So lately I've had a mix of really good and really bad rides. Last week I watched some Lilo Fore clinic videos on youtube.com, and I tried to ride with her words in my mind. Particularly, she would say to half-halt then be quiet with the hands. Also, hands forward. She wanted a powerful trot, but not quick and she emphasized the reactivity as being very important.
Last Sunday I had a wonderful ride with all of this information in mind. When Gadget would get stiff in the jaw, I would gentle flex left and right. I was able to ask for canter, let him develop a rhythm, then insist that he not make the canter bigger. It was a combination of soft half-halts on the outside rein, and some collecting seat aids. (I don't really know how to describe what it is i do to collect with my seat. I try to sit up and think of almost lightening my seat.) I had great canters both directions that felt round, rhythmic, and balanced. I was able to get some great flying changes and really good half-passes in trot.
During the middle of the week, I had a couple rough rides. Gadget felt fussy in the contact in the trot and downright resistant to the contact in the walk. The canter felt stiff without a good rhythm or jump. In an attempt to keep Gadget up in the contact, I think I was pulling back instead of giving the half-halt then maintaining the contact.
So today, I rode with a renewed determination to insist on getting Gadget reactive to the leg and softening to the half-halt. I spent more time at the walk keeping my contact active, half-halts on the outside, and thinking of a bit of an upward allowing contact. I also made walk forward from my leg. When he did not react, I tapped him up with the whip until he jigged a bit. This really improved the walk.
In the trot, I let him work down into a nice round contact to warm up. I did some legyields, 20 meter circles, then 10 meter circles and serpentines. Gadget was happy with the contact today. I tried to half-halt on the outside rein, and once he was in the right frame, I would try to keep my hands thinking forward and encourage him to stay there.
I am working on improving the walk-canter transitions. From the improved more forward walk, he was more reactive and the transitions were better. With the forward-thinking canter, I was able to keep my hands forward, half-halt on the outside, then balance the little bit forward and little bit back, to try to maintain a nice balanced canter. I'm not sure this is the collected canter I need for test riding, but I think it is getting better.
After hearing that Janet Foy recommends schooling flying changes every ride once you have started them, I have been trying to incorporate them each ride. Today, I wanted to try smaller aids as Gadget has been giving some exuberant changes lately. From my collected canter, I straightened on the short diagonal and just changed my legs with a soft nudge and got a nice left to right change. On the short diagonal from right to left, Gadget ignored my first aid. When I repeated the exercise, he gave me a nice change. I then moved the changes to the centerline, and they felt pretty good both directions. From countercanter, Gadget gave me an early change, but I can hardly complain about that right now.
Overall, today felt really good. Being able to school in the flat dressage ring as opposed to the graded jumping ring made a difference. Also, much easier when not dodging jumps the whole ride. Hopefully we can keep the momentum on the canter work.
Last Sunday I had a wonderful ride with all of this information in mind. When Gadget would get stiff in the jaw, I would gentle flex left and right. I was able to ask for canter, let him develop a rhythm, then insist that he not make the canter bigger. It was a combination of soft half-halts on the outside rein, and some collecting seat aids. (I don't really know how to describe what it is i do to collect with my seat. I try to sit up and think of almost lightening my seat.) I had great canters both directions that felt round, rhythmic, and balanced. I was able to get some great flying changes and really good half-passes in trot.
During the middle of the week, I had a couple rough rides. Gadget felt fussy in the contact in the trot and downright resistant to the contact in the walk. The canter felt stiff without a good rhythm or jump. In an attempt to keep Gadget up in the contact, I think I was pulling back instead of giving the half-halt then maintaining the contact.
So today, I rode with a renewed determination to insist on getting Gadget reactive to the leg and softening to the half-halt. I spent more time at the walk keeping my contact active, half-halts on the outside, and thinking of a bit of an upward allowing contact. I also made walk forward from my leg. When he did not react, I tapped him up with the whip until he jigged a bit. This really improved the walk.
In the trot, I let him work down into a nice round contact to warm up. I did some legyields, 20 meter circles, then 10 meter circles and serpentines. Gadget was happy with the contact today. I tried to half-halt on the outside rein, and once he was in the right frame, I would try to keep my hands thinking forward and encourage him to stay there.
I am working on improving the walk-canter transitions. From the improved more forward walk, he was more reactive and the transitions were better. With the forward-thinking canter, I was able to keep my hands forward, half-halt on the outside, then balance the little bit forward and little bit back, to try to maintain a nice balanced canter. I'm not sure this is the collected canter I need for test riding, but I think it is getting better.
After hearing that Janet Foy recommends schooling flying changes every ride once you have started them, I have been trying to incorporate them each ride. Today, I wanted to try smaller aids as Gadget has been giving some exuberant changes lately. From my collected canter, I straightened on the short diagonal and just changed my legs with a soft nudge and got a nice left to right change. On the short diagonal from right to left, Gadget ignored my first aid. When I repeated the exercise, he gave me a nice change. I then moved the changes to the centerline, and they felt pretty good both directions. From countercanter, Gadget gave me an early change, but I can hardly complain about that right now.
Overall, today felt really good. Being able to school in the flat dressage ring as opposed to the graded jumping ring made a difference. Also, much easier when not dodging jumps the whole ride. Hopefully we can keep the momentum on the canter work.
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