Extensions

Gracie felt really strong and sound this morning.  We did a few trot/canter/trot and walk/canter/walk.  That was hard.  Concentrated on riding the hindquarters in the canter and on using my inside leg to remind her to stay round instead of correcting with my inside hand.  Amazing how well that works.....


Our trot shoulder-in was better because it stayed forward.  Trot extensions were fabulous today -- she is reaching forward with her shoulder now, pushing evenly, and staying very balanced.  I think we even had some medium trot today - her shoulders were nicely up, no tempo change, and good reach.

Riding Riding Riding

Have actually been a riding fiend for the past two weeks - 5 days last week for both horses and on track to do that this week as well.  Lindsay K has been out just as much, so both horses are getting those days. Today was lesson day -- Gracie was pretty sound.  I did bute her, but I think I rode more correctly also and that that helps a lot.  Plus she is perhaps a little less in season this week.  


So...  I really have to ride her hind quarters and pay attention to my legs and outside shoulder.  As soon as my outside shoulder comes forward her haunches slide in and everything falls apart.  Thinking about drawing the circle with her hind legs helps quite a lot.  Also attempting to keep my stomach tight helps to keep my shoulders where they belong.  We did one exercise where we went from shoulder-in to haunches-in.  To the right I ask for too much bend.  It really is not much -- half a horse width, so maybe 6 inches at most.  For haunches-in, if I really sit back I bring my outside rein back and keep my inside leg on.  Keeping that leg on on the key to not getting too much haunches-in.


Legs wrapped around her lightly and softly, but touching.  Stay with her for the down-transitions.  


I had one beautiful transition from walk to trot - I felt her back come way up before the trot started -- really reminded me of what I am looking for.


Also had a good reminder that everything has to be more forward.  I think one reason Gracie has been sore is because we have been spending time in false collection -- short little steps, but no sit and no push, and no belly involved.  We seem to fix that best by going a little more forward and spending time deep and low.

Some training log

This winter is making me crazy.  Far too much snow on the ground for too long.  I think the arena will finally melt today...  which might make it rideable by Wednesday.  That's the first time in a month.  This week I am compensating by going up to Rochelle's more often (while Rochelle is out of town).

Gracie comes and goes -- sound when I can ride three or four days in a row in an arena, gimpy when I let her sit for a week in the cold.  Today we are going to work on straightness, flexibility within gaits (lengthen trot and canter), and maybe some lateral stuff.  I should do a couple of walk pirouettes while I have the mirrors.

Pico -- working on engaging the hind end at the trot.  His trot lengthening is coming on the loop, not so much in the arena.  Continuing to canter, halt, back, canter.  That seems to help his balance and is improving the canter.  I wonder if I should trot, halt, back, trot.  Might so the same thing.

Cantering

Rochelle had us canter in a circle (a very small circle in her indoor arena) over 4 cross-rails.  That worked will on the left lead because I can half-halt with my left hand, keep Pico balanced, look ahead, and keep my leg on all at the same time.  He also rocks back onto his haunches nicely, allowing me to bring his shoulders around the curve.  Then there is the right lead.  Yikes.  The jumps are the wrong distance, Pico runs around, drops into a trot, loses his balance, skids around the corners, trots faster and faster. It's ugly.


Then it got more difficult.  We went a circle plus one jump to the left, then jumped a diagonal jump, came back around and jumped a diagonal jump in the other direction, jumped the first one again, then back to the circle the other direction.  We had problems with energy on top of all the jumps.  


I really wish my arena wasn't snow-covered, so I could try it again at home.  Clearly I need a lot of cantering with outside rein, outside half-halts, rebalancing, etc.


Last week I had a dressage lesson on Gracie that addressed the same issues.  We had good left lead canter.  To the right she bulged and bent way too much ans lost connection with her inside hind.  I didn't have a solid outside half-halt to help put her together and center her balance.   To the left I spend a lot of time keeping myself balanced and using my outside seatbone.  I think that almost helps.  To the right I am more confortable and perhaps don't ride it as effectively.


Tomorrow I have a dressage lesson on Pico, so we'll have to work on the same issues from that perspective again.

Pico

Gracie is avoiding work by bruising a front foot.  Even so we had a very nice lesson at the walk last week.  Lots of work on position (mine) and bend and ended with fabulous piaffe.  With Frances there tapping her haunches she really gets elevation.  It's really fun to see it in the mirrors!

Today Pico had a chance at a lesson. :^)  We worked on freeing up his shoulders so he could come through with his hind feet.  I had to manage to sit and keep my hands still while pushing him forward.  No fussing with my hands.  I can't say that often enough ...  both Rochelle and Frances comment on it regularly.  So ...  put my hands on his neck, leave them still and let him figure out how to give.  I have a hard time with that.  And I have to not drop him as soon as he gives..  a release, sure, but not a complete drop.

When Pico really opens his shoulders he feels like he is trying to Spanish Walk. He started out just managing to use the outside shoulder, but by the end of the hour could do a few steps that were more even.  He drops his head and raises his back - can't do it at all with his head where I want it.  When he gets a few steps in a row he looks really nice, but it is clearly challenging for him.  

We finished his lesson with piaffe also ---  well, with Frances standing beside us asking him to raise alternating hind feet without going backwards.  He was much better than expected at that. He definitely prefers to work on it in the middle of the arena, not against the wall.

PS:  Demi is gone.  Very weird.  The other two are slightly stressed about it, but not crying for her.  Just hanging out right beside each other.  She went to a nice home though.  I notice the manure build-up in the barn has decreased by far more than 1/3. The other two poop in the pasture more.

Lindsay on Pico a couple of weeks ago

Lindsay took a lesson on Pico a couple of weeks ago:

I rode him today and he is much improved over a month ago. He was also a gem in the windy and dark with a storm coming in.
 

Gracie the Wonder Pony

Had a lovely lesson on Gracie today.  We were working spiral-in and -out and the canter.  Shoulder in/haunches out when spiraling in, very straight when spiraling out.  She had one kick out on her left lead, then suddenly came through her back and was perfect.  Seriously fabulous collected canter.  Perfect down transitions. Amazing.  And did I say left lead?  I had to stay tight around her, sitting on both seat bones evenly, balanced in the middle.  It helps to think about tightening my outside hip, although not until I have moved it forward and in front of my inside hip.  Felt like she suddenly figured out how to let go with her back and that made it possible for the left hind to come through and for her to sit. (And am still amazed at how much Gracie can sit!)

To the right it was much  more difficult.  I am still having trouble finessing the outside rein.  Helps a lot when I stay turned to the inside from the hips.  Left lead was so up hill it made right lead feel flat.

Then we went on to shoulder in on a straight line.  Again left was easier.  Right I had trouble keeping my outside hip forward.  When I did we had much better, more through canter.  The exercise was 20 m circle, canter down long side in shoulder-in to middle, 20 meter circle, down long side in shoulder-in, 20 m circle, canter down other long side in shoulder-in, etc.  Pretty challenging to get right, but when the shoulder-in works the canter is fabulous.  I do the same thing in canter shoulder-in that I do in trot - tend to shut her down a bit instead of pushing forward into it.  Need to work on that.

Galloped around with Karen and Demi and jumped yesterday, which might have helped today also. :^)