Warm up included bending Jazzy with my bending aids so that his ribcage moves out away from my inside leg and his flexion is to the inside and his hindquarters are to the inside of the bend so his ribcage is out and he is bent around my deep inside leg and my outside leg back to establish bend. I mustn't hold my inside leg on constantly, Jazzy will just push against it, rather I must bump him off my inside leg and even surprise him with it if he is not responding by moving his ribcage out (bending) and then consistently allow my inside leg to be light again.
Warm up also included shoulder fore on the long side, where I first establish straightness on the straight line, then establish the inside flexion, and only then get the definite angle with the outside aids as well as the inside to establish shoulder fore. Separate out these three elements, and eventually they happen quickly but be sure to establish first the straightness, then ask for inside flexion, then get the definite angle for shoulder in.
When riding onto a diagonal line, say on the left rein, keep the left flexion on the diagonal line to prevent the horse from automatically changing the flexion right and tumbling over to his left shoulder. This helped me to ride a definite straight diagonal line. Also when riding the medium, it is most important that the horse carries himself by bringing his hindlegs; I facilitate this with balancing half halts and when I come with my usually light leg and then hold it on for the moments of medium he responds to my leg aids by bringing the hindquarters with me and keeping the forehand light with good freedom of his shoulders. But his free shoulders have to be carried by developing bringing the hindlegs with me.
In the counter canter, remember to keep the inside (of the canter bend) flexion, and have my outside leg back to support the canter lead. This keeps Jazzy from falling onto his inside-of-the-lead shoulder and then just changing leads to keep his balance. Instead, my inside leg must stay forward at the girth with a deep heel with my outside leg back, and keep the flexion of the lead so that he can counter canter in balance. When preparing to develop flying changes, a pre-requisite is that the horse can do prompt, uphill walk-to-canter transitions, and that the horse can counter canter in balance. In canter transitions from trot, keep the inside flexion and half halt the outside rein a couple times to rebalance, think slow-slow-canter.
The idea of developing the horse by teaching him to carry and be in self-carriage is of utmost importance. To do this you always examine and challenge the straightness, the bending, the connexion, and the lightness of the aids. In a moment of crisis, first establish that the horse is carrying itself (you are not holding it up nor pulling it down on the forehand with the reins), then establish that the horse is in alignment (the horse is not falling over the outside shoulder with neck in, but rather the horse is established into a good outside rein connexion and the rider's inside [and outside] leg is being used as described above to keep the ribcage out in correct bend), and then make the contact good by suppling the horse within this already established correct balance and alignment. Developing the horse for the future by teaching it to move correctly in the way of a dressage horse is the most difficult thing, but the most important thing. The idea of training movements for a particular level is not worth much without the overarching idea of developing the horse correctly, right now and to build on for the horse's future.
No comments:
Post a Comment