"WOW" Medium Trot, and Beware the Heat

During our lesson we had a couple very nice medium trot lengthenings. Our shoulder in continues to improve; keeping my eyes focused on my endpoint, sitting rhythmically to keep a lively tempo, activating the inside hind (with leg and whip) to move the hindquarters away and keep Delphi into the outside rein, and insisting Delphi stay engaged and on the bit are all key.
A side note to Southerners and Houstonians in particular: remember to hydrate before, during, and after exertion in this above 100 degree heat (yesterday we had actual temperature of 105). We all know this but the morning of my lesson I popped out of bed and had my normal granola bar and cup of coffee; no water, little protein. Then I proceed to the barn where I chose NOT to ride in the indoor arena (my excuse was I like the 20 x 60 grid and the forwardness of the outdoor) and after 45 minutes of intenese schooling (neglecting to hydrate), like a Southern Belle I nearly fainted clean away after the dismount. After Karen and Patricia gave my face and neck an ice bath, removed my boots and socks, and re-hydrated me I was fine. The moral of the story is hydrate, hydrate, hydrate, and EAT SOMETHING! Karen's secret weapon: electrolyte packets you can stash in your tack trunk and easily mix with water for an electrolyte and B-12 boost just when you're getting ready to pass out from the heat (available at most drugstores). Be careful out there!

Keep the Connection

In order to keep Delphi connected and on the bit, I must keep my elbows firmly by my side with my hands in the "box" and use my torso to half halt. (Almost as though I'm holding a dumbell rod and using my core to keep my hands "up" in the correct position.) The half halt can and should be firm and strong, and after Delphi softens I should allow her to stretch to the bit but remember that at this stage I should immediately repeat the process to keep her connected. Keeping my knees soft with my legs back and knees pointing downward helps maintain impulsion. Keep a forward tempo by bending Delphi in then activating the inside hind.

Shoulder In Again

Delphi and I are trying to master the shoulder in, a seemingly simple yet for us hard to attain maneuver. In keeping the horse in the outside rein, the outside rein must not move forward, yet should remain elastic and giving to allow the correct amount of inside bend from the inside rein. Once the angle and bend are established, you can easily give the inside rein in uberstreichen. Yet when initially establishing the bend, the outside rein must allow enough freedom to bend around the inside. I should not allow Delphi to leave the track or circle in an attempt to evade the shoulder in; rather, I should keep her on the track or even halt and start again. To keep a lively tempo, spring with your seat and step down into the inside stirrup. Remember to always look up at a target point where you're going.

Happy Dance!

Tempi Changes on Fee

Meet Fee

Fee, an upper level Rhinelander mare, is owned by my barn buddy Karen who has graciously allowed me to ride Fee while Karen nurses a broken wrist back to health. Fee has been teaching me how to correctly ask for up transitions. The key is in your position: keep your lower legs back and away from the horse, your knees soft, and your seat following with your torso stretching upward. For the up canter trans, half halt up to allow the neck to be in a natural position, supple the poll, jaw and neck with flexions (remember to soften the rein), then allow your inside seatbone to move forward with the canter movement and give a slight "stomp" on the inside stirrup. Fee canters so nicely from collected walk. During our lesson we even schooled flying changes! In half pass, remember that the shoulders lead and there should be definite bend in the direction of travel.

Refining Shoulder In

In giving the aids for shoulder in, make sure that your inside leg is rhythmically squeezing to engage the horse's inside hind. First bring the horse's shoulders in, then maintaining a lively impulsion, squeeze rhythmically with your inside leg and keep pulsing down into the inside stirrup. Be careful not to "tap" or "stomp" with your leg, as that can be misinterpreted as the cue for canter. You can reinforce your squeezing leg aid for with the whip to maintain the hind leg crossing over and to maintain the tempo.

Of Canter and Shoulder In

In schooling second level (or any level for that matter), the rider must always remember to allow frequent periods of stretch for relaxation interspersed with frequent half halts up and engaging the hindquarters for collection.
Karen gave us another excellent canter exercise: starting at C (say in right canter), travel down the long side toward B. At B make a 10 meter half circle to the centerline, and halt at G. Pause, back up, then walk a couple strides and canter left. Track left at C and travel down the opposite long side toward E. At E make a 10 meter half circle to the centerline and halt at G. Repeat for a good second (and third!) level schooling exercise.
Concerning shoulder in, Karen had us use the fence line to enforce the correct angle and straightness of the shoulder in. Begin by making a 10 meter circle while engaging the inside hind. For schooling, leg yield over to the wall (fence line in our case), bring the shoulders in and keep the trot lively by tapping the whip behind your leg, on the haunch, or on the shoulder, and by springing in the saddle each stride and "jumping" down into the inside stirrup. I MUST engage the inside hind, and get her hindquarters crossing into the outside rein.

We Took Passage Steps Today!

During our lesson Karen used a coach whip to school Delphi alongside us while I rode, first at walk then in trot. (Karen first taught Delphi what the whip meant at the halt by touching her hind leg then rewarding her for lifting that leg, and made sure that Delphi wasn't afraid of the whip by touching her on the hindquarter, belly, and neck with the whip.) To begin in walk, we collected the walk using half halts and engaging the hindquarter. Karen then showed Delphi the whip to encourage her to engage her hindquarter and lower her hindquarters. We repeated the same technique in trot, asking Delphi to jump underneath herself in self carriage. We actually got two steps of "hop" as in passage. The key is to keep your legs back with soft knees, and continue springing with your seat every stride of the trot, half halting then lightening to create A LOT of energy. Delphi carried herself so nicely, in true self carriage, as light as can be!
We also schooled walk to canter and canter to walk transitions. We used the visual aid of a jump standard and the physical aid of a repeated pattern to help her learn that we wanted WALK (no trot steps!) at a certain point. We basically rode a figure eight of two ten meter circles, asking for a simple change in the center of the figure eight. Half halting, lightening, flexions left, flexions right (make them deliberate and one rein at a time, no "sawing!"), and riding EACH stride firmly with your seat keeps the canter collected and organized, helpful in both the ten meter circles and counter canter serpentine loops.