The proof is in the...video

Pivo was on sale a couple weeks ago, so I decided to get one. I have been wanting one for several months and when I missed the New Year sale, I vowed to get one during the next sale. Tomorrow I will be filming my entire lesson and I am quite excited about it! I have a few things I am planning to work on:

1. Relax more. I rewatched several of the videos that AK took and really analyzed myself. I brace, a lot. My arms are very stiff, and I don't follow Gryfon's movement enough. I need to trust in my own ability and work with Gryfon instead of against him.

2. Look where I am going. I look down an awful lot. I think this goes back to why I am so braced when I ride. I am actually looking where I have been, not where I am going. I might be able to relax more and communicate better with Gryfon if I have a plan for where we are headed instead of making him guess.

3, Work on giving better support with my left side. I need to be aware of how much I use my right side vs. my left. Am I balanced? I have a few exercises I want to try during our warn up. (Thank you, KS!)

The Donida show is in 2 weeks. So excited!

Watching Your Trainer Ride

The last lesson of the month, my trainer, CG, rides Gryfon for me. I have been getting ready to go to the Donida show on March 11th and have issues. I let CG know where I am having issues and while she was riding, she let me know what she did to help Gryfon understand the "ask." 

First up is a smooth transition from trot to walk. Gryfon is fairly sensitive. When I ask for a walk from the trot, sometimes Gryfon will shoot his hind end out to the side, and he will drop his head trying to pull the reins from my hands. I explained my issues to CG, as she rode the Intro A test a few times to help me figure out what I can do to be more successful. (I love her 2-way communication headphones she uses. It allows us to have a conversation while riding. I'll share the link when I find out what she uses.)

Anyway, it turns out that most of the issues are mine... surprise, surprise. I use too much right rein and do not support him enough with my left side: leg AND rein. Although it was eye opening, I am not entirely surprised. My left leg has had such a difficult rehabilitation. Now that I know, I can take steps to correct it. I need to figure out some exercises I can do out of the saddle to strengthen me left side, and intentionally fine tune my movements. I need help with body awareness. In the meantime, I have 2-ish weeks to be as ready for the Donida show as possible. Any suggestions for things I can do would be much appreciated.

Next up is a square halt. Again, Gryfon kicks his hind end out to the side. The issues are the same I just don't support him enough on the left side and am too strong on the right. Yes, I need to keep him between my aids, but with that said, I need to keep my aids equal in strength and support. He also doesn't like to halt and stand for longer than a few seconds. He will try to walk off the instant his hind feet are planted. I need to practice halting and just standing while keeping a light contact. I tend to drop the contact after he halts, release pressure to reward the halt, but need to remember to keep a light contact. 

Finally, is the dreaded bend issue going to the left. Again, my left side issue. UGH! I need to control his shoulder and help him bend around my leg, and to stay off it! That is a combined issue.

Thank you to CG for helping me sort out my riding problems and finding ways for me to get better at communicating with Gryfon. 

On another note, H5 Fencing and Dirt Work will be out on March 6th to start leveling, removing rocks and hauling in sand for my arena! I'm super excited to have a safe place to ride!

FInally a Successful Ride(r)

The struggle to get back on a horse has been REAL! It hasn't been a secret that I struggle with learning how to talk to my left side through all the nerve damage and muscle atrophy. It is kind of like learning a new language between my brain and my leg. My left leg, ankle and foot just don't work correctly. It has been an extremely frustrating year, but my trainer CG has been absolutely brilliant. I have made slow steady progress, but last night's lesson really was remarkable! 

Let me say again how helpful the videos that AK took 2 weeks ago were. I watch 2 or 3 of them every day. AK was sitting next to CG, so the video picked up everything CG said. Watching myself ride and listening to what CG says is so very helpful! Things have really started clicking the last couple of weeks. Another thing that has been helpful is journaling. Yes, I write these blog posts, but I also have this great Book of Dressage Exercises with several pages for taking notes along with different exercises to try. 

All that was a long-winded way of explaining my process of improvement. Now, on the actual lesson. I had a plan of what I wanted to accomplish and a list of things I wanted to work on. I began warming Gryfon up doing a few ground exercises from the 6 Feet on the Ground test. CG called the test for me, and we did a pretty good job! There are just a few things for me to work on that will help Gryfon respond better and make my communication with him a bit clearer. That was just the right amount of warm up!

Once I got into the saddle, we worked on bending, 10-meter circles were my friend. I also worked on a few serpentines, followed by a few "down center line as A." I concentrated on riding straight and keeping Gryfon between my aids. I was able to refine my riding aids enough to really have a nice bend on the circles (most of the time) and also kept him from walking like a "drunken Marine" on the straight lines. I do still need to work on keeping his head straight and not having the bend going down center line, but overall, there was so much improvement! 

After our walking warmup, I started some trot work. I opted to start with his difficult side, going to the left. Not only is it his harder side, but it is also my weaker side and giving leg cues at the right time in the right way is difficult for me. In the case, 2 wrongs definitely do not make a right! At any rate, CG helped talk me through smaller circles so I could better support him and not let him fall out of (or into) the circle. Once I got a nice balance, I could spiral out but would lose it and have to start over. That part gets frustrating, but eventually we did 2 very nice 20-meter circles then took a walk break. 

One thing I need to work on is NOT bracing when we trot to the left. Gryfon gets so heavy, and I feel like I need to brace my shoulders, back and arms in order to not be pulled out of the saddle. I'm not exactly sure how to do that consistently yet, so any comments, exercise suggestions, or ideas are welcome! One way I know I brace too hard is that the day after my lesson, I am super sore! My shoulders and upper back feel like I rowed a few miles yesterday, no video needed, HAHAHA 

We did the same thing to the right and it was much easier! CG also gave me a great exercise to help solidify MY job as a rider and how to give my cues at a better time. We started with a 20-meter circle at E, once we completed that circle, we went down the wall and practiced using the corner correctly, then turned down center line at A. At X we did a 10-meter loop to E and started the pattern again. This exercise really helped my timing and the feel for "bend" and "straight." I cannot wait to try it next week going to the left. (This might help my bracing issue to the left)

CG really does a great job explaining things to me in a way that I can process quickly and make real-time adjustments to the way I ride. The BEST part about my lesson yesterday was this: "Yes! Good riding Sandy!" was said more than once! 

2 for the Price of 1

This post is a week late, but here are my thoughts from my lesson last week:

Wednesday's lesson was partly in the saddle and partly on the ground, so I got 2 lessons for the price of 1! After watching each video that AK took during last week's lesson, I was able to zero in on several things I need to work on. The first thing I wanted to work on (other than bending) was walking in a straight line. One of the videos in particular, is me practicing Intro Test A. All of the walking sections reminded me of Marines leaving the bar on a Saturday night. Swerving left and right, uneven steps, and a non-existent tempo. 

I spent the first part of my lesson working on bending Gryfon and warming him up. After a nice warm up we did a little trotting, but I really wanted to focus on walking in straight lines. I was able to figure out that Gryfon needs very little guidance when walking and tends to overreact when I give small corrections. So, in essence I really need to tone down my riding queues for him. We worked on the walking parts of Intro Test A and I feel like I have a better understanding of how I can help him be more successful. After nearly 30 minutes of Intro Test A work, I got off and finished the lesson on the ground.

Since I have decided to enter my first show next month, CG and I discussed what classes I feel I am ready to compete in. I decided Intro Test A for sure, and also an "in-hand" class: 6 Feet on the Ground Test 1. The in-hand class is designed for "green" horses and/or their green riders to experience the show atmosphere and compete from the safety of the ground. (Sounds like a perfect class for me and Gryfon!) Those classes are held first before the riding classes start so the plan is to do one in-hand class and see how it goes. If Gryfon handles the show scene well and I feel comfortable enough, we will enter the Intro Test A class. If not, then we will scratch and call it a day. 

On to the rest of my lesson. CG pulled up some sample 6 Feet on the Ground Tests and had me practice those movements. Just let me say it is flippin' hard! Some of the movements are intuitive and things I do all the time and others are not. I practiced everything from leg yields to square halts. I was inspired to research the patterns that will be used in the show next month and have several things to work on during my lessons for the foreseeable future! 

Goals for my lesson tomorrow? Try a new bending warm up exercise called the snowman, some trot work and then work on 6 Feet on the Ground Test 1. Gryfon has quite the crack in his hind right hoof and the farrier isn't due out for another 2 weeks, ugh!