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Apr. 11th, 2010 11:04 pmWorked hard tonight. Pony was good- still rather subdued, I'm sure because of the work yesterday. Walk work was very good- she was asking to stretch early on after doing some nice bending and the leg yields were unhurried- she didn't try to get quick at all.
At the trot, she was stiffer than I would have suspected- I think a lot of it was just feeling a little tired. We started out left for a change- my easy way, her hard way- and I had to keep asking, keep pushing, keep bending- hard work, especially to keep my legs under me and my shoulders back and sitting down on her butt to lower her croup. I did remember when she got quick and came up to shorten my rein to keep the contact and not bring my hands in my lap, and to not get frustrated or worried. Instead, check that I am "sitting heavy", keep my leg under me and my shoulders back, and those lower legs need to be on the horse. And release the outside rein, and give a pat when she is good, and ask again, and don't let her lean, and don't lean forward, don't collapse, don't worry, just wait...
Eventually the trot got very good- managed to "slip in and out of a half halt" - push a bit into the half halt, give, ask for a bit more forward, get it, push a bit more into another half halt, give- it's really neat.
We switched and went right, which is definitely harder for me- I much prefer "getting it out of the way" first. :)
But we got through it ok. Just feels really wierd and hard for me at first when we are warming up, especially when she velcros herself to the wall and almost takes out my left leg. :P
She wanted to do a slow trot right from the start, so the transition was lovely, but I had to work for a more active trot so that she was still forward and through. I was kind of twisted and didn't get the nice gliding half halts, but the trot was still good.
Did a walk break and sitting trot, and good transition, and good sitting for me. I discovered I can push my butt down to keep contact with her hindquarters and THEN give leg to get the hind leg more active, which is MUCH more comfortable than giving leg first and trying to sit later. Giving leg first gives more activity but also more rough bouncing because the hocks are not flexing as much. Sitting trotters, you can thank me with cash donations. ;) Canter transition was very soft and nice, canter not bad, still too quick and a little wild, but she came back for the last couple of strides and did a super downward transition right into the trot I wanted- yesssss.
Pony was tired at this point but I wanted to do a little left canter- so we walked a bit, then sitting trot, and to the left it seems harder for me to push my legs down and under me. Not sure if it is because of the way she travels that direction or because I was tired. Anyway. NOTE TO SELF- DO NOT LIFT ASS OUT OF SADDLE TO TRY TO BRING YOUR LEGS BACK. THANK YOU. You can bring your legs back with your butt in the saddle, in fact, you NEED to do this. End Note.
Left canter transition was ok- left canter was too quick but... circled, felt her get crooked, still sat heavy, still kept legs on, asked her to bend and thus straighten (Yes, we remember 2 lessons ago, shoulders in, haunches out) and hallelujah, the canter got better. And then I asked a bit and it got slower. And more balanced. And I said alrighty, good job- and we did a trot transition and did NOT get crooked, and then stretchy posting trot, which was good, but I let it fizzle out. Still, gave pats, then asked for a bit more stretchy trot, and walked when I actually asked for it- and done. Carrots and praise.
Pony was not the only tired one- as we were doing sitting trot to the left, some muscle deep in my left butt cheek started knotting and maybe spasming a bit. Not unbearable pain, but odd and uncomfortable. This whole rider as athlete thing is just wacky. Like Trudi is a total body gym or something.
Also, to put icing on the cake- I was walking to my car when Trudi, surely with visions of still MORE carrots dancing in her head, stood at the gate with her silly white blaze face, and big pricked ears, and whickered to me.
AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW.
Of course I had to walk over and give her a handful of hay (since I was out of carrots).
She'll probably be a demon on Tuesday. :)
At the trot, she was stiffer than I would have suspected- I think a lot of it was just feeling a little tired. We started out left for a change- my easy way, her hard way- and I had to keep asking, keep pushing, keep bending- hard work, especially to keep my legs under me and my shoulders back and sitting down on her butt to lower her croup. I did remember when she got quick and came up to shorten my rein to keep the contact and not bring my hands in my lap, and to not get frustrated or worried. Instead, check that I am "sitting heavy", keep my leg under me and my shoulders back, and those lower legs need to be on the horse. And release the outside rein, and give a pat when she is good, and ask again, and don't let her lean, and don't lean forward, don't collapse, don't worry, just wait...
Eventually the trot got very good- managed to "slip in and out of a half halt" - push a bit into the half halt, give, ask for a bit more forward, get it, push a bit more into another half halt, give- it's really neat.
We switched and went right, which is definitely harder for me- I much prefer "getting it out of the way" first. :)
But we got through it ok. Just feels really wierd and hard for me at first when we are warming up, especially when she velcros herself to the wall and almost takes out my left leg. :P
She wanted to do a slow trot right from the start, so the transition was lovely, but I had to work for a more active trot so that she was still forward and through. I was kind of twisted and didn't get the nice gliding half halts, but the trot was still good.
Did a walk break and sitting trot, and good transition, and good sitting for me. I discovered I can push my butt down to keep contact with her hindquarters and THEN give leg to get the hind leg more active, which is MUCH more comfortable than giving leg first and trying to sit later. Giving leg first gives more activity but also more rough bouncing because the hocks are not flexing as much. Sitting trotters, you can thank me with cash donations. ;) Canter transition was very soft and nice, canter not bad, still too quick and a little wild, but she came back for the last couple of strides and did a super downward transition right into the trot I wanted- yesssss.
Pony was tired at this point but I wanted to do a little left canter- so we walked a bit, then sitting trot, and to the left it seems harder for me to push my legs down and under me. Not sure if it is because of the way she travels that direction or because I was tired. Anyway. NOTE TO SELF- DO NOT LIFT ASS OUT OF SADDLE TO TRY TO BRING YOUR LEGS BACK. THANK YOU. You can bring your legs back with your butt in the saddle, in fact, you NEED to do this. End Note.
Left canter transition was ok- left canter was too quick but... circled, felt her get crooked, still sat heavy, still kept legs on, asked her to bend and thus straighten (Yes, we remember 2 lessons ago, shoulders in, haunches out) and hallelujah, the canter got better. And then I asked a bit and it got slower. And more balanced. And I said alrighty, good job- and we did a trot transition and did NOT get crooked, and then stretchy posting trot, which was good, but I let it fizzle out. Still, gave pats, then asked for a bit more stretchy trot, and walked when I actually asked for it- and done. Carrots and praise.
Pony was not the only tired one- as we were doing sitting trot to the left, some muscle deep in my left butt cheek started knotting and maybe spasming a bit. Not unbearable pain, but odd and uncomfortable. This whole rider as athlete thing is just wacky. Like Trudi is a total body gym or something.
Also, to put icing on the cake- I was walking to my car when Trudi, surely with visions of still MORE carrots dancing in her head, stood at the gate with her silly white blaze face, and big pricked ears, and whickered to me.
AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW.
Of course I had to walk over and give her a handful of hay (since I was out of carrots).
She'll probably be a demon on Tuesday. :)
