March 29-30 Clinic with Kenny

This past weekend, I rode with Kenny again. He has such a great skill of communicating things in a simple and understandable way. He also gives constant feedback through an exercise, so I can feel when something is going well or not. Love him!

Gadget felt great this time. I have really been working on doing lots of long and low in my rides to strengthen and loosen his back. I think it is making a difference. Kenny remarked that he seemed much looser and swinging in his movement. Success!

Kenny also said I have made great improvement in my position-- sitting up and with the movement. Yay!

Also, one of the highlights from the clinic was that I actually did two flying changes on one centerline. The right to left change was late, but we're working on fixing that. I was still totally over the moon!


Now, here are the teaching highlights from my lessons:

Position:

• Must continue to stay sitting up and keeping my chest up.
• Need to work on keeping my knees and thighs on the saddle.
• Keep your elbows by you side (especially in canter)!
• After wrestling with my left hand issue for the last two years, Kenny now pointed out that I need to make sure that I am softening my right hand, especially in the canter. I need more squeeze and release in the right hand.
• Don't collapse, particularly the left shoulder/hip.
• Tracking right, make sure you bring left hip higher in rising trot.

Trot:

• Let shoulders lead in the legyields. Don't overuse outside halfhalt.
• In warm-up, use trot serpetines to get him evenly accepting the contact. Focus especially on changing bend from left to right to maintain the rhythm, keep left hand low, and change the diagonal in rising trot.
• When Gadget pulls down in the bridle at the trot, get out of the saddle quicker or bounce more in sitting trot. (Not exactly how this works yet, but I'll play with it.)
• In lengthened trot, make sure to lift the left hand to get the left hind stepping under. Also, school it on short diagonal with a 10M circle at B or E, then do another short diagonal. Also, don’t push him past his balance and lose the rhythm.
• In trot halfpass, move your body weight in the direction of movement.

Canter:

• At canter, make sure to keep elbows in and knees on the saddle. To the right in canter, must keep right leg on and active. He is more likely to four-beat to the right, so must keep that side active!
• In counter canter, keep inside hand (of the bend) up. Also, when transitioning to walk, don’t drop your hands. Keep him up in the walk.
• In simple changes, maintain the bend of the lead through the transition to walk (especially in the right lead, keep the right bend. Don’t let him get crooked). Practice serpentice with simple change across center, but wait until the second quarter line to do the transition. Tap him with the whip leading up to the transition.
• To improve reactivity in walk/canter and flying changes, you can one of two things:
• Ask nicely for canter with outside leg back and inside at girth. The moment he hesitates, slide the outside leg and spur forward. It will goose him to get his hanuches under.
• Alternatively, once you have asked nicely with outside leg, really get after him with the inside leg.

Flying Changes:

• Before right to leg change, tap him with the whip on the left side leading up to the change.
• Sit tall in canter, and swing the hips forward.
• In counter canter, make sure to sit evenly. I tend to fall off on one side or the other, which only makes him more crooked.
• In canter, hold the inside hand a bit high of the lead you are on. Also, sit on the opposite cheek.
• For the right to left change REV HIM UP, DON’T SET HIM UP! To make him learn to jump through with the hind end, have to push him more rather than collect him. Let him lunge through it. (Drag the spur forward to goose him).
• After the change to the right lead, bring both hands to the right. It moves his shoulders in and he automatically collects and stays active in the right hind.
• Focus on fixing the right to left change (which is usually late), and don't school the left to right too much since it is so easy and confirmed.

Canter Halfpass:

• Exercise: Canter halfpass, flying change, then trot and trot halfpass.
• Make the canter smaller. Do not worry about getting over. Keep him active!
• Open the outside rein, and it will make his outside hind cross over in the halfpass. Can use this in canter and trot. Tap him behind on the same side you are opening and holding.
• To keep Gadget from bobbing in the right canter halfpass, activate with the right leg more.
• Incorporate shoulder-in between the canter-half pass to get him more active.
• Also, keep more contact in the right rein by lifting him up in the right halfpass.

I am now trying to figure out my summer show schedule. I may try a schooling show in may to see how third level feels. Then I'll decide whether to show 2nd or 3rd level at the recognized show in June. I'm excited about our progress and looking forward to the summer!