long and low trot?

Let's talk about that time my lesson with a 4* rider essentially turned into a rudimentary walk-trot lesson. And how I was actually quite pleased with it. The ride started with me jabbering at Dan about all my general concerns with how Isabel has been going, while he set up the jump exercise (which we ultimately didn't spend much time on).

no action shots so you just get a random compilation. sorry not sorry!

See, I've been a tad worried about Isabel lately. (Not that it takes much to set my hypochondriac tendencies abuzz...). Like at our recent OF lesson that started with Izzy dragging a little bit, was full of those 'fierce' expressions, and ended with whorled up hair suggesting the saddle fit is only getting worse.

Then I had what can only be described as an 'uninspiring' dressage school on Monday, after she had a day off. One of those rides where I promised Isabel as we tacked up that I wouldn't pick any fights with her... and then was unable to keep that promise (while she was simultaneously unable to do.... well, just about anything, really). One of those rides where the horse is pretty honest about wishing it was literally anywhere else.

but everyone loves between-the-ears shots, right? RIGHT?!?

So obviously my mind shoots off in a million directions trying to figure out why the mare might not be feeling it, and what I can do to fix it. And my bank account bitterly weeps bc the answers that pop into my mind are: teeth (getting done tomorrow), saddle fit (appt on Sunday), back soreness / time for the chiro (no appt yet, but will happen sometime in the next 4 wks). (and oh god let's not even talk about hypothesizing on whether mare needs another ulcer treatment....)

And then I unleash all this on Dan when he innocently asks how things have been and I say 'quite poorly, actually.' Apparently I have a flair for the dramatic. Le sigh.

ooooh wait, here's an action shot!! lesson mate Kaitlyn takes her turn while we wait in the wings

Anyway, Dan is decidedly NOT a particularly dramatic individual so he kinda just gave me this look like 'yeaaahhhh you crazy.' But also humored me a little, saying (more or less) 'Let's suppose the mare IS back sore enough to interfere with her work. Giving her time off isn't necessarily going to help. Just like yoga is more beneficial to you when you're sore than just sitting on the couch, asking her to work and stretch correctly will help rather than hinder.'

At which point I had the pleasure of admitting that I don't actually know *how* to get my arab mare stretching under saddle.... womp womp.

this kinda counts as an action shot, right? i mean, she's *actively* eating a lifesaver from my hand. #totallycounts

And so the lesson became: teach Emma this most basic of concepts about stretching long and low at the trot.

This is probably old news for many of you - but it has honest-to-god seemed like the most elusive of unicorns to me, despite reading and hearing tell of the majykal properties of long and low trot work just about everywhere. Therefore I'm writing down as much as I can remember of the lesson in the hopes that it becomes, ya know, a thing I can actually *do*.

that's it for "action" shots tho, so here's cats. everyone likes cats, right? 

As always, it starts at the walk. Isabel naturally has a rangy over-tracking walk so our mission is always to bring her round while slowing down the pace and having her track up rather than over-track. All without bracing against my hand. I'm allowed to use *some* hand to achieve the walk, but it's primarily seat and leg, and as she softens to my hands I should be able to push them forward with her staying round and maybe lengthening her neck. 

Lately there has been a LOT of bracing and resistance tho, and achieving the walk feels like it's taking longer these days rather than getting easier like we might expect. My hope is to see improvement after her teeth get done... We'll see. 

except this horse. this horse definitely does NOT like cats.

Anyway, once we have the walk that stays balanced and soft when I push my hands forward, we half halt and transition up to trot. Per usual, right? The idea is that by establishing this correct walk first, we will have a better transition and find ourselves immediately in a balanced and soft trot. Same concepts as always.

Once in trot, Dan wanted me to really REALLY push Isabel up into the bridle - really round and deep. He suggested sitting the trot for this. Lots of leg, and slow the pace down. I was to push and push until the horse softened and felt like she would follow my hand forward.

cats are noticing the chillier weather and finding anything cozy to snuggle into

Then I could soften (and start posting) and slowly let the reins out - but keep leg ON. I had to keep pushing with my legs even while softening the reins and lowering her frame - that's what it means to 'push' the head lower. And if Isabel popped back up, it was right back to sitting the trot and pushing her super deep and round. Rinse repeat. Back and forth, give and take.

It was also imperative that as I softened and let the reins out, I didn't lose the connection. She was supposed to stay connected and round as she stretched down - not dive/root the reins or get curled under. Focusing on inside bend (with inside leg at girth, outside leg back) also helped significantly.

two-faced fat cat is super cute - i love how she has big white whiskers on one side and small black on the other

A couple times Dan also suggested tapping Isabel with the dressage whip on her inside shoulder - gently but enough to get a reaction - to get her lifting off the shoulder more since she was quite heavy on it.

Ultimately the proper outline requires the horse to continue swinging through her back, pushing from the hind end, and stretching down while maintaining a connection.

the socks (or at least one of them) i won from KateRose!!!! and it's actually a little more purple than navy, which i adore!

Tho pace is also quite important. Isabel's evasion of choice is speed - which Dan attributes to her losing balance. And if she gets too quick in this 'long and low' frame she's just going to get heavier and heavier on the forehand, negating all the benefits.

I'm not sure we ever quite achieved the appropriate pace, but the longer we went the better Isabel seemed to understand what I was asking and the more steps in a row we'd get of a 'correct' outline. Hopefully the pace part will come soon. 

mare remains unconvinced about all this nonsense

So that was pretty much the whole lesson. But just for shits and giggles we hopped through the jump exercise a couple times too, without ever having cantered for the warm up (wasn't necessary, we were trotting FOREVER haha).

The exercise was just a line down the outside - a vertical and oxer - with the fences set at like, seriously one foot. We started left lead and Dan wanted 6 strides. Then back up right lead in 6. I got chided a few times for getting too 'excited' in the last stride to the fence and was reminded that each stride should be even in length.

Then we came down left lead in 5, back up right lead in 6. And Dan pointed out that I get the most handsy and pull-y when I want the mare to open up her stride. Not very effective! Once I planted my hands on her neck and left her alone the 5 was fine. Then we came back up once more in a very lovely 7 (I will always love the add strides haha) and called it a day.

But yea, the meat of this lesson was the stretchy long low trot work. Hopefully I'll be able to continue refining my aids for this so that I can stop throwing money at a chiro whenever I'm particularly paranoid about Isabel's back haha...