I had a lovely ride on Ted with Leila teaching. It was two of the other students' introduction to jumping, so I used the jumps to get Ted more forward, and then practiced what I had been learning for the past week. So: horse in front of my leg, my positioning (i.e. everything) and relaxing. I think the little crossrail actually made me relax more. It gave me something else to focus on, so everything else was just happening a bit easier. The last two times I had ridden Ted I couldn't get him round or bending (he IS an older Tb, so is obviously a little stiff) but this lesson I had him working pretty well and I felt like I was sitting reasonably securely.
With this horse, less is more. Taking and giving the reins did wonders to getting him a bit more together instead of just take-take-take. So I would have a pretty decent contact, ask him to soften, and then hold him extremely lightly and relaxed. Lovely!
My lesson with Tina this week was on another of the advanced horses, Gigi. Now this horse has a bit of an interesting history. She is formally 'Jordan's Glamour Girl' owned by Katie Price and was the UK Horse of the Year.
If you google Gigi, Katie Price and Contessa, you'll find plenty of articles on an alleged lawsuit against Contessa. It is absolutely ridiculous and just makes me think less of Katie. Gigi is in wonderful health, is sassy , sound and only gets ridden maybe twice a week if she's lucky? None of her lessons include more than a few strides of canter anymore so it's not like she's working hard! She probably gets the most turnout out of any of the asvanced horses too.
My second lesson on Mr. Ted did not go so well as the first. I was with Emma, and she gave us free rein to warm-up and work through some exercises as we liked. This was probably a bad idea. I am really in need of constant coaching right now to keep me focused.
I started off bending Ted straight away, knowing he's stiff, and managed to improve him a little bit. I was feeling a little deflated, as I know I can ride better and make the horse work better, but I just wasn't getting anywhere.
I chatted with Emma afterwards and although I should have taken it as a pep talk, it really discouraged me. She had noticed how tense I had become, and mentioned that I wasn't that tense in the first lesson I had with her- in other words, I have gone backwards.
We did some exploring as to why this had happened (other than I'm just a really terrible rider) and have come to the conclusion that I need to work on myself first and foremost, and just forget about what the horse is doing right now.
All of the instructors here are brilliant in their own ways, but some ask me to work the horses in certain ways WHILE keeping my position and relaxation. It really is impossible for me at this time. I cannot keep constantly readjusting my position while at the same time influencing the horse effectively. I just don't have the mental capacity. It gets me flustered and angry at myself for not doing more.
A little river in Hertford
So I will be asking for some lunge lessons, and letting the instructors know that my main focus right now will be my own strengthening and position, not the horses.
The few lessons where I have had a position bootcamp (mostly with Joao and Dawn) I have ridden 100% more effectively and have achieved more from the horse without even trying. The lessons where I am asked to get the horse round, get the horse collected, get the horse forward etc. is where I fall apart and ride like rubbish.
So I'm not feeling particularly wonderful about my dressage. In fact I feel damn right lousy, and I don't think 6 months is enough time to fix all my problems. I can't try anymore than I am already trying!!!!
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