Having kind of let all my ride reports here slip -- whoops!!! -- I'll do more of an overview of what's been happening lately, what I've been working on, what's been working, and where I know I need improvement.
We've been doing a bit more lateral work lately. This was kicked off by me admitting, after being asked to practice some shoulder-in in my free rides, that I hadn't actually done shoulder-in (though I did try to kind of wing it). We've done a couple of lessons that included leg yields to the track, shoulder-fore, shoulder-in, and haunches-in (travers?). The mare is funny about it; she doesn't want to do it at first, and will try to get away with just bending her neck and popping her shoulder. Or just being really sluggish about it. But once we get going she starts to anticipate and does it without asking. Oh boy! She also tends to get worked up and starts charging around in a FAST trot. Could be worse!!
There has also been a LOT of no-stirrups work. We kind of skipped No Stirrups November because the horses took so long to get settled and stop acting like wingnuts. So I guess it's No Stirrups December instead. I had two lessons that were almost entirely no-stirrups posting trot. My muscles definitely felt it, but it wasn't actually that bad. I did have to cry uncle eventually in both lessons, but it wasn't the muscular effort!! My dang crotch was getting so chafed that when I had to pee after my lesson, it burned so badly I could practically see through time. :O We've done about 90% rising trot stirrupless. Only a little bit of sitting trot and just the tiniest smidge of canter. I haven't been doing much canter work lately, as the horse has been sore and hasn't had her arthritis meds for a few weeks, so I haven't been pushing it, especially as she tends to get stumbly when she canters while sore, and I do NOT need a wreck to happen while I'm riding there on my own.
A nice side effect (unless the not-nice side of burning while peeing) of the no-stirrups work has been a much deeper, more controlled, connected, open seat while I ride. (I know the full-seats certainly don't hurt with that either.) I can sit the trot a lot better, and I feel like I can use my seat and thighs more effectively to control speed and begin my transitions. I've also been incorporating a lot more thigh into my sense of what "seat" is. Previously my butt seemed like it was my seat and that my legs were separate entities. Now it's all starting to work together more cohesively. My few Lauren lessons, with emphasis on using my thighs in a supportive way, and her "exercise position," really helped to clue me into that. Especially the exercise position. It really made me realize how much more my hip could open. I started following the motion of the trot and canter in a way that let me move with the horse instead of feeling like I was trying to counter the motion.
Another funny thing that was a good reminder, recently: someone posted this video in a thread giving advice to a new rider. Be the chicken!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLwML2PagbY
Which is also reminiscent of the advice, "shoulders like a queen, hips like a whore," but a little more G-rated.
I should also add in here that I had one lesson on the cute Thoroughbred that I rode once back in September. He's got a softer mouth than my usual mare, so that was a nice little break for my hands. And good to know I can still be soft too. He tends to go around a bit crooked, the one way, so we were doing a very slight shoulder-fore when I was on the right rein with him. It went really well and felt great. We just did walk-trot, which was fine for me while I get to know him. Yay for comfort zones! Sometimes it's good just to stay with them, haha.
This morning I had a nice ride on the mare. She broke from canter a couple of times, but not in an asshole way, and it was otherwise a pretty great ride. I worked -- with mixed results -- on trying to push out and collect her trot. We average 7 strides between the letters on the long sides. I got her collected to 8 a couple of times, and pushed her out to 6 a couple of times. Mostly we stayed at 7 though, even if I did try to change things. It's interesting to try, though, and feel what my body does to communicate. Kind of a tightening and slight lifting with my thighs and set to collect her. And a deep, open, knees-off, forward push to lengthen. But like I said, the results are... currently mixed.
I need to keep working on my turns to the left without stirrups. It does force me to get that shoulder back and turn my torso to keep my balance. This is good. I've gotten much better but the dang shoulder continues to betray me.
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