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Keep on trake'hn...
Nov. 21st, 2006 09:30 amI rode Valhalla again in my lesson last week. She is just awesomeness wrapped up in a neat little package. I have to say I'm liking the Trakehners- they are sensitive, but in a good way. I never had the chance to ride any before, and I had heard they were often hot and spooky. But Fontana and Valhalla are not at all, nor was Leroy when I rode him, though granted it was a pretty quiet, controlled environment. But still, all the times I've seen Peggy or Bent ride him, he's never spooked or freaked out.
Peggy worked on getting me to keep a light but very constant connection to the bit. She wanted me to get the mare more forward and relaxed as Valhalla has a tendency to get tense and back off to the point where she's hardly moving at all. She wanted me to get her forward without using a lot of leg, and to make sure the leg I used was quick bumps (not kicks). We worked on doing circles and bringing the rein to the inside of the circle some to keep me from crossing it over her neck.
Peggy notes that I'm riding in my "chair seat" again. This is my biggest struggle outside my rounded shoulders and hunched upper body- lengthening my stirrups a hole helped some, but sitting correctly is still required, so Peggy did some more of her contortionist yoga techniques on my legs- (Grab leg, shake it, turn, bend, push back against the side of the horse. Repeat with other leg). Then she tells me to LIFT my twisted limbs and drop them back against the saddle. I make the effort and the mare responds beautifully. Peggy explains that I need to keep my legs where she has placed them, except to lift them now and again to get the mare more forward, and to help settle my seat bones deeper in the saddle. Valhalla gets lighter, rounder, and more through each time I do it. It's really interesting to take my leg OFF and have the horse go more forward. I fumbled around with this a little with Phoebus one day at the walk, trying to give him more room by getting out of his way more with each walk step. This is a similar concept, but I haven't actually done it before. Valhalla gets pretty and happy and I hold my breath, hold in my stomach, and hold my legs in their unhappy position in order to keep the delicate state of beauty and harmony we've just created in the horse. Of course I have to exhale, and give the tummy and legs a break from time to time. I lose it, get it back, lose it, and struggle to get it again. We do a few more good strides and call it a day. Things like this are simultaneously rewarding and frustrating, because when you achieve your goal it's fantastic, but it's so easy to lose it and can be very difficult to get back to that state.
Not sure what's going to happen with my saddle situation- I had a nice one picked out and agreed on a price with the seller when it didn't sell on her ebay auction, but she flaked out and relisted after I put the bid she requested on it. So I guess I'll just keep my eye peeled, and leave the money in my horse fund for the time being.
Peggy worked on getting me to keep a light but very constant connection to the bit. She wanted me to get the mare more forward and relaxed as Valhalla has a tendency to get tense and back off to the point where she's hardly moving at all. She wanted me to get her forward without using a lot of leg, and to make sure the leg I used was quick bumps (not kicks). We worked on doing circles and bringing the rein to the inside of the circle some to keep me from crossing it over her neck.
Peggy notes that I'm riding in my "chair seat" again. This is my biggest struggle outside my rounded shoulders and hunched upper body- lengthening my stirrups a hole helped some, but sitting correctly is still required, so Peggy did some more of her contortionist yoga techniques on my legs- (Grab leg, shake it, turn, bend, push back against the side of the horse. Repeat with other leg). Then she tells me to LIFT my twisted limbs and drop them back against the saddle. I make the effort and the mare responds beautifully. Peggy explains that I need to keep my legs where she has placed them, except to lift them now and again to get the mare more forward, and to help settle my seat bones deeper in the saddle. Valhalla gets lighter, rounder, and more through each time I do it. It's really interesting to take my leg OFF and have the horse go more forward. I fumbled around with this a little with Phoebus one day at the walk, trying to give him more room by getting out of his way more with each walk step. This is a similar concept, but I haven't actually done it before. Valhalla gets pretty and happy and I hold my breath, hold in my stomach, and hold my legs in their unhappy position in order to keep the delicate state of beauty and harmony we've just created in the horse. Of course I have to exhale, and give the tummy and legs a break from time to time. I lose it, get it back, lose it, and struggle to get it again. We do a few more good strides and call it a day. Things like this are simultaneously rewarding and frustrating, because when you achieve your goal it's fantastic, but it's so easy to lose it and can be very difficult to get back to that state.
Not sure what's going to happen with my saddle situation- I had a nice one picked out and agreed on a price with the seller when it didn't sell on her ebay auction, but she flaked out and relisted after I put the bid she requested on it. So I guess I'll just keep my eye peeled, and leave the money in my horse fund for the time being.
