No, I’m still riding, really.
It's the notes I'm not keeping up with--and I really should. I'm having really good lessons that I'm taking a lot of information away from and then losing half of it because I'm not writing it down or having it video-ed so I can watch and listen and the same time. I don't absorb as much when I'm actually riding in the lesson because I'm trying so hard that I actually tune out a lot of the instruction!
I had a grueling lesson, mentally. We'd just put my husband's ancient dog down earlier in the day and I was still overwhelmed with feeling sad. But I'm glad I rode, because it was much better than sitting around the house weeping, and also to show myself that I can buck up and get my act together. Sort of. The main issue for me was lack of focus, and then I got too focused on Clover, falling apart after getting her warmed up. We were working on a shallow bending line down the long side, and I was having a hard time first off getting the accuracy of the figure, and secondly with Clover resisting the bend to the right. It all sort of fell apart from there, her back got hollow, I rode backwards, et cetera. Something just didn't feel right.
I thought something was wrong with Clover--back? left hind?--but Michele worked with me to get her hind end engaged and I just tried to settle myself down and ride. We went back to the canter for a bit to get Clover going forward again, and going to the right it still felt like we were really low in the front--on the forehand, I guess that's what that really feels like--so we kept working: bending, straightening, getting the hind legs moving underneath, until Clover's shoulders came back up and she worked more evenly into the bridle. It's be hard getting her into the right rein lately, left hind weakness and all that.
So, we went back to the shallow zig-zags on one long side and a slight counterbend on the other, then as that improved, to a leg yield off the wall across the arena, off of the left leg. Clover doesn't like leg yielding in that direction at all, unless I'm really half halting strongly on the right rein and booting her with the left leg, she just drops her back and rushes through the bridle. Michele had me do the leg yield from the walk before going back to the trot. It was improved but still fraught with resistance.
We finished with more canter work to the left--and I learned (physically) how steady I have to be when using a rein correction in conjunction with a leg aid when getting Clover off the inside shoulder and getting the inside hind moving, especially in up and down transitions. The hand can't be waving around up there, the contact has to be steady. Durr!
I just have to remember not to give up when things aren't going right. It doesn't automatically mean there's something horribly wrong, it does mean there's an issue of straighness that needs to be addressed ... Michele keeps telling me that I'm Clover's physical trainer and now I'm getting what that means. I can't give up, I need to strengthen her left hind so the work gets easier and then better.
I had a grueling lesson, mentally. We'd just put my husband's ancient dog down earlier in the day and I was still overwhelmed with feeling sad. But I'm glad I rode, because it was much better than sitting around the house weeping, and also to show myself that I can buck up and get my act together. Sort of. The main issue for me was lack of focus, and then I got too focused on Clover, falling apart after getting her warmed up. We were working on a shallow bending line down the long side, and I was having a hard time first off getting the accuracy of the figure, and secondly with Clover resisting the bend to the right. It all sort of fell apart from there, her back got hollow, I rode backwards, et cetera. Something just didn't feel right.
I thought something was wrong with Clover--back? left hind?--but Michele worked with me to get her hind end engaged and I just tried to settle myself down and ride. We went back to the canter for a bit to get Clover going forward again, and going to the right it still felt like we were really low in the front--on the forehand, I guess that's what that really feels like--so we kept working: bending, straightening, getting the hind legs moving underneath, until Clover's shoulders came back up and she worked more evenly into the bridle. It's be hard getting her into the right rein lately, left hind weakness and all that.
So, we went back to the shallow zig-zags on one long side and a slight counterbend on the other, then as that improved, to a leg yield off the wall across the arena, off of the left leg. Clover doesn't like leg yielding in that direction at all, unless I'm really half halting strongly on the right rein and booting her with the left leg, she just drops her back and rushes through the bridle. Michele had me do the leg yield from the walk before going back to the trot. It was improved but still fraught with resistance.
We finished with more canter work to the left--and I learned (physically) how steady I have to be when using a rein correction in conjunction with a leg aid when getting Clover off the inside shoulder and getting the inside hind moving, especially in up and down transitions. The hand can't be waving around up there, the contact has to be steady. Durr!
I just have to remember not to give up when things aren't going right. It doesn't automatically mean there's something horribly wrong, it does mean there's an issue of straighness that needs to be addressed ... Michele keeps telling me that I'm Clover's physical trainer and now I'm getting what that means. I can't give up, I need to strengthen her left hind so the work gets easier and then better.
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