Went out to the stables tonight and worked Max a bit. Didn't do anything spectacular but we did work on canter/walk transitions and some side-passing. Canter/walk transitions are tough for me because I tend to put on too much "brake" when I use my seat- Max has gotten increasingly senstive to my use of "breath control" when half-halting to the point where it doesn't take much to actually stop him...and this is without any use (or very minimal) of the reins.
Anyway, it's really a matter of timing because while you need to rapidly decelerate, you also have to back off at the last moment and almost "squeeze" the horse into a walk (while maintaing a good seat and balance). It's hard to describe and I don't always time it well... :-).
What I also have to work on is the walk/canter depart- you have to collect up the horse's energy (i.e. rev up) while walking and then release it as you ask for the canter. Ideally, the horse should almost explode and take off like a rocket (controlled, off course). As part of this, Max compresses himself like a spring (it feels like he's bowing) and it helpd to try and take weight off his back at the moment he does this. Once again, it's all timing and sometimes I hit it right and sometimes (most times) I don't. Oh, and while you're "revving up" the horse, you have to do it so they don't become so locked up that they come to a halt and get frustrated. I'm sure most of this is rider error but at the same time, Max isn't exactly the most ideal horse for this sort of work.
I basically did these while wprking my way around a quarter-mile track, going a lap in each direction. Definitely something I'll need to work on more...
Side-passing was a bit easier (relatively speaking, although I have to keep remembering to use my leg to block the shoulder (left leg if moving with the left shoulder leading, right leg if moving iwth the right shoulder leading). It's also easier to do this at a slow sitting trot than the walk but either way, there's a tendency for us to drift while doing it. Right now, this is something best handled in small increments.
Overall, it wasn't bad but we defintely need more work and we need to stretch more before doing it. Also, it would help to supple Max more.
I don't thing we'll be hitting any shows soon but I want to get a better handle on this stuff. The struggle continues... :-)
Anyway, it's really a matter of timing because while you need to rapidly decelerate, you also have to back off at the last moment and almost "squeeze" the horse into a walk (while maintaing a good seat and balance). It's hard to describe and I don't always time it well... :-).
What I also have to work on is the walk/canter depart- you have to collect up the horse's energy (i.e. rev up) while walking and then release it as you ask for the canter. Ideally, the horse should almost explode and take off like a rocket (controlled, off course). As part of this, Max compresses himself like a spring (it feels like he's bowing) and it helpd to try and take weight off his back at the moment he does this. Once again, it's all timing and sometimes I hit it right and sometimes (most times) I don't. Oh, and while you're "revving up" the horse, you have to do it so they don't become so locked up that they come to a halt and get frustrated. I'm sure most of this is rider error but at the same time, Max isn't exactly the most ideal horse for this sort of work.
I basically did these while wprking my way around a quarter-mile track, going a lap in each direction. Definitely something I'll need to work on more...
Side-passing was a bit easier (relatively speaking, although I have to keep remembering to use my leg to block the shoulder (left leg if moving with the left shoulder leading, right leg if moving iwth the right shoulder leading). It's also easier to do this at a slow sitting trot than the walk but either way, there's a tendency for us to drift while doing it. Right now, this is something best handled in small increments.
Overall, it wasn't bad but we defintely need more work and we need to stretch more before doing it. Also, it would help to supple Max more.
I don't thing we'll be hitting any shows soon but I want to get a better handle on this stuff. The struggle continues... :-)
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