Still Riding

I am still riding most weekends. Hawk was sold (to a 10 year old girl who also rides there). He's still there, I just don't get to ride him anymore. Instead, I've been riding Night, a 20 year old Arab mare. She's a sweetie.

Lunge Lesson

This morning I rode Hawk again. Given that there is some hope that at some point I may be interested in half leasing him (and that he's the largest of the horses available for non-advanced riders), I think it's safe to say that I will always be riding him unless he's off at a show or otherwise unavailable.

Today was a lunge lesson, so I could concentrate on my position without worrying about steering.

The reason Hawk is considered suitable for advanced beginners and not real beginners is that he tends to go rather fast, and is difficult to slow down. I've been told I seem to have a calming effect on him, as I can barely get him to go, and there's no trouble with slowing and stopping. That's not a high energy trot in the picture above.

We did get to canter, although I had a very hard time keeping him in a canter (and apparently he normally loves to canter).

Heel is not down here. In my defense, my legs are rather long, and Hawk wasn't listening to my legs, so that's me trying to use my heel on him without losing my stirrup.

I've been trying to organize my Flickr photo's a bit, so pictures of my latest lesson should always be available here. And all my riding lesson photos are here. At least, I think that should work.

Distractions and Stirrups

Last Thursday was a trail ride again, and I rode Hawk. It was 114° and humid, as we're just starting our Monsoon season here in Southern Arizona. As we were tacking up, it began to pour. Five minutes later, when we were in the saddle about to head out, it stopped raining, but had cooled down by about 30°. It was beautiful.

It hasn't rained in this area since that night, although the monsoon officially "started" at the end of last week. Since there's no rain, all that really means is we're getting highs around 110°, and have high humidity (it's not a "dry" heat during the monsoon season). Check the picture, those gray fluffy things in the sky are known as clouds... we don't get to see them too often in Southern Arizona.

The owner of Mystic (the Halflinger I rode in the middle of June), was there today. She competes in Combined Driving. Unfortunately for me, the one thing in the world that Hawk doesn't really care for is a carriage. He really, really just wanted to stand still and keep an eye on what they were doing.

After the carriage was off on the road again, we tried some canter. While I finally got a some speed in the trot, Hawk just didn't think I was doing well enough for canter (might be the leaning forward, I'm not supposed to be doing that). Coupled with my total inability to steer while asking for canter, Julie decided to get the lunge line again.

While being lunged, I was able to get into a canter.

But it didn't last long, so obviously we need to try something a little different... how about taking away my stirrups?

Apparently my seat is much better without stirrups. The arc in my back all but vanishes, and everything lines up pretty much as it should. Both the sitting trot and canter without stirrups went much better than with, though I'm pretty sure there are going to be new muscles unhappy with me by tomorrow.

We ended with me just walking around, without stirrups, practicing steering with my seatbones. I need more practice at that too.

Steering is Hard

Last week I rode Hawk on a trail ride, so no pictures. Another rider joined us, John riding a large mare, Blue. John started Wild Thing when she was just a baby. It was very laid back, just walking in the wash behind Julie's house. But it was a lot of fun.

This week I rode Hawk again, and worked on steering and transitions. We started by trotting 20 meter circles and serpentine's.

We also worked on my positioning. I tend to drop my hands when trying to slow down or stop, and also cross the rein over Hawk's neck when I'm trying to steer. I'm especially bad with the left. I lean forward when I'm asking for something (more speed or slow down), which helps my heals come up, and my stirrups to shift. When I am sitting straight my back has too much of an arch to it, I look down more than I should. I also tend to get a little more sloppy when I start getting tired. At least my heals are down here.

We also worked on canter! I decided (wisely apparently) that there would be too many things to remember to try and do, so I took Julie up on her offer of a lunge line, so I could focus more on where my body was and let her worry about where Hawk was. That turned out to be a good idea, as sitting trot, while sitting up straight (pelvis under shoulders, back not arched), with the inside leg on the girth, outside leg just behind the girth, looking forward, heels down, toes pointing up and ahead, hands relatively steady... I think I tend to oversimplify the important parts. Butt on saddle, everything else as I think of it/realize I'm not doing it.

But I did finally get into canter (it helps that Hawk is pretty good understanding voice commands, he sometimes does what Julie is telling me to do, just by her saying it, now if I can just get him to recognize the letters we'll look great).

Here I am being told I'm leaning forward during canter, which is probably why Hawk wouldn't keep cantering for long... But look how nicely he's standing.

Ok, leaning forward a little bit, and looking down, and does that count as "behind the girth"? But hey, the heel is down, the butt is on the saddle... lots could be worse.

After the cantering, I was pretty tired (so sloppy), so we worked on transitions more. Trot at E, back to walk at A, back to trot at B, walk at C. Keep hands in place, heels down, toes forward so I use calves, not heels to ask for trot (unless I don't get it, then heels are ok), sit up straight, pelvis forward so my back isn't arched, shoulders back, look forward, hands are all over the place again... I fix one thing, I forget about another... too much to remember all at once. Obviously I just need more practice. :)

Next week I'm going on Thursday evening again.

Mystic

Today, I got to ride Mystic. She's a 14.1 hh haflinger. This means she's technically a pony, but she's "stocky".

Today Julie walked me through a beginner dressage test. Test A here. The hardest part was getting on the centerline to end (I kept overshooting). And halting with Mystic straight.

I also learned to turn on the forehand. This involves getting the horse to pivot her hindquarters with the front legs as the pivot point. It's easier to avoid moving forward when there's something in front of you, like the picture below.

Mystic's favorite part was the free walk. She certainly enjoyed stretching her neck out. In fact, I think she knows what the words mean, as she'd pull on the reins and snort as soon as Julie said it.

Thursday evening next week as Julie is busy over the weekend. Not sure who I'll be riding.