Birchall clinic recap: validation (and half steps!!!)

Yesterday you saw the outtakes and random candids from our lesson with dressage rider Stephen Birchall. Today is a rundown of what we covered and what I am taking away from the clinic.

Ohh how I wish for more video - I'm totally regretting not bringing my helmet camera to set up on a ledge, as that proved perfect for Sunday's fix-a-test (post tomorrow). Oh well. Next time I'll be better prepared!

regal mare <3

In any case, it was the most intense 30min in the saddle in recent memory. In a good way. Stephen quickly got an accurate read on Isabel and took us down a challenging but appropriate path. Essentially, he validated the work we've been doing with trainer C - particularly liking how our contact has developed from riding back to front.

He liked that I didn't get noisy or fussy when Isabel bounced around a little bit (matching trainer C - who says "it doesn't matter, keep riding her where you want her to be"), and that our typical frame has Isabel's nose poked slightly ahead of the vertical. C says this is harder for Isabel than ducking behind the bit (obvi I concur), and Stephen added that it's critical to "ride the horse's conformation" (something he repeated to multiple riders).

isabel's confo can sometimes make for a unique ride  <3

Stephen was also pleased with my efforts to improve my seat and leg position. Little did he know: he was my inspiration. Recall when I audited back in November, it struck me how he began each ride with his leg explicitly OFF the horse. He said "Leg is Sacred" and that his leg says absolutely nothing to the horse unless he MEANS it.

I've been chewing on that idea ever since, and lately have been practicing the leg lifts in the saddle that Catherine Haddad discusses in this video (someone in blogland originally posted that but now I can't remember who!).

Specifically, I start each ride lifting my entire leg, hip to heel, from the saddle. Focusing on feeling my seat connect with Isabel's back - while still pushing my big toe into the stirrup iron.

Stephen liked this a lot, and took it further by adding that the heels must always be down. He said he constantly rides off his core, seat and stirrup irons - and *not* by pinching with thigh, knee or calf. The leg should be able to come off. This feeling really helps me - esp now that I'm learning to keep my seat in the saddle (rather than popping out) while pushing into the stirrup.

lighting made for neat silhouette effects

Ok. Omg. So much blabbing and we haven't even gotten to the good stuff. Kinda sorry.. kinda. Anyway, after introducing myself and the mare ("we're both new to first level dressage, but Isabel takes to the work very well and has been an excellent horse to learn with"), we opted to let Stephen choose our direction for the day rather than schooling any specific tests or movements.

So what did he choose? Half steps (omg). Starting, of course, with sitting trot (without me even needing to tell him we are a train wreck in that department haha).

Obvi, tho, first we started with some basic trotting in both directions, complete with changes of direction to assess our contact etc. Directions of note included:

• Shorten reins one at a time (a la Austen's recent post on the topic)
• Don't let inside hand get too low - stay aware, esp with holding the whip
• Soften elbows, esp outside - must allow that softness in the outside rein to get flexion to inside
• Shoulder fore on a circle
• Counter flexion (think travers, or was it renvers?)
• Then back and forth between inside bend, going straight (on a circle), and counter flexion

#werkin

Then we started sitting trot, just a couple strides at a time. 

• OMG I was a hot mess - having stopped practicing as much, since we wouldn't be sitting in the upcoming show.. womp
• Don't let the connection go just bc I'm sitting the trot
• Sit a few strides, post a few strides, sit, post, rinse, repeat
• Don't look down!! 

mare fit right in with all the fancy dressage horses

As might be expected, the sitting grew a little easier with repetition (and with C's many directives zooming rapid fire through my mind). But before I had a chance to think about it, Stephen shifted directly into working towards half steps (omg). All while ridden sitting: 

• He wanted NO LEG, half halts with core and reins, and simultaneous tap with whip 
• I was to take my time, no rushing. Think "halt" but.. ya know.. don't halt
• Carry whip in outside hand (haunches fishtailed in too much with whip in inside hand)
• Must be careful not to clench inside hand when moving outside hand to tap with whip
• Tap with whip tells her to quicken her hind end and push up into bridle - NOT go faster
• Must be patient and kind with aids to help Isabel understand what I'm asking
• Encourage her to stay ACTIVE while bringing the movement more onto the spot with the reins
• Rein aids need to mean a quickening of the step
• Then allow forward again. Then back to half steps. Then forward. Rinse repeat.
• This is the beginning of piaffe - becoming more and more 'on the spot'

not half steps... still cute tho!

Omg. Guys. This was incredible. It was HARD, yes, and Isabel grew a little frustrated at one point - but let it go and kept working, kept trying. She was SO ROUND. I finally know what you all are talking about when you say the horse "gives you a place to sit." Stephen said 'when you have the hind legs, you have a place to sit.'

Anyways, next:

• Depart into canter from that small trot. No running tho! 
• Transitions were difficult and sticky (definitely harder for mareface!) - so I needed to truly commit to the canter.
• If Izzy tried running, we were to bring back to collection then bump with outside leg (as a correction, not as a signal to depart again). 
• Half halt immediately upon cantering.
• Canter needs more inside bend (shocker - esp since we did all this work to the left, our notoriously harder direction)

Then back to trot:

• Working trot on a circle, then into medium trot, then back to working trot
• Back and forth, back and forth (a theme, and our homework)
• The resulting working trot was THE working trot we want

isabel is so game

Our homework is to play with the forwards and back like this, play with the trot. Push for more. Stephen asks, what's the risk? What's the harm? What the hell, just go for it!

Personally, I'm a little less sure haha. Honestly, the biggest reason I'm bummed about the lack of video is bc the way Stephen directed us through the movements - his voice, his timing, his choice of words - was SUPER effective for me and helped me ride Isabel to the best of my abilities. Without which we wouldn't have gotten as good results. 

So I'm not entirely sure I trust myself to try on my own (unless I can somehow procure a recording of Stephen's voice? LOL) bc I can definitely see how battle might ensue if I somehow end up riding the mare unfairly. We'll see. I'll probably try a more watered-down version.

But generally - the canter and half steps work was incredible. I really felt like I "had a place to sit" in both gaits. 

stephen demonstrating a stretch through the back and legs

It was interesting tho - later in the day Stephen, after discussing how to best manage a different horse, referred back to Isabel, saying: "She's stoic, she's not going to pitch a fit or explode if she's uncomfortable. You'll only ever know it after the fact by discovering she is back sore." 

UM YES, DING DING DING. That is exactly Isabel, and our exact struggle over the years with her. She doesn't tell me much under the saddle, but carries it all through her back. Stephen's advice was to "manage her care accordingly." We're trying dude, I promise. 

Tho I'm also very pleased to report that while Isabel was fatigued for our fix-a-test the next day and not super eager to take weight onto her hind end, she was *not* ouchy to the touch. The muscles and strength, folks, they're developing!

Phew. Lots of little nitty gritty details, and maybe hard to envision without supportive video/media evidence. You'll just have to take my word for it tho: Isabel was super game and worked her butt off (quite literally). I think the reason this mare has so much dressage potential (aside from just being a cute mover) is her ability to handle pressure. Ask her to do a thing, and damn if she doesn't try.

All in all, it was a really positive experience. Stephen's teaching style worked for me, and his philosophies meshed with my regular training program. Riding with him was worth the expense of a 30min lesson (and 3hr round trip), and I will absolutely try to do so again when he's in town.