Lesson - Canter Straight

So we all know Gracie leans on her left shoulder.  And I lean on my left seatbone.  When we canter on the left lead that manifest itself directly -- and if I sit *back* on my right seatbone and keep my right knee bent we straighten up.  On the right that manifest itself in haunches in at the canter.  Fix is to sit left, knees bent, inside leg slightly back to push her haunches out.  Really really hard.  

Worked on walk pirouettes also -- much easier.  Sit inside, turn with both hands, start with haunches slightly in. Tap with inside heel every stride, especially to right.

Flying changes -- sit *back*, stay glued to seat.  She will change the next stride if I just sit back....

Arena

Both horses spent time under saddle in the arena yesterday. 

Gracie:  Canter collect/extend on a circle, half-pass, one change each direction, canter-walk-canter. I think I need to spend a couple of hours just doing flying changes to get past the tense.  Finished on piaffe.

Pico:  Walk-Canter-trot.   Okay - walk-trot-canter-trot. :^)  canter in big circle, on straight line, then back to circle.  Worked on a more forward trot, but still relaxed.

Two days in a row!

Wow!  Lately it's been challenging to ride two whole days in a row, but I zipped out early this morning and climbed on both of them (one at a time of course.)  Just around the loop, but we did a little half-pass at trot on Gracie and some collected canter.  Just heavenly to get out for a time.  And good to stretch out yesterday's muscles -- I worked yesterday.

Airs above the ground

Set out to ride Gracie Friday, but she felt like there was no need for her hooves to ever touch the ground.  We schooled bouncing and head-tossing for a few minutes and then decided to forget it.

Today was much more productive.  We cantered and cantered and cantered working on not leaning on the left shoulder, collection and extension, some counter canter, and a couple of flying changes.  She has the one to the left if I really do throw myself over to the right and really really insist she un-weight the left shoulder.  I came in exhausted after maybe 40 minutes of riding.  My left knee doesn't want to stay bent, my right seat bone doesn't want to stay down, my shoulders want to come forward.  Yeesh.

Pico is easy -- trot in circles, change bend.  Worked on staying more forward without losing the tempo and without getting quick.  A couple of canter departs.  I am moving on to walk-canter because it's so much easier......

Flying Changes or can Lisa sit to the left?

New exercise today -- For me:  rising trot, sit right, sit left, sit right, sit left.  Don't tip shoulders.  Only hips are going back and forth.  This does mean my left knee has to bend.

For Gracie: canter in a big oval to right.  Look waaaaay left. Not just head, but shoulders have to shift also (weight off the left shoulder, bend to left, get ribs over right, etc.).  Lisa has to sit right and look left for this to happen.  Try the other way.  

Finally to flying change.  Start to right.  In center of arena shift to right, bend her to right, ask for change.  Yay!  Same thing the other way.  The right to left changes were easier today I think because I am better at moving right.

I need to canter on a circle asking her to bend to the outside a lot.  That helps us both canter without leaning to the inside. And practice shifting myself over to the new outside.

Rode Pico this evening - few minutes in the arena followed by the loop.  We worked on lowering his neck and staying stable.  Also he likes to stay bent to the right, so we worked on left.  Practiced leg yields on the road.  And also rode in the hail (interesting) and rain (calm).  Yeesh.

It's Saturday so we must be working on half-pass

Or anyway it's starting to feel like that.  Gracie and I spent a few minutes working on canter half-pass Saturday.  We began though with the old collected canter - lengthened canter on a circle exercise.  That was a good way to get some relaxation and bend before going sideways.  I think as a result we had some nice half-pass in both directions. The canter lengthenings and collections are easier to the left, which is weird.  We did one flying change each direction after doing several canter-walk-canter transitions.  One is good, then the tension and anticipation is back.  

Got on Pico again finally also -- same-old-same-old in the arena.

Sunday Lindsey and I joined the Parmleys for a ride around Greenland.  Played on the trail course there a little first.  

Now we go faster

Or perhaps the more correct version of that -- more through.  We spent Tuesday on shoulder-in and half pass at trot, but no more mincy steps.  The goal was up, forward, and through.  I don't understand why, but the half-pass left was pretty good, while half-pass right was lousy.  And yet the haunches in right was straight-forward.  Makes no sense.  I think I get myself all balled up when moving to the right, lose my balance, can't use my right leg.  

Then some canter work -- collect, lengthen stuff that ought to be easier than it is.  Working still on those down-transitions.  Collect, collect, collect, walk.  No trot.  

At home I threw in a couple of changes.  Gracie is good for one each direction before she gets tense and starts anticipating. 

Yet more half-pass

Moving on to canter though.  Also getting rid of the slow little mincy thing and finding a bigger trot.  

Bigger trot means giving up some of the indirect rein and opening it up.  Also of course insisting she move off my leg.  And keeping my inside thigh on.  Yikes!  I still try to lean forward.  Finding the balance between keeping my outside seat bone down, holding outside contact with rein, keeping inside thigh on.  Too much to manage at once.

Canter was interesting.  I tend to lose my outside rein, which doesn't work so well.  To left I need to hold my inside rein up a little to help her shoulder stay up.  To right the haunches lag if I lose my outside rein (duh).

Still very very cool.

Minimal Riding

Made it home from Glenwood Friday in time to tool around on Pico for a few minutes.  Sat and Sun the wind howled and I was uninspired.

Today rode Gracie around the loop - played with trot half-pass on the road a little.  Rode Pico in the arena -- leg yield, canter departs.  Then down the road to the corner and back  - trot tempo and leg-yield.  

Laughed at Rochelle's best German Show Jumping video ever: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRWLZFALe-4