As always I'm a bit of an all over the place shambles, however both girls are angels to put up with my "riding".
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| I accidentally deleted the video on this rein so sadly this blurry shot is all I've got of Kika |
Kika hadn't been ridden in 3 to 4 weeks, however she did get the odd lunge with pessoa and was still being turned out most afternoons so she wasn't completely idle. You wouldn't know it to see the belly on her mind and I know it won't get any smaller now that she's on 24/7 turnout - oops. She and I are going into Boot Camp when I get back from Ireland on the 12th.
I am pretty disappointed in myself and frustrated to see how much I nag at her with my heels, how rounded my shoulders are and that I am seriously collapsing through my core. Not to mention the length of my reins in all these videos is shocking! I need to get my hands up out of my lap, bring them closer together and give a bit more with them. It looks to me like I am being very heavy handed.
My leg also appears to far back and is tipping me forward so i grip with my knees - negative cycle that one. Shall have to work extra hard to break the hands/heels/leg axis of suck.
I also cannot get over how much it looks like I am riding a pony! K looks tiny in the dressage saddle, she was sticked at 165cms shortly after arriving in Lux and I know she is quite a compact model, but seriously?! I look like a giant and i am not overly tall at 172cms (roughly 5'7 I think)
Oddly I thought the Nancy videos were going to be an awful lot worse, I felt like she was fighting me a lot on the right rein and as if she was trying to stick her ears up my nose. I was pleasantly surprised to see that it looks nothing like that on the videos. I need to reevaluate my feel & expectations *shameonme*
I just hopped up for these few videos, and bless her she slipped a little in some poop at one stage but valiantly carried on like the good girl she is.
Although my reins are still way too long and my hands are too far apart; my leg & heel seem slightly better. Which is ironic as before when I rode Nancy in this saddle it used to put me in an awful chair seat, I can see it creep back a little with my outside leg when we make a small circle on the left rein but other than that I am much happier with my lower leg & heel on Nancy than in the earlier Kika video *shudder* what an awakening these videos have been.
I also need to sit my @$$ into the saddle when cantering both girls - Yikes! I'm bouncing about up there like I'm on a trampoline or bouncing castle!
You're so hard on yourself!! The girls look lovely and you look like you're enjoying the ride. Hope you have a nice time in Ireland!
ReplyDeleteAs the budget is too tight for lessons at the moment I have to be hard on myself when I get video so that hopefully one of these days I can stop making the same silly errors
DeleteGood grief stop criticizing yourself!! You ride way better than I do!! I know how to do it in my head, but I fail actually trying to do it. That's why I need lessons so bad. I need someone on the ground yelling at me haha.
ReplyDeleteI had every bad habit known to man regarding arms/hands/reins when I first started learning dressage because I grew up riding western. Three things that my trainer did to help me were putting duct tape on the reins so I knew how short to hold them (good visual reminder. If you don't want duct tape on them you could tie something or put colorful rubber bands on them). She also had me use the bucking strap on the front of the saddle to teach me how far apart to hold my hands, to steady them and to keep my from breaking at the wrists which I was (am) horrible about doing. The last thing was putting a dressage whip behind my back and in front of my elbows (not while riding) to teach me to bend my elbows. The sad thing is after so many years without lessons the bending the elbows is the only part I do right still haha!! I have so many bad habits! I can't wait to start taking lessons again.
I too need lessons so bad, hopefully the videos will help keep me on the straight and narrow until such a time as I can have at them again
DeleteOh my gosh. STAHP IT! You guys look great <3
ReplyDeleteI needs to be strict with myself when I see that I am still making the same silly mistakes *sigh*
DeleteWhen will I learn?!