My instructor pegged me (correctly) as a type "A" personality and further went on to inform me that my "intellect is a terrorist". Because of this I become 'overfocussed' on individual things, instead of diversifying my awareness to all parts of me and the horse. I don't let things happen, and I don't experiment. I demand perfection from myself, and immediate too.

He is absolutely right.

He told me to allow my intellect to be distracted while I learn how to ride.

To help me with this, he is making more use of a particular teaching style of his where he tells me to be aware of something, instead of directing me on how to do it right - that way my intellect is trying to figure out what is "right" while the rest of me works on how it feels thereby 'discovering' what is right. He is truly very clever.

Relaxation is a natural state - for the rider and the horse. It can't be forced, or learned....it must be discovered.

Sitting trot tonight for the first time. He was thrilled with my sitting trot - I do believe he didn't think it would be as good as it was. Noted quiet lower leg, good pelvic rock to the trot. Marked improvement over last week at posting trot and transitions. Took the stick to old Marlow tonight. His spotty nose was in the dirt and he "forgot" inside leg. Earned me more brownie points. A rider who rides to the horse, not the instructor!

Showed him my Wintec saddle. It will take some time before a stoggy British riding instructor can accept an Auzzie synthetic. Blimey.

Well there's something to be said for clearing the mind before setting about to learn anything. I was a bit rushed when I got to the stable, Marlow was covered in mud, I didn't get my stretches in. It's important for me to make time for these things if I want to get the most out of my sessions.

Worked on the circle today, exclusively. Mostly at the posting trot. Discovered a couple of things. Riding arenas cause a rider to get lazy. The horse turns when he gets to the short end, he has no choice. But when you are riding a circle, you have to be precise with all your aids all the time. There is no visual cue for the horse to follow. Big revelation.

The other thing is this, the inside leg refers to the bend in the horse, not the direction he's going. Worked on circle to the left in a right bend, ergo my inside leg is my right leg. This type of exercise is wonderful in getting to fully understand the impact of all the aids- even the quiet ones.

The boys in Vienna never shift their weight to cause them to fall in when doing a circle. Their composure stays very much straight. All that crap I was taught by instructor-wanna-be's all my life about using the inside leg to get a horse to bend needs to be whitewashed from my hard drive. THAT is going to take a lot of work.

Also learned there are often no wrong answers to some questions. Exemplified today by Chris with the "Do what I do" demonstration.

Most riders approach a jump with a "braced for failure" approach, recommended reading "Zen in the Art of Archery".

Was totally encouraged to "experiment" today - found it totally frustrating. My mind was not open to it.

Today's theory was about using leg yielding, and hands to get the correct bend in a horse who tends to overbend to the left (most horses are concave in the right and convex in the left) on both the right and left rein, in both the circle and the full arena. By "correct bend" I mean the bend that I want. Worked at bending to the inside, going straight and bending to the outside.

Head position and the utilization of the right rein, by jostling it a bit and then releasing the tension when the horse's head drops. All the while keeping the pressure on the left so that I don't get an over-flexing to the right. To maintain a roundness of the horse's back.

Theory on how the horse's feet are placed when the horse bends. That the outside leg stays 'on track' and the inside hind comes under the horse's spine.

Leg yielding exercise to get the horse to move straight away from my leg in the positioning of the half pass, but at times when I simply need him to "move over" when perfecting circles etc. Had to work on riding the horse in the short end of the arena and use all my aids, not just allow the horse to make the turns. Had to come off the sides freqently and then move the horse by leg yielding back to the outer track.

To work on: The concept of effort without tension. Consider this when I am working on my yoga. Find the energy without forcing. Moving a horse away from my leg should be a matter of creating an opening for the horse to go through, then asking him to go through it, rather than forcing the horse to move into a "frame".

How this came about: At the sitting trot with leg yielding I go through alternating periods where my arms become inflexible (when I am giving the leg aid) and then float (when I am not). They should float all the time. Not as evident in my posting trot. I may be working on to many things at once. Haven't done a lot at the sitting trot so perhaps I should spend more time focussing on that before I work on the leg yielding.

The book I have ordered still isn't in. I'm starting to chomp at the bit.

This is interesting. Never thought riding is that technical. Thanks for sharing this with us spongie

Wa'il

Hi Wa'il - yes - if after I ride, my head hurts more than anything else, then I know I've gotten a lot out of the session.

Today the exercise was concentric circles. Two of them. Beginning in the inner circle where the horse's natural position would be to have head and shoulders on the track of the circle, and his hind outside of the circle, move to the outer circle without changing his angle or bend, so that he arrives at the outer circle with his full body at once.

He's got me working the back end of the horse in the last few sessions. The reins only brake, steer and control the head and shoulder position. The legs control the gas pedal and the position and direction of the hind end. So when working this exercise, I am continually working the gas, brake, steer left, steer right with the front and steer right, steer left with the rear of the horse. These minute adjustments made continually and quietly lead the precision of classical riding.

Once I opened up my awareness to the full horse, it became easier. It was only once I relaxed and stoping micro managing my riding and freely 'rode' the horse was I able to do the exercise. I need to get MY spotty nose out of the dirt (forget Marlow's!!) and start riding at a "higher level" in my head. My problem is that Chris details the theory portion of the session to such a degree that I am still "stuck" in that detail for the duration of the session. It is only the following session, after I have had a chance to digest and internalize what he has told me, that I am able to functionally do it. He is an amazing communicator tho. He can really "draw" a picture. He told me to start thinking about turns on the forehand when doing the exercise. That image helped enormously.

This concerns me. I am not sure if what I need to do can come naturally or is only learned. Or if it does come naturally am I "blocking" it because of my nature to detail and compartmentalize everything? I also believe I am a very hands on person anyway. I need to practice something over and over in order to really learn it. Once I have it, it never goes away.

I still have to find reality ways to learn "effort without tension"

The other 'correction' we worked on today, is that when I am on the right lead I need to post at 2 oclock and 8 oclock. On the left lead I need to post at 1 and 7 in order to be straight and post correctly. Once he gave me the "visual" of the clock face, it was easy. It's all about being heavier in one stirrup than the other and keeping straight over the horse's spine and not falling in or out. The rhythm of my posting was improved considerably and FELT marvelous as a result.

I did an hour yoga before I drove to my class, and lots of stretching before I got on. It helps my suppleness greatly.

Marlow is an amazing schoolmaster. He is so well trained, agreeable and yet so sensitive, that he allows you to learn without arguing with him.

Hey Sponge,

Just popped in to see what you are up to at that hoity toity ridin' the range school .

Have to agree with Wa'il. I never realized how technical riding can be. But it sounds like you are really enjoying it and are really focused on what you are doing.

Had to laugh about your instructor giving your intellect something else to do while your body is learning how to open up and be aware of the horse and how it feel to execute something. Reminds me of ME learning my Belly Dance isolations. I too am a type A personality and tend to be concentrating so hard that I forget to let go and just feel it and go with the flow . . .

See ya around!

Great strides tonight. Worked outside for the first time. Makes for a more forward horse. A bit spooky - in between nest building, pigeons are known to carry horses off by their withers, doncha know. Marlow settled down finally and gave me good concentration.

Review of the "quiet ride". Horses are such noble creatures that we owe it to them to ride with quiet poise and elegance. Practiced "silent" down and up transitions for trot-walk-halt. Leg position near perfect all session. Floating hands at the sitting trot coming along VERY nicely - owe it to watching the back of the headband of the horse while opening up my vision. The boys in Vienna never take their eyes off the headband and still manage not to run into each other My eyes have to FIX there but I need to see all that's in my perephrial vision, not the headband.

Kept my hands in excellent position and executed a collected walk worth "an 8 or 9 in competition" (!) Got a nice roundness, even with the pigeon distractions and good bends. Worked on my 1-7, 2-8 posting trot and did well.

Sitting trot need to work on the suppleness in my lower back. Not getting the full range in my pelvic tilt that I need. My belly button needs to be more active in following the horse's movement.

Chris teaches classical dressage for hot blooded horses. That is, a quieter seat than what is required on Lippizaners and other warmbloods. Thoroughbreds and arabs would not achieve the rounded back required if the seat aid was too active. They would cave in and "turn upside down". Warmbloods are more muscular and can handle a "heavier" aid.

Picture hand position where both hands carry a longe whip, and a 3rd stick clasp under each thumb. To maintain the "A" of those whips is to ride in the correct hand position.

A quiet horse, perfectly ridden, is not to be mistaken for an easy horse and a lazy rider. In fact usually the opposite is true. The goal for the rider is to develop a horse, who requires less and less correction and aid while executing any given exercise. The boys in Vienna will execute a half halt up to 400 times in a 40 minute session. Chris will execute 3 or 4. Chris considers a half halt, anything you do to wake the horse up or to get more vertical from him. I've seen him do them, - 3 pulls on the inside rein and 2 taps with the whip as soon as he starts in the walk. Marlow comes alive. Basically that type of half halt says "come on, I'll not be nagging you through this, get ready to work with me!"

The minute adjustments to precision ride, should be the result of the rider constantly assessing the position of the horse. Nobody gets in a car and holds the same wheel position all the way down a highway, no matter how straight the road. Constant minute adjustments are required to stay the true line. Same for a horse. Worked on utilizing my leg yeilding to gradually go from a small inner circle (where Marlow was forced to think about something other than the pigeons) to a larger outer circle (taking several rounds to do it) where we worked on sitting trot.

(Hi Homegirl, thanks for stopping in - glad to see we suffer from the same "ailment" )

Outside again. Marlow saved his spookiness to a put-on near the end of the session. He just really wanted to fly through the air. This horse loves to jump and sometimes sulks if sessions don't involve jumping (and of course, mine never do ! )

Mostly a review. Worked on transitions, concentric circles, transition changes. Discussed how the aids are administered between a) stop to walk and b) stop to trot. If the aids are to stay quiet and minimal, then how to communicate the 2 different transitions to the horse?

Asking the horse to go from the stop to walk then to trot involves one aid delivered twice = inside leg. Gradually those aids fall closer and closer, until you ask the horse to go forward to walk from the stop, and as soon as you feel the forward motion, ask for the trot. It becomes 2 inside leg aids given immediate, one after the other. This is the building block approach to learning. Same with flying changes. The flying change is just the ability to move off in the canter using different leads. Once a horse is trained to move out on the correct lead based on the aids given, then to ask for a change of lead is a no-brainer, and it is irrelevant what speed or gait he is doing at the time you ask for a right canter. If he happens to be doing a left canter when you ask for a right canter, he will execute a flying change.

The only movement that is the exeption to the rule is the traverse where the leg aid is far behind the girth, and there is no build up to this exercise. However a horse should be far enough along in his training to accept this new exercise.

My book "Dressage Formula" finally arrived from the UK. However it is damaged and had to be returned. But not before I read the first chapter.

Things I learned this week from lessons and the book the were the most significant are:

The "seat" is a three point bone contact with the saddle. The 2 seat bones and the pubic bone form the triangle on which you sit. And you sit as though you had lead-lined underwear - deep and full - like cling wrap over the saddle.

The rider's shoulders follow the facing angle of the horse's shoulder and the rotation to follow a bend happens at the waist as if you were on a piano stool. The seat doesn't change. If it does, you cause the horse to fall in.

There are 3 windows in front of the horse - one directly in front, just to the left and just to the right. Those are the only "windows" the horse goes through in a forward gait.

The front of the upper body from the pubic bone to the throat should be 'long' - not punched out, but rather billowed like a sail, and without caving in the lower back. Riding a horse is the only exercise that does not require you to lift your ab muscles. It is the shape of your upper body (likened to a puppet being held on a string by the center top of the head) that allows all other parts of your body to 'fall' into the correct position.

Well! Today was "take everything you know and get on a new horse". I scored high points. Mario is a 16.1hh quarterhorse with an odd number of legs and a heart of gold LOL. I managed to work through ALL of his quirks (and there were many, he's known as the "goofiest horse anybody's ever known") and stay organized and keep him on track. He is the exact opposite of Marlow. A mouth of butter and flanks of steel, and yet he responds to soft leg aids. Very peculiar horse. He does "cow pony dressage".

However he will be the horse I learn on as we cover the canter. Then I'll go back to Marlow as his canter is much more "unworked".

Chris asked me if I wanted to also cover jumping. I hesitated. I used to jump a lot. I went from jumping to western riding. The reason I returned to classical dressage was to 'ground' myself back into a more elegant way of riding as most show jumpers are sadistic wackos, and I'll never go back to the harsh western way of working horses (like I say, been there done that). He convinced me that the lessons learned in jumping assist in dressage, since in the jumper ring, only a few seconds is spent actually going over jumps, the rest of the time you are doing dressage. True. He also indicated that the best dressage rider, if not taught to jump will 'fall apart' at the first fence. He described his style of jumping and that is the style I would want to learn under (he does not teach a constant 2 point hunter seat) So I agreed. But I warned him that I loved to jump!

Mario was FUN to ride. I found him easier than Marlow even with all his wacko ways.

I am really enjoying reading all about your riding LC!

Horses are really magnificent animals, aren't they? But of course you already know that

Have a good one!

Several things are clicking into place. Mario has so much the lighter mouth, that I'm able to organize myself and stay organized longer. This will help when I ride Marlow. This session was a major physical workout, I'm sure that last posting trot lasted 20 minutes.

This session was all about getting the horse to go rounder. Chris pointed out (and how often I have seen this!!) that many riders are happy if their horse has a round neck and through draw reins and side reins they are able to 'train' the horse how to 'carry' his head in an attractive fashion. But the horse's head doesn't match the rest of his body which would be flat or caved in.

The neck and the spine are all connected and one unit on a horse. Theoretically the horse can't properly 'round' just his neck or just his body, it has to be both. And, when the horse must deliver increased impulsion (more power) without increasing speed (forward impulsion) then he must go UP - that is, the number of steps he makes to cover the same distance must INCREASE. He can't do it unless his tail bone is tucked under so that he can reach farther and higher with his hind legs. And he can't go round, unless the rider allows him to.

I found that with Mario, that although after a spell he would accept a stronger rein, a lighter hand would result in a rounder horse. Occasionally the horse's organization would fall apart on me and I would have to begin again to get him (and me) organized. I have to figure out what it is I'm doing to cause that - and it may be my hands. I am really looking forward to next session to work more on this.

Chris instructed me to buy a dressage whip.

Exclusively rein work at the posting trot. Trying to get Mario to round for me. Worked on getting his head straight and in front of his shoulders. And worked the whole hour ONLY on the left rein.

Although the horse is ridden 2/3 from the hind end and only 1/3 from the front, if the front isn't straight then the hind end can't follow it and the horse can't round.

Chris covered a lot of theory in the first 1/2 of the lesson, did a quick demo on Mario, and then the 2nd half of the lesson he gave me a lot of opportunity to experiment. He finally said to me "It's time to risk a big mistake" and let me completely do whatever it took to get the horse round. He also told me to "do what I needed to do in a more positive manner". I finally got the horse to go round and was able to maintain it. It was a combination of the following things:

a) Maintaining constant contact with the horse until the horse reached for the bit.

b) Micromanaging his head position.

c) Being VERY quiet once the horse was going round and honest.

d) keeping my hands lower than normal (knuckles down) and occasionally lightening my contact without throwing the horse away.

e) concentrating CONSTANTLY about keeping his head straight and not waiting as long to ask for a correction.

f) working on using my hands and arms by considering them one unit - that is, steering with my elbows and shoulders, not my hands and wrists.

This is a horse who can move honestly forward, but will not reach for the bit without a lot of work (well, Chris managed to do it almost immediately). Trying to get him to accept my contact, and give me 50% of the contact back (the rider is only responsible for 50% of the contact with the horse through seat and hands, the horse MUST meet the rider 1/2 way). I need to be able to establish light contact and then maintain it. NOT let Mario drop the left rein and break contact and then lean into the right rein (which he will do constantly if he is allowed - he seems to favour the right rein).

Chris noted that when I "tweaked" the right rein that I did so in a spiked fashion. When he tweaked he did so with less force and no repetition. I need to work on this more subtle form of communication. As Chris pointed out, my method should be an exeception and pulled out as required, not used as the "aid".

Chris also commented that the horse I buy will need to be far more "hefty" than a 16 hh thoroughbred. I expect that a 17hh warmblood is in my future somewhere.

Today's lesson was cancelled. A horse colicked badly and had to be taken to Guelph.

Ta da! After three sessions of working on my rein aids to round the horse, the bulb went on last night. For the latter part of the session it was a breeze.

Discovered that my problem is in how I deliver the aids. I tend to be less positive (direct) and I wait until "all the wheels fall off" before I do something about it. So I discovered what it is to be less tolerant, and more insistent for perfection and the horse gave me what I asked for.

Lesson learned: the horse has been doing what I asked of him all along. He has delivered sloppy and inconsistent balance and energy because that is exactly what I have asked for. Horses can teach a person about a lot more than just equestrian relationships.

The neat thing about getting him round is, that Mario's afterburners kick in immediately and mataining his speed on auto pilot is not a problem. He'll give me more exertion than I want even. Once a horse is truly balanced, he is a marvelous thing to ride. My goal is now to find that balance on any horse I ride, as quickly as possible. That way, the horse carries me, not the other way around.

Chris reminded me of that quip about the sculptor who carved an elephant out of a block of marble. When asked how he did it, he responded "I just cut away all the marble that didn't look like an elephant". The meaning is that artist had such a clear and precise mental vision of what an elephant looked like that it was a simple process of deciding what was necessary and what wasn't. The same holds true with classical dressage. I have to work on the perfect balance of the dressage horse, and simply "cut away" any of my activities that don't produce that. And don't produce it immediately.

Next session my goal is to balance the horse within the first few minutes.

Have I mentioned how wonderful it is to see you around here again?
Doods.