Dressage is Serious Business...
Lest we forget, at any time, that I am every bit as committed to Dressage, and riding well, as I am to Derby, I think it's time for another My Little Pony Post. And, not coincidentally, I just happen to have two new videos to show you.
When many people think of Dressage, if indeed they spend time pondering the sport, they think of proper, formal, very correct type of riding. This is true to a certain (ok, most) extent, but remember, this is ME, people. And sometimes a sport can benefit from a little ROCK. And pink hair.
And remember too, riding is what started this FIT. I wouldn't be thinking I could skate Derby NOW if I hadn't already learned that yes, some things are scary, but the more you learn, and the more you work, the better you GET, well, the more you can do. There are no limits.
This may be stating the obvious, but riding so that it looks effortless, easy, like you are just SITTING there with the horsie, is a huge lot of freaky intense work. It's all core, and triceps. I sweat, I work, my body screams, sometimes I think falling off would be no bad thing, as by the end of a lesson, it seems the easiest way to get DOWN.
I work with a great Trainer, who (whom? I mix them up) I call Poetry, as that's what she looks like when she rides. Sometimes, things go badly, and she turns into Madame M, and kicks my butt. Takes away stirrups. (Or reins) She'll yell at me and I hear things like DO IT NOW AND DON'T YOU DARE STOP. Often.
I don't mind this. I'm not messing around. I'm going to be GOOD.
There are times tho, that things need fixing and Poetry gets creative. These vids were from a month or so ago (Poetry and I have many skills but I am not sure computers are heading the list)
Going back and looking at where you WERE is painful, but these are too funny not to share.
Here's what happens when you can't understand the Half Pass, and your Trainer decides it is easier to run the show herself.
Love and My Little Pony,
Lorraine
37 Comments:
Have you by chance discovered a secret stash of time? I just don't know how you do it all.
Must wait till I'm home to watch vids. Looking forward to it.
I'm home sick today. Send more videos!
Quiche, I once rode with a woman (when I was training with my mom, who taught) who was really great. She did everything. And her rule was, if you fall off -- you owe me a bottle of wine, so you better hang out. It didn't matter how you looked in those moments, as long as you got it done.
I carried that lesson with me through life, and it's come in handy. Sometimes, you have to look a little silly to accomplish the Awesome.
Dressage can be so much fun -- with the music etc -- but I think pink hair helps, too. I used to streak mine purple. *grin*
Fun post. :-) ~Ali
oooh videos!
tick
What a beautiful riding facility! Thanks for the videos!
that wasn't sarcasm, just can't think in the morning and i did like the videos.
You are looking fabulous.
Where do you find the energy? And the time?
That was very cool to watch.
I'm impressed!
Hot damn! I can say in 25 years of doing dressage I've never seen that approach. LOL Awesome!
Elizabeth used to use Danny {Dream Dancer 18h} to squish you on the rail and passage and your horse damn well passage right along with him. We called it a Danny sandwich
I have to say it was different, but it worked.
Time? Not sure, except I don't currently really DO anything but work and train.
It's going to be SO worth it.
Sounds like hard work, and something of an adventure.
HeeHee - It's pretty impressive, I have to say. (And reinforces how *big* that horse is!)
Speaking of which, did you find a suitable home for Dimil?
Hey! Now that's the way to bond with your trainer! :D
So Half Pass is making horsie do a cross-side-steppy thing, yes? What do you have to do to make him do that? I couldn't really see what was happening there. Small screen.
You are one seriously lucky girl. That looks like a FANTASTIC horse and trainer combo. ROCK!
drive by ticky
You know Ms Fabulous, I think I may have a helpful suggestion if you don't mind me offering it and you don't think I'm being presumptious.
(I have skillz too)
One thing I could see straight off from the vids is that your teachers awareness is held in her croch area and her legs, while yours is (like most people btw) up in your chest and head.
It's really not super easy moving your awareness down to your naval area for example (which is what one does when practicing meditation or any type of martial art), let alone keeping it there, but like with anything else, it gets easier with habit.
you start by doing this at home, maybe sitting or lying down. You notice where your awareness (or attention) is collected (if you are doing PA type work then it's most definitely up in the head) and then you try to 'will' it to move down your body. The best way I can describe what it is is if you try and become aware of your body from the inside, you'll hopefully be able to tell where most of "you" is collected.
Anyway, I hope it helps, I think if you manage to move "you" down from the head to at least your belly, you'll find balancing much much easier.
Good luck!
Ohhh, PG, you've given me something to try.
Watching the videos, I am awestruck at how beautiful My Little Pony is. Handsome horsey.
Also, I'm interested in the answers to Jess's questions too. Is the signal through legs or reins?
Dijana - what an interesting observation. I'll have to give this a try.
I like the 2 people on a horse method of training.
*ticky* Busy planning short trip to Montana!
Great videos. Such concentration on everyone's part.
What a horse! Wow!
To answer Jess's questions, it's mostly the SEAT, and core, is what hold everything together. Legs signal, and reins, but you communicate with the core. Weird, eh?
GOOD MORNING!
It's my morning off here, I have two each week, to get things DONE around here.
Mostly this morning I am getting coffee drunk, FB posted, a bit of twitter, listening to some seriously great playlists.
Yup. getting stuff DONE.
you time is equally as important as stuff done. you are 1 active woman and a little sit down does not hurt
I know. Feels weird tho.
There is a possibility I will be hanging out at www.thestrangbrew.net tonight, another coffee house PJ chat!
Will keep you posted!
Having a bad day at work.
I just cheered myself up by watching these videos again.This is good. It means that (probably) everyone will now make it out of my office alive, and probably with most of their limbs.
You didn't even take a bit of flank home for dinner, Marjorie? Keeps everyone in line, if you do that every so often.
I think I now know why I could not make the one horse I ever sat upon Go. (I must be more traumatised by that experience than I thought. I mean, that horse was just plain indifferent to me. It was humiliating.
oh heh, I think I may have said a rude word by accident *cover mouth with hand and giggles nervously*
I only sat on a horse once in my life. Rode it like I'd been doing it for ages. Horse hated me, of course, because it was one of those that do guided trails in yosemite and I made it canter ahead of the horse that always went ahead. Horses hate that sort of breech of protocol. So it tried to tangle me in some bushes, but I had seen so many westerns as a child, the horsie stood no chance.
Happy Friday Fiends!
I am slowly taking Lorraine's example. Yesterday I made sure I can access all of the group classes at my university's rec center. Next Monday, I'm going to workout and take a yoga class! I've been walking a lot more and doing some exercise videos on Netflix.
Also, I just took the first step towards getting my passport! Soon, I will have the freedom of hopping to other countries if I want to!
Wendy..visit me,me,me!
I got nothing here...its a slow Saturday morning.
Hey! Made Joan of Dark's coffee shop appear on my blog!!
HEY! You can't ALL be out doing somethgn fun. Jess said she was doing dishes tonight..
I'm lonely over there...
I'm not, I'm sprawled on the couch reading about almond milk.
Feeling much better, too.
Well, come chat with us at Strange Brew!
There's even a handy new post up that tells you how...
Jess is wearing thigh high leather boots and I am in a pink bra and panties.
ACTION tonight!
Sorry I missed it- had to work.
The masses must be fed after all :P
Yikes, for a moment there in the first movie, just a few seconds in, it looks as if the horsie in the mirror stops even though you and the horsie keep moving!
Cool, but slightly scary.
Pink hair and rock go well with horses. Keep up the good work, you are an inspiration!
Why are you riding double on a dressage horse? Isn't that confusing to him?
btw, just noticed your last post. My birthday is the 15th too!!!
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