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Oct. 13th, 2010 08:26 amGood ride again last night- rode inside since it's been raining and it was kind of chilly- 58 degrees. Wish I could have several days of 70 degrees, I'm not ready for chilly yet.
Trudi was good right away, again at the walk did bending all sorts of ways, S/I, counter S/I, travers and renvers (ish), interspersed with stretches of just trying to be straight. Then for a twist we did the same thing at the trot, and the stuff with the haunches is generally harder, as is getting bend in her body when moving the haunches. She is at least willing to move her butt over a little, but she can't seem to really relax enough in her body to bend while doing it. I think it will come eventually though as we get more comfortable.
Canter was not super, but not terrible. I think there were 2 things going on- 1. she was a bit tired because the walk/trot work was actually pretty tough and 2. I wasn't being as vigilant as I needed to about keeping her back up and keeping her through in the trot prior to the canter, or, I realized, in the canter.
It's funny how you can miss the forest for the trees- I have been spending all this time working on working her with her back up, thinking how I wanted her back to get stronger so that she can move that way all the time, and I sort of forgot WHY I wanted her to be able to work with her back up. It's to improve the gait, and that is for a lot of reasons- yes, it looks nice, but it also makes it easier to RIDE. It makes the horse sittable, transitions easier and improves the balance- it makes the horse overall more rideable. Durrr.....
So it became apparent I need to school more sitting trot and insist on her back being up and the throughness- if she can do 20 - 30 min with her back up and through at walk and posting trot I think she can handle some sitting- she's not a baby and I just haven't really focused on it. I let "somewhat relaxed, slow, and not hollow" be enough, and it's not anymore.
So I flubbed the last canter transition and it wasn't crisp because I didn't prepare it and didn't cue it cleanly, but I had gotten her back up and the trot through, so the canter (to the right, our hard way) was slower, and more balanced, and more rideable and adjustable. And I screwed up the downward too (ha, my focus is apparently limited and I am unable to keep other things in my head) but still her back was up and she was through at the trot. So good on her, and hope for both of us.
Trudi was good right away, again at the walk did bending all sorts of ways, S/I, counter S/I, travers and renvers (ish), interspersed with stretches of just trying to be straight. Then for a twist we did the same thing at the trot, and the stuff with the haunches is generally harder, as is getting bend in her body when moving the haunches. She is at least willing to move her butt over a little, but she can't seem to really relax enough in her body to bend while doing it. I think it will come eventually though as we get more comfortable.
Canter was not super, but not terrible. I think there were 2 things going on- 1. she was a bit tired because the walk/trot work was actually pretty tough and 2. I wasn't being as vigilant as I needed to about keeping her back up and keeping her through in the trot prior to the canter, or, I realized, in the canter.
It's funny how you can miss the forest for the trees- I have been spending all this time working on working her with her back up, thinking how I wanted her back to get stronger so that she can move that way all the time, and I sort of forgot WHY I wanted her to be able to work with her back up. It's to improve the gait, and that is for a lot of reasons- yes, it looks nice, but it also makes it easier to RIDE. It makes the horse sittable, transitions easier and improves the balance- it makes the horse overall more rideable. Durrr.....
So it became apparent I need to school more sitting trot and insist on her back being up and the throughness- if she can do 20 - 30 min with her back up and through at walk and posting trot I think she can handle some sitting- she's not a baby and I just haven't really focused on it. I let "somewhat relaxed, slow, and not hollow" be enough, and it's not anymore.
So I flubbed the last canter transition and it wasn't crisp because I didn't prepare it and didn't cue it cleanly, but I had gotten her back up and the trot through, so the canter (to the right, our hard way) was slower, and more balanced, and more rideable and adjustable. And I screwed up the downward too (ha, my focus is apparently limited and I am unable to keep other things in my head) but still her back was up and she was through at the trot. So good on her, and hope for both of us.
