Continuing to ride Filly as much as weather and work allow.
She is getting so light now that I can barely move without getting a response :) . If I ask even a little too firmly I get the response but also a "get off me I'm doing it" expression. This is great for my riding and feel.
Even if I raise my heel I get a snarky look to remind me to use my calf muscle first. Not sure if she actually feels my heel rise, because it's not touching her, or can visually see my foot move.
I can even do neutral lateral flexions without using the reins, just the inside leg. As long as there is no forwards intention in my body she stays still for this. This is teaching me to be hyper aware of my body energy.
For all the gross moves, turning, stopping etc my reins are pretty much redundant. As a result I can now use my reins to start to shape her body a little. Backup with a nicely rounded poll is easy now, and we have just started getting some really nice fore quarter yields isolated form the hind quarters.
This is still all at walk. I want to get this really really good before progressing to the higher gaits too much. We do some trotting and cantering, but with only a little peppering in of the leg. Response is good to the leg, but with her history of extreme head tossing in the past I am being careful not to resurrect the behaviour.
But I am having trouble giving her the idea of collection whilst moving forwards. I'm going to review some of the Karen Rohlf DVD we have on the subject, but if anyone has other clues as to where to start please let me know !
She is getting so light now that I can barely move without getting a response :) . If I ask even a little too firmly I get the response but also a "get off me I'm doing it" expression. This is great for my riding and feel.
Even if I raise my heel I get a snarky look to remind me to use my calf muscle first. Not sure if she actually feels my heel rise, because it's not touching her, or can visually see my foot move.
I can even do neutral lateral flexions without using the reins, just the inside leg. As long as there is no forwards intention in my body she stays still for this. This is teaching me to be hyper aware of my body energy.
For all the gross moves, turning, stopping etc my reins are pretty much redundant. As a result I can now use my reins to start to shape her body a little. Backup with a nicely rounded poll is easy now, and we have just started getting some really nice fore quarter yields isolated form the hind quarters.
This is still all at walk. I want to get this really really good before progressing to the higher gaits too much. We do some trotting and cantering, but with only a little peppering in of the leg. Response is good to the leg, but with her history of extreme head tossing in the past I am being careful not to resurrect the behaviour.
But I am having trouble giving her the idea of collection whilst moving forwards. I'm going to review some of the Karen Rohlf DVD we have on the subject, but if anyone has other clues as to where to start please let me know !
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