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which_chick) wrote2022-06-03 08:55 am
which_chick) wrote2022-06-03 08:55 am
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Lesson was surprisingly interesting...
At lesson last night (lesson is Thursday, which is also Bird's Day Off) we worked on leg yields as a mechanism for improving canter departures and canters in general. And let me tell you, it was sort of fun.
So we start off with the ordinary "in trot, turn on to quarterline, then leg yield to rail, then pick up canter at rail" thing. Fine. Old hat. We totally can do this and it goes nicely. Mystic leg yields. Mystic has canter departures. She's getting a lot better at holding shit together in her canters on the long sides, too. So all of that went well. As Expected, really. Since there weren't really any notes to be had for that (because it went well and the horse did what we were hoping she would do and because I can ride an effing leg yield that is straight and pretty and cue for canter appropriately at the rail and so forth), we moved on.
The next thing was super neat and rode well and was effing delightful. In trot, on the long side, let's say starting at V, leg yield off left leg to centerline at I, then make circle 10 M to the LEFT (counterclockwise) then proceed ahead to middle-of-short-side (C for you dressage people) then turn left... then leg yield (now off RIGHT leg) from S back to center line at L, then make circle 10 M RIGHT then proceed to middle of short side (A) and turn RIGHT, then repeat from start.
Circle 10M in trot is pretty tough. You need a well-organized trot and it has to be *balanced*. The smaller you make the circle, the harder it is for the horse to do and the more-correct the horse has to be in order to do it decently.
But, the exercise gives you a helping hand because your leg yield sets up the bend for the circle and assists you with getting balanced and shit before you have to do your circle and it's all very nice and flows well. Big fan. Want to play this one at home. I like stringing together more than one thing and I should make more of an effort to do this STYLE OF THING at home.
Prior to lesson, I was also watching instructor ride assorted tests on her older mare and test whatever-it-was (don't know, don't care) had a lovely shoulder-in up the first half of the long side, then ten meter circle in the middle, then haunches-in up the rest of the long side thing. That was also very pretty and looks fun and should ride well at home. Bird knows how to do all those things and he's pretty snappy about doing the shape and also consistent about holding-the-shape. So, we'll try that, too.
#motivation
Since we got the hay cut (and all the round bales moved out of the field) last weekend, I can lay out a 'dressage arena' on the more-or-less flat part of the field this weekend for a couple of weeks. (It obviously cannot be permanent because the sewage sludge has to be spread once the rest of the hay is made and also because riding over and over in one spot kills the hay. The hay making people are about halfway done with the hay making, which obviously depends on the weather, but I should be able to get a week or two of use out of my shitty little makeshift work area anyway.) I'll use eight poles (to define the corners) and twelve cones/buckets (for the letters) and that should be plenty to be going on with.
Anyway, it was a good time at lesson. I realize we can't all the time be going sideways, but honestly I am ALL ABOUT THE SIDEWAYS over here so... yeah. It's fun when we get to do it.
So we start off with the ordinary "in trot, turn on to quarterline, then leg yield to rail, then pick up canter at rail" thing. Fine. Old hat. We totally can do this and it goes nicely. Mystic leg yields. Mystic has canter departures. She's getting a lot better at holding shit together in her canters on the long sides, too. So all of that went well. As Expected, really. Since there weren't really any notes to be had for that (because it went well and the horse did what we were hoping she would do and because I can ride an effing leg yield that is straight and pretty and cue for canter appropriately at the rail and so forth), we moved on.
The next thing was super neat and rode well and was effing delightful. In trot, on the long side, let's say starting at V, leg yield off left leg to centerline at I, then make circle 10 M to the LEFT (counterclockwise) then proceed ahead to middle-of-short-side (C for you dressage people) then turn left... then leg yield (now off RIGHT leg) from S back to center line at L, then make circle 10 M RIGHT then proceed to middle of short side (A) and turn RIGHT, then repeat from start.
Circle 10M in trot is pretty tough. You need a well-organized trot and it has to be *balanced*. The smaller you make the circle, the harder it is for the horse to do and the more-correct the horse has to be in order to do it decently.
But, the exercise gives you a helping hand because your leg yield sets up the bend for the circle and assists you with getting balanced and shit before you have to do your circle and it's all very nice and flows well. Big fan. Want to play this one at home. I like stringing together more than one thing and I should make more of an effort to do this STYLE OF THING at home.
Prior to lesson, I was also watching instructor ride assorted tests on her older mare and test whatever-it-was (don't know, don't care) had a lovely shoulder-in up the first half of the long side, then ten meter circle in the middle, then haunches-in up the rest of the long side thing. That was also very pretty and looks fun and should ride well at home. Bird knows how to do all those things and he's pretty snappy about doing the shape and also consistent about holding-the-shape. So, we'll try that, too.
#motivation
Since we got the hay cut (and all the round bales moved out of the field) last weekend, I can lay out a 'dressage arena' on the more-or-less flat part of the field this weekend for a couple of weeks. (It obviously cannot be permanent because the sewage sludge has to be spread once the rest of the hay is made and also because riding over and over in one spot kills the hay. The hay making people are about halfway done with the hay making, which obviously depends on the weather, but I should be able to get a week or two of use out of my shitty little makeshift work area anyway.) I'll use eight poles (to define the corners) and twelve cones/buckets (for the letters) and that should be plenty to be going on with.
Anyway, it was a good time at lesson. I realize we can't all the time be going sideways, but honestly I am ALL ABOUT THE SIDEWAYS over here so... yeah. It's fun when we get to do it.