2 cool exercises

Image from JJ Tate Clinic, Thanks Magoo Photography!

I've mentioned Tilly's crooked tendencies to the left and I feel like we are so close to really making a difference and moving on from the issues.  If I let her, Tilly would just jut her neck to the left, avoid the right rein,  and fake roundness by over bending.  Of course, she is not to blame!  There are so many factors that contribute: ME, past injuries, weaknesses.


Here are some cool cues and exercises that are helping me develop Tilly's authentic frame when traveling to the left as well as improving the quality of the gaits.

**Keep the canter between the inside zipper and pocket and out side leg.**
I like this because then I'm not focusing about pressing my sit bone quite so much.  I certainly don't want to cause an inversion but I need to visualize a feel to stay with Tilly's back in canter transitions.  They happen so quickly!!

**Turn on haunches to turn on forehand**
This exercise is fun because it helps me balance Tilly evenly between my legs but it also reminds me to use my hips for lateral work.  Tilly has a tendency to bulge and park her outside hind leg out during the turn on the haunches.  This exercise keeps her softer an more honest in the connection. Really keeps her guessing!  When I applied the aid at first she just kept backing up... I let her know verbally that I was irritated about her response but then I shut my mouth and just kept letting my leg aid breathe on her side... the moment she thought about what she was doing and stopped backing (we went quite a ways!) and then responded correctly by turning instead i paused the aid and praised her:) 

It reminded me of something that JJ said - paraphrasing here - Tilly has to accept the leg submissively and you have to begin treating her like a different horse because she has drastically changed since you began training her.

I still growl at her sometimes when she is naughty because that worked when she was bucking and rearing... but honestly she hardly behaves that way unless its a completely new exercise.  Still, I need to work to move away from that behavior even more.

Staying with the Motion: JJ Tate Clinic

Results are fun aren't' they!?  Those "aha" moments become addictive especially when the horse responds instantaneously.  Though I must admit, in my experience, the horse always seems to be just waiting for me to "get it."   This simple truth keeps me enthralled with horses - what patient teachers!

Last weekend at the JJ Tate clinic, I located a feeling in Tilly's back that I will never forget.  The exercise began with a statement from JJ, "I'm going to change your life..."

Wow, did she!

JJ's advice was to move and swing my hips and shoulders to unlock the hesitation I sensed in my mare's back... just underneath the saddle.  The swing developed a connection that was part half halt and part "hooking" in with Tilly's movement.  We were getting by when tracking right but to the left, we experienced an inversion evasion and a feeling of being "left behind," I'm sure it has to do with my conformation and slightly stiffer and less coordinated left hip.  But I was actually quite stuck in my mid back and this rotation of hips and shoulders within the horse's movement is exactly what I needed!

At first the motion felt mechanical but once I got into "the swing" of things ;) the horse became unbelievably supple and round.  JJ gave me a mantra and I'm certain that this will improve every single movement that Tilly demonstrates.  In fact, the swing seems to correct every single problem we have!  

Our left shoulder-in often has a cumbersome feel... yesterday, I over exaggerated the rhythmic pivot in my left shoulder and left hip to keep supple-ness in the left side while maintaining the lateral motion.  At first, I felt like I was hauling my left shoulder back, while keeping the left hand in place and only moving within in the rhythm of the trot... 1-2, 1-2, left shoulder-2, LEFT!!!!-2.  Then I realized that the motion was also bringing my right leg better into position to support Tilly's problematic shoulder and I allowed myself to move even more.  After a few tries, Tilly melted underneath me and we accomplished (for the first time!!) trot canter transitions with in the shoulder in left!  

There were many exercises learned during the clinic and I look forward to applying them and blogging about our experiences within the coming weeks.  Thanks!!

Finding the floaty trot... it's a technical term.

Exercises at the canter always improve the quality of Tilly's trot and my goal during yesterday's ride was to rediscover the soft, lofty feel that we lost when the saddle started pinching Tilly's withers in July.

We accomplished that and much more!!  One of the characteristics that I love about this mare is that she really participates in the training.  Riding her is like having a conversation.  I'm not sure I can paraphrase, but it goes something like this:

Me:  "Sweetie, can we get a little more activity behind in the lateral movement?"
Tilly:  "Sure! but I feel a stuck with your thigh in my way."  (her hind leg swats at my leg)  "Ok, now soften the left rein... Not too much!  I kinda need you to hold me on the right... Hey!  don't tip forward!        Here i go!!!!  weeeee!"

She's pretty fun with a strong dose of bossy.  But she also enjoys the challenge of dressage and loves figuring out the exercises.  I love the creativity that she requires.  Doing any one thing for too long get boring for both of us.

Yesterday, I worked on transitions.  She was a little clumsy feeling in the trot/ walk transition and I'm sure it had to do with increasing the collection without stopping the forward movement.  Over the weekend I focused on rediscovering her big, pushing walk stride  while stretching and suppling the neck.  We set some poles out because that gives her a destination and well... she likes understanding the exercise before she will commit to it.   

Very simply, I asked her to walk in front of the pole and step over it without leaning in the connection to my hand.  She was expected to maintain an activity in the walk that was on the verge of trotting.  Once I found a supple horse here... we moved on to Canter/ Walk transitions.  Tilly was getting it so I decided to increase the difficulty by asking on a really, really straight line.  This might sound easy, but Tilly is a slinky and walking a slinky on a straight line is no simple task.  When I asked she gave me the simple change right away.

We moved on to canter half pass and I worked some of the exercises that we were doing pre- saddle debacle to really rock her back onto her haunches.   The working pirouette did the trick and I was on cloud nine as she flowed sideways and maintained the connection.  A flying change was just waiting on me and so I tried the aid as quietly as possible.  She was perfectly on my aid and changed immediately!!!  Did she buck you ask?  Uhh, well..... She didn't not buck :)

 After a short break I practiced a little trot half pass and finished with the medium trot I've missed so much!!  I love how floaty she has become - thank you dressage!

She's back!

Despair had begun to set in yesterday... or maybe I just missed my TNT this week :(  After my lesson last Monday I gave my back and Tilly's back a break, so she got some time off.  On Wednesday I made a trip to Atlanta to borrow my buddy's saddle.  When I returned, I was delighted to find that it fit great! buuuut, Tilly was WILD!! 

I'll admit I was worried.  Did she not like the saddle?  Were her ulcers acting up?  Was she just fresh after the time off?  I had to figure something out after she bolted across the arena from a "have a nice day" bag.  Oh, irony!

So today I went back to our old goldie exercise over poles. 

Tilly wanted to move out really big so I just focused on half halts and an authentic connection.  Since all the saddle problems began in July both Tilly and I have been just getting by in our training.  She started to set her neck against the discomfort of the saddle.  Interestingly, I feel exactly the same way.  My neck and back have been so achy that I've gotten stiff in an attempt to push through the pain.  Luckily I found some great living social deals for massages in Aiken :)  I'm closer to being pain free and after today's ride, I think Tilly is too!

Since she was in the habit of setting her neck I did a lot of exercises in change of bend.  Counter canter always loosens her up and improves the trot so we did little serpentines all over the field around the arena.  It worked great!  So I took to same idea and applied it to the trot.  We were basically weaving our way around... tiny 10 meter serpentines to keep the bend changing and softening.  By the end of the ride, we were back to simple changes on a 20 meter circle.   I was so excited to feel her on my aids, picking up the counter canter so easily and then switching back.

Tomorrow I'll work on getting her more collected and improving the quality of the trot.  She still felt a bit choppy today.  Wish us luck! 

The JJ Tate clinic is coming up next weekend and I want  to be ready to work on flying changes!!