messed up in the canter. Because, of course, it's a Big Honking Deal to me and it shouldn't be. I can canter any other horse effortlessly. Bip, bop, go. Pook? We run out, we grind to a halt. We get nothing.
On the longe he's effortless. Flows right into it. But, on the longe he's unrestrained, no rider on his back to either make him bend or get in his way. Especially the latter.
Today we worked on solving that.
We started with a new dance, as S. put it. It was another exercise to loosen his neck. We used the whip handle to shape each part. First flex in the atlas/poll/jaw. Then run the handle up the groove of his shoulder and flatten it against the big muscle of the neck, running it firmly up to the jaw.
What this does is flex, collect (rock back at the pressure on the shoulder, but also stretch the neck), stretch over the topline all the way to the poll. Genius. S. showed him how with a masseuse's firm touch--programmed him to respond to the lighter touch of whip (or fingers), then showed me how on both sides, first standing, then in motion. Result: lateral and longitudinal flexion, with shifting of weight to the hindquarters (collection!).
Then of course, on to the ridden part. I did a little pendulum to start, to balance him for mounting. Next was a repeat of the ground exercise but with me in the saddle: flex, half-halt, straighten, forward. He had objections, especially when I overstated my case. Swung his hip out. Fussed with his head. Skittered sideways. Solution: OUTSIDE REIN (and seatbone and thigh and leg and all of that). Camilla's lesson again: Outside Aids are Important.
When he was straight, he would soften and his whole body would bend, and he would lighten in front (collect!) and be ready to move into walk. The exercise was to alternate bendy sides, walk-halt-walk, until we both had it figured out.
At that point we added another element: long and low. Flex, half-halt, collect, forward. When forward, with very, very clear outside rein (seat, leg), see how far down he'll stretch his neck. Counterintuitive moment: the firmer and clearer the outside rein, the deeper he can stretch. Feels as if he should veer off to the outside, but nope--inside leg and seat are fluffing up the back and engaging the inside hind, and he curls right up around it.
When that was looking and feeling good, we upped the ante to trot, which involved an increase of collection and a bit more oomph in the half-halt, building forward that turned into a trot in straightness. Same specs as before, with stretch as far as he would go, then back up and together. That meant more outside aids, more collection, more lightness in front, and then it was there. So light and balanced and straight, the response to the half-halt was canter.
Ho-kay. This is the canter depart you can need a piaffe for: collect, sit, lift. No running into it. Collectamatic mode with bells on.
We got it to the right, and when it was there, we had a gorgeous collected canter for a quarter of a circle. Triumph!
To the left we got as far as the collecty-stretch in trot. He was too pooped for the sit-and-lift. It takes a Lot of strength and he's still weaker on the left than the right--though notably less so than he used to be.
So that's my homework. Groundwork and work under saddle.
I don't have as many old tapes getting in the way with collected work at all. The last time I really did it was before I got on the perfectionist hamster wheel, and I didn't do enough of it to get all twisted up about it. This is very useful with Mr. Collecty Guy, who needs to rock back and get those rear wheels going anyway.
Besides, I want that canter back. Best Canter EVAH, up so many levels it's waving howdy to the fighter jets as they go by. Pure weightless power. Oh yes.
And after that I took Capria and ponied ze keed on a middle-length road ride. Tiiiiiiiired now.
In further notes, Project Boots or Bust is getting there. Wearing paddock shoes for all barn chores has reshaped my feet enough (for the good, believe me) that the Dehners were only mildly excruciating. I hosed them as recommended, which did nice things to the leather--softened it up--and indicated that with some more time and hosing, I may actually have boots that are, you know, comfortable.
Even in this half-broken-in condition, they did remind me why tall boots are the thing for serious work. I could get a better, clearer leg on, and the responses were just a little bit crisper than with half-chaps. Though S., Jedi Master of riding in sneakers, did mock. (But she too suffers for art--she's riding in the SRS clinic next month, too: she broke down and got breeches and good half chaps and is, with much bitching and moaning, forcing herself to ride in them.
(But I win on Pain Points. Tall boots always trump half chaps for those.)
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no subject
Date: 2009-12-04 03:48 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-12-04 04:26 am (UTC)Creases we got. My problem is wearing sneakers and sandals for years, not wearing the boots or even paddock shoes, and ending up with tight feet. The tops are OK, just need a little stretching (and there are gussets). The feet, owww.
But, since I started wearing paddock shoes, I haven't had nearly as much foot pain as I had been having just walking around. Sometimes could barely stand. I think I need to wear structured shoes a lot more.
Meanwhile the boots need their feet stretched, but it looks as if I won't need to go to a cobbler. I can do it by wearing them. They are custom, so it's not as if I'm trying to fit into somebody else's standard size.
no subject
Date: 2009-12-04 05:23 am (UTC)Ski boot fitting is fascinating to experience. But the difference between a poor fit and a good fit to a middle-aged intermediate skier is huge and well worth the effort. It'd be nice to notice the same degree of difference in riding. I've had some minor changes when swapping around in Western boots.
OTOH, I've not ridden Mocha in the Effinghams. Um, maybe I should. The old Western boots--Justins--that were screwing up my Western seat are what I'm using for English (I do love those boots but they're good only for riding--kill my feet walking!). It might be time to reluctantly retire them.
no subject
Date: 2009-12-04 03:49 am (UTC)Miss Mocha would happily trade her 37 degree damp cold for Pook's weather. She's a total slug when it's cold like this, until I get her warmed up--and warming up means lots of transitions, up and down, until she gets to the point where she springs into trot or canter from a walk with a light cue. Even then, it takes a while before she gets a big, strong canter going.
no subject
Date: 2009-12-04 04:27 am (UTC)And yep, walking in boots. I wore them for three hours today. Then I'd had enough.
no subject
Date: 2009-12-04 05:25 am (UTC)Pook's reaction is more what I'd expect from horses like him and Mocha. I'm not used to Mocha the Slug.
no subject
Date: 2009-12-04 04:22 am (UTC)In my case, it was keys, but your adventure sounds a lot better.
no subject
Date: 2009-12-04 04:27 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-12-04 04:35 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-12-04 04:35 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-12-04 05:54 pm (UTC)I had reason to deal with the horses this morning, and I need to do that more regularly -- it really does make a day better.
Too bad all that good mood got used up when my truck wouldn't start. Mom loaned me her car to get to work, but ACK.