Tuesday, August 26, 2008

My Dressage Wa




I just love this mare that never lies to me about anything...she always tells it like it is and can be a bit dramatic about how she feels!

Our second Clinic was upon us and she was as calm as all get out..wondered if i needed a dressage ornament(whip)decided not to. Good thing!

We started out on the first day and it was not like the first clinic...the instructor that is a qualified judge for the dressage events in her state of California, had us take the beginning level test that she read aloud...okay,...then she said, "canter between A and K"... You can plainly hear me say on the DVD from the other end of the arena= not questioning..but in exclamation, "CANTER!"
Okay..the last times I cantered anywhere, but the trail, have been a bit explosive and my current trainer may never allow me to canter in a lesson, not that she was tipped off, but..don't know, she just won't have me go there...so I have NOT gotten to the bottom of it all with the canter, and have not gotten any trained eye to see what the hay I am doing to set the mare off!
So I did it...the first two tries at right lead were counter canters...and then we got it...
and off we went into the middle zone..bucking and whooooa! I do have a "Grab Strap" on my dressage saddle =and I used it.
The Left lead canter was worse and we really went flying thorugh the spaces
not on the test to go to!!!

When all was done, and I stayed on and actually calmed her into a nice soft jawed(her and I) relaxed canter...everyone clapped.
Shocking ...all my friends had shown up to watch that first day, and to support me and the show was a goodie..yea I cried... for the tension of all of it.

They actually wanted me to go again after 4 rounds..when the instructor said, "One more time?" All I saw were these first digit fingers go up in approval of the thought. "No thank you," I said, and the instructor told me why she'd allow me to beg off...we had a nice calm ending to the last explosive bout and it was a good note to end on.

Reviewing the DVD that night with my sister...we clearly saw that I was weighted to the outside seat when asking for the right lead...and that set her off...literally. And the left lead, I was blocking her with my left shoulder and also trapping her with my right rein.
She does not lie..she just tells me directly so...YOU PISS ME OFF!
The mare is NOT passive aggressive!

So, when asked about what I wanted in a ride the second day..I mentioned all my bad riding postures and asked for her to review my habits and help me. That is why she was there and it allowed her to be on me in "Ride every Stride"...it was an awesome ride and Washashe told me so= by actually snorting in the canter as we went..reaching down and stretching her neck.
Her impulsion was the right kind that day....


NICE!!!






2 comments:

  1. Isnt it great to be able to see what you did on a monitor? I used to film my daughter and we both learned so much from reviewing it. Your Wa is gorgeous.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh thank you my dear!
    I really have enjoyed being able to get good instruction from someone that knows each breeds
    specific character traits as this gal apparently does.
    That has been my problem for the past few years...people reading into my mare what they wanted us to do with reading the personality of her.
    Without that acknowledgement, I have found, it is going backwards for us!

    ReplyDelete

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