Guess what!?!? NO RAIN!!!! But... it's like... literally 34 degrees out and with the wind chill it felt like 25. So, I had cancelled my jump lesson because there were no jumps in the arena at Ashland and my arena has those deep spots, so... I decided I would see if Rana could teach since she has the covered and that might be the only place open to ride other than trail riding. She said yes. Bless her!!! It's bad enough to be working your tail off on your horse, but to be standing there in the cold..... bless her! I was actually fairly warm in my winter boots, winter breeches, long john, fleecey lined shirt, heated (on) vest and gloves. My face was cold though! But not quite so numb that I couldn't talk. But before I got to riding.... when I stopped for gas, BRRRR!!!! I was thinking perhaps Dedicated wasn't the right D word for what I was doing today. But... I'm so glad I did. :)
We did our warm up with walking and did a little trotting and a teeny bit of canter before we started our lesson. We decided to work on the half passes today. Oh, and the rein back, because I broke it. Good call because... Rana fixed it!
So... the rein back. I was asking softly, but when I wasn't getting the response I wanted, I was adding more rein.... not more leg. Duh! So the correct way to rein back... is to get the halt. Slightly tip forward with my shoulders (and for now, it's more obvious but we are building the cues) and close my hands and then put my leg on. The leg drives him forward and creates the motion. The hands create a wall, saying, nope not forward, go somewhere else. They don't pull back to get the reinback.... They just create the wall saying nope. OHHHHHHH.... It makes so much sense. When I closed my leg more, Dan said "Oh, backwards, got it Mum". And it's not perfect, but it's better! And it's "on the bit" because duh... that's what happens when you ride back to front. Sigh. So then she gave us a great exercise to do. Ride on the rail into the halt. Rein back a few steps. Then leg yield sideways off the rail a few steps. Then rein back a few steps. Then leg yield back to the rail a few steps. Not going forward at all. Oh! That really makes me think of my seat aids! Because I'm closing my leg into my hand but depending on where my seat is... determines where he goes! Aha!!! Cool! That's a fun exercise and it'll help us!! (And I think it'll help us for other things too, as it'll help define my seat aids, so surely it'll help me with the leg yields and half passes and such).
Speaking of half passes! I did mention that our half passes were getting better because of our walk homework so we tried them at the trot. It's always nerve wracking when I'm like "hey, this is better" and then she's like... "cool, prove it". ha ha.. Doh! But she did agree it was better! He's not quite bent enough and not crossing over enough, but... BUT.... he's maintaining the connection and throughness (mostly) and maintaining the tempo! So yay for that! And I think it'll get better as we get fitter and I get more correct in my body. I just have to remember to not cross the blasted left hand or let it drop down and straight! It's such a bloody bad habit!
So then we moved onto the canter. Ha! I haven't even attempted these other than one teeny little one that didn't necessarily happen. BUT... Dan made an effort! I mean, he did try and we did go diagonally across. It was probably more of a canter counter leg yield than a half pass... ha ha... but still. He attempted something! And the exciting part was that, because of my cluelessness with my body and aids... we got one clean change and almost got a few other changes/partial changes. So, in theory, *IF* I can ever figure out myself... I can probably get the changes. :) The tricky part is that I keep wanting to do the opposite of what I'm supposed to do. So... for example, we are cantering to the right.... want to half pass to the right... I'm supposed to turn my upper body to the left.. bringing my right shoulder forward. Rana said it's what the horse is doing. Um... is it though? I mean... I thought they were making a C shape and bringing their shoulders into a shoulder fore and their haunches in, so.. wouldn't that mean the left shoulder is coming forward??? See, this is why I suck? I don't even know the correct movements. So I was doing the opposite of what I'm supposed to be doing, because of course I am! Sigh... so then I tried to bring my right shoulder forward and instead of being normal... I'm me... and I don't know what I did. Neither did Rana. It was like some bizarre twist with my arm going over my head practically! So then she had me just sit there... and turn my shoulders to the left (bringing my right shoulder forward). She asked me what happened to my seat. If I recall correctly, I think it put my weight onto my right seat bone... but maybe that's wrong... maybe it was my left seat bone, lifting my right seat bone, which would ask the horse to come to the right.... See, this is why I can't be left to my own devices! Now I'm confused again. So... wait... My weight needs to be to the right, to encourage the horse to come to the right. This is where I get confused... just because my weight is to the right, doesn't mean I'm sitting on my right seat bone hard enough to block him. I'm sitting on that right seat bone to encourage the bend. And oh wait... DUH! It's just like at the trot Holly!! Start in the shoulder in.... with inside leg to outside rein, and right shoulder back... then as we transition to half pass, bring the left shoulder back and put the right shoulder forward!! But keep the inside bend. And try not to use the inside spur so much as it creeps me into a crunch and makes my upper body not cooperate. So... Duh! Now I want to try it again! Poor Rana. Remedial dressage today! So anyways... we did it both ways and kind of sort of suceeded in a very beginner canter half pass. Hee hee. We quit with that. :)
Poor Dan! He does love it though! Once we start doing those things... he gets hot off my leg and I don't have to keep him in the canter! Which, I need to remember and work on because I can't keep spurring him to keep him moving!
Such a good pony for his efforts. Rana was laughing as he was blowing big bubbles too! I know!! He's SOOOO SLOBBERY! Good boy got to munch on some grass for a bit after as his reward!
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