Training+dedication=Progess

Now, just because I am not a professional rider doesn't mean I am not dedicated, comitted or faithful to my horses and our progession towards awesomeness.  The nametag I wear - "Adult Amateur" probably makes me even worse - LOL!! I ride, train and compete because I love it, pure and simple. I also love the constant learning that accompanies this great sport.  Sure, I have ridden for ever and ever, but it would be silly of me to even begin to think that I know everything.  No one knows everything, yes ladies....even Boyd Martin takes lessons. he he he.
Every horse will teach you something and every situation will make you a more capeable horseman/woman - that I am sure of.  The classic Winston Churchill quote rings true..."there is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of man".

Training+Dedication=Progress
While this applies to many things in life, for me it screams horses! There are lots of different variables that can be intserted, and sure....it can apply to the rider or the horse or the environmnt...but still, it is pretty basic and pretty darn applicable.
I personally am a huge fan of amatures who work closely with a trainer, a trainer they respect and see eye to eye with.  Currently I am working with a fantastic trainer, one who i respect greatly and learn oodles and oodles from with every lesson.  My amazing eventing parter, Doc, is the first horse I have had the pleasure of bringing along and I KNOW I couldn't have done it without the help of my trainer - heck and we are just running Novice, there is still so much to learn.

Most recently, I have been working on straightness/bend with Doc....in the scheme of basic training it falls in after the horse is moving forward and required in order to accomplish the correct bend.

 

1.Forward

2. Straigtness

3. Bend

Should you get all excited and try to accomplish these tasks out of order, you might find it much more difficult and discover that you have not correctly learned and taught these concepts to your horse.  (But I know, there is more than one way to do things...this is just the way I have been taught and agree with - just sayin'). After tackling the 'forward' asspect of life for awhile...yes, I think I own the only 'lazy' TB..ha ha ha.  We are doing the big boy work known as straightness and bending....ooohhhhhh.  This is big deal, right?? at first I am thinking, 'sure, I can ride my horse in a straight line....just ride them between my leg and hand with even pressure, right?' ummmmmm, NO!! There are shoulders, hocks and necks to think about....not to mention me and my position.  Yikes! My particular horse has noodles for shoulders and needs lots of active awarness on my part to make sure these noodles stay in line. In short I have learned to love my outside leg and hand...such gems. My outside leg, which is often quite tired after a school with Doc-a-roo, keeps him going forward and helps keep those hips and shoulders in line.  My outside hand helps the leg by creating that wall, keeping the horse in line....in order to set Doc up for straightness I often will think about almost bending him to the outside! "What??" you say, "Isn't that the opposite of what you want to accomplish".....ahhhhhh, the beauty is that the answer is no. By thinking about bending your horse to the outside you are in fact regaining thier shoulder and aligning them appropriately with the hip - in turn, allowing the horse to travel as one straight beast.  All too often people split thier horse in half and wrap them excessivly around the inside leg. A straight horse is a more balanced horse and a more powerful horse. You will feel that once your beastie is traveling in a true straight line thier step will be springy and wayyyy more adjustable, and much easier to coax into a correct inside bend.

See how the hips and shoulders stay in line? Yes, the horse is bent correctly....but in order to get this far they must be going forward and moving as one straight beast.

My little buddy is still a baby and needs lots of help keeping his shoulders in-line with his hips...hence my growing love for my outside aids. Just yesterday, during our dressage school, I couldn't fight the grin that spread across my face when Doc and I were able to accomplish a STRAIGHT canter in....wait for it.....BOTH directions!! After spending lots of time at the beginning of the ride working on diamond patterns, turns on the forehand and counter canter work we were able to put in some solid canta' skillz! I just kept repeating to myself..."loooong leg, seat seat, shoulders up, outside aids"....Yes, I am geek and talk to myself while I ride -don't judge, you know you do it too.

As we took a well deserved walk break, I realized that not only did I have to learn the correct way to accomplish this task (straightness), I had to to teach it to my sweet pony....then we had to practice, practice, practice - Today we were rewarded with progress!! I'll take it anyday of the week.....

Cause really, who knows what will come up tommorrow, right??