Show the difference
I’ve started riding Clover in lessons with Michele at MRF, so far I’ve had two and feel like I’ve made more progress than I have schooling on my own the last time I rode Clover for any length of time. Not riding Mico and taking lessons on Katja was a good idea; instead of the endless frustrating struggle I was able to get on a more neutral horse and feel how little it takes to ride right–at least, more correctly in the classical sense. Meaning, calm-forward-straight and seat-leg-hands. Or what I understand that to mean. Or what I’m starting to understand.
Michele really likes Clover and put her “mare issues” down to stickiness–mainly weakness in the left hind. I need to be really careful to get Clover moving freely forward and not cram her into a frame, or even think about it. We’ve worked on exercises to get a good working trot, to get Clover to maintain it without me pushing every stride, and to get me to feel what a proper working trot ought to. Simple things, like slowing down the trot for 3 strides and going right back to working trot, and showing the difference.
Because Clover has a tendency to want to carry her haunches to the left, when we track right, I ride counter bend and even leg yields against the wall in order to get Clover working that left hind underneath her. When it’s right I should only need to maintain straightness with a slight counterbend, and be careful to not let my right leg drift back, as I may have been inadvertently been pushing Clover’s haunches to the left. Oops.
In transitions, especially when asking for more forwardness in the trot, I need to think leg yield to keep her from kicking out at the aid, and not hunch myself over and tense up in defense–stay upright with a long leg! The canter work was pretty good, I’m starting to sit up and follow the motion, I think my arms are even starting to almost follow the motion; Clover’s canter to the right was almost comfortable to sit! And to the left, we got a lighter down transition, I’d gotten the half-halts right and instead of slamming down to the trot, we had a normal down transition. I’d trot out of the circle and leg yield up the long side. I had a huge smile on my face after that–even Michele noticed.
She also said that this was the horse that I should be riding, she didn’t want to see me on Mico. I kind of knew the answer was there, but felt like I locked myself into this situation where I forced myself to ride Mico to become a better rider, and was reluctant to seem like I was taking Clover back from Katrina. But from what everyone is saying, the bottom line is that no one really cares except me, so I shouldn’t worry about it. Ok then. Onward.
Michele really likes Clover and put her “mare issues” down to stickiness–mainly weakness in the left hind. I need to be really careful to get Clover moving freely forward and not cram her into a frame, or even think about it. We’ve worked on exercises to get a good working trot, to get Clover to maintain it without me pushing every stride, and to get me to feel what a proper working trot ought to. Simple things, like slowing down the trot for 3 strides and going right back to working trot, and showing the difference.
Because Clover has a tendency to want to carry her haunches to the left, when we track right, I ride counter bend and even leg yields against the wall in order to get Clover working that left hind underneath her. When it’s right I should only need to maintain straightness with a slight counterbend, and be careful to not let my right leg drift back, as I may have been inadvertently been pushing Clover’s haunches to the left. Oops.
In transitions, especially when asking for more forwardness in the trot, I need to think leg yield to keep her from kicking out at the aid, and not hunch myself over and tense up in defense–stay upright with a long leg! The canter work was pretty good, I’m starting to sit up and follow the motion, I think my arms are even starting to almost follow the motion; Clover’s canter to the right was almost comfortable to sit! And to the left, we got a lighter down transition, I’d gotten the half-halts right and instead of slamming down to the trot, we had a normal down transition. I’d trot out of the circle and leg yield up the long side. I had a huge smile on my face after that–even Michele noticed.
She also said that this was the horse that I should be riding, she didn’t want to see me on Mico. I kind of knew the answer was there, but felt like I locked myself into this situation where I forced myself to ride Mico to become a better rider, and was reluctant to seem like I was taking Clover back from Katrina. But from what everyone is saying, the bottom line is that no one really cares except me, so I shouldn’t worry about it. Ok then. Onward.
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