wherein we try to dressage

Isabel and I finally returned to the oh-so-gorgeous dressage barn TM for a lesson with C. Our first lesson was already over a month ago (man that quarantine really just messed up everything haha)... so I was really eager to get back at it. Especially given how good Isabel has been feeling lately :)

C got us started walking and trotting and kept on dropping nice little nuggets of wisdom. 

Common directions included posting evenly with both hips (which was something I've never heard before, but apparently I post 'more' with my right side? probably related to all the other weird things I do on the right - like collapse through my core and curl that leg up more...) and keeping toes pointed forward to neutralize my calves. 

She wanted me bringing Isabel's shoulders 'up' and keeping them squared - so that Isabel couldn't bulge out. 

new bridle charm was SUPER sparkly in the sunshine

She wanted me very straight through my hips and legs to ride Isabel straight up to my hands. It should be clear to Isabel where she can put her head - and hollow and inverted simply wasn't allowed. As past videos and pics have shown, Isabel can get a little too deep and BTV, so C told me to just play with her when she does that - bend her in or out to lift her head back up. Then when she goes nicely and softly I must leave.her.alone!!!

C also reminded me to BEND my elbows and keep them at my side (when will I ever learn to stop floating them forward??), and really shorten my reins. I've got to STOP burying my hands at the canter haha. 

all the windows and doors were open  - and it was just so so so pretty

We practiced a few canter transitions, wherein the big theme was DON'T RUSH. She wanted me to really think of sitting Isabel on her hind end - esp as arabians tend to ride a little croup-high. She also instructed me to think of pushing down in the stirrups - onto the actual stirrup bar, not necessarily with my heel - to help plant my seat in the saddle. 

Another biggie was that I MUST maintain rhythm. We would spend a while circling at A or C, and then go large - and Isabel would really start trucking down the long sides. So rhythm is something I need to work on - tho when I remembered to get more of that hip-swinging post from my bio-mechanics session, this became easier.

covertly snapping mirror selfies in the gorgeous ring only resulted in blur... oh well

Interestingly enough, I noticed that squeezing my thighs for downward transitions and half halts is actually a thing I can do now. Not sure how that went from 'concept I understand but can't do' to something I can actually, ya know, DO - maybe from practicing posting the canter? Maybe it loosened up my hips enough? Who knows, but I'll take it! 

Next C had us run through my old friend BN-A, and I told her allllll about our tendency to completely fall apart after the change of rein... So we did the test twice and got progressively better. Our canters are a touch too wild, and I'm rushing into the transitions (both up and down, actually)... 

But C reminded me that the transitions and the canter circles are actually different movements, scored separately. I need to keep riding even if I get a wild-ish transition, rather than throwing in the towel altogether. Novel ideas, folks. 

We also talked a little more about center line strategy. C says that it doesn't really matter which rein you turn from if you're entering from outside the ring - just choose whatever sets you up the best. But if you're turning up the center line from inside the ring to start your test - turn from the direction that you most need to practice. In our case, that's a right-hand turn. 

I consistently overshoot the turn and really need to start preparing well ahead of the corner... But C thinks the turn and resulting center line should be an easy 7 for us, esp given how tiny and nimble Isabel is (compared to say, an 18hh lumbering giant trying to make that tight turn). 

new girth got zero reaction from isabel - yay! it's somewhat anatomic, but obvi isn't offset enough for the billets to fall straight down. the saddle didn't slide forward onto izzy's shoulders tho so we'll see!

Lots of good practice. I really like running through the tests with guidance - esp given how new I am to all of this. Isabel's getting much steadier in the contact, but it's still not perfectly consistent. Once we can iron that out a little more perhaps we'll move on to more interesting movements haha. 

C agreed that Isabel seems to be moving really well - and that she's becoming nicely active behind and is working well over her back. We need to continue building strength and fitness (Izzy was a bit expressive about being tired by the end...), but she said I can actually allow Isabel to carry her neck a little higher when she's working so well. 

Generally tho it just feels GOOD to get back into the routine - especially when Isabel is such a good worker. Hopefully my goal of scoring < 40 on a dressage test at an event will be no problem :)