Since I am writing this blog mainly to keep track of our
progress together I’m going to focus this post on what we’re currently
struggling with. I’m sure some of the
things we will always struggle with (he tracks better right than left), but
hopefully some of these items go away or get more specific with time.
Transitions
Trot to canter is actually getting better, but he still will
sometimes pin his ears and kick out a hind leg or he’ll try to rush his trot
and fall into the canter instead of stepping into it.
Canter to trot definitely involves falling onto the forehand
or just slamming on the breaks so hard that we walk/trot scramble. There are also improvements on this front as
I do more of them.
Walk/free walk involves tension and anticipation. He knows that when I start to gather him that
exciting things are about to happen. I
need to just combat this with gathering him and letting him back down without
doing anything too exciting—it’ll help get a better free walk too. No rein walking around the arena he has a
wonderful walk, but when I start to try to make it a free walk on contact he
gets tension and doesn’t want to give me that topline stretch and loose
stride.
Lengthened gaits to working gaits still sometimes seem to
surprise him and cause too much of a shutdown.
More of these will hopefully make these transitions better as well (half
halts happen bro).
Lateral Movements
Moving off left leg is still a real struggle somedays (I
know it being my weak way doesn’t help but we’ll talk about that later). He wants to fall out through his shoulder so
when I try to prevent that he thinks that I don’t want him to move out at
all. Getting that left hind underneath
him laterally is ongoing for sure. Oddly
enough he’s been a lot better about it at the canter lately than trot. I fixed one thing and broke another because I’m
an adult amateur. Sorry Mort.
Shoulder-in isn’t actually too bad. Every once in a while he wants to just swing
his haunches out instead of truly bringing in the shoulder, but as long as I
notice it it’s not too bad.
Haunches-in is still a real struggle for us. I have the feel of it in my head, but that
feel comes from horses who were already trained to do it correctly. I’m definitely struggling to convey what I
want to Mort. We can hold it for a few
strides coming out of corners or off of circles but more than that and we lose
it. He doesn’t understand moving his
haunches in while maintaining the bend that I want. Leg pressure outside = haunches in. Leg pressure at the girth at the same time =
confusing. They often turn into leg yields. For now, I’m just trying to set him up for
success and do them coming off of a circle or corner and keeping it for a
couple strides then straightening him myself before we lose it. Hopefully that will click someday—also lessons
from people who are smarter and better than I.
Quality of Gaits
Walk without human interference = awesome and swingy and
big. Walk with human interference = some
tension and anticipation. We lose some
of that swing and power and it makes me sad.
I need to work on that.
Trot has good days and bad.
Tracking right I am having more and more good days where I can really
feel him pushing from behind and getting that controlled power feeling. To the left he’s much less likely to give me
that feeling without a lot of work on ‘forward and back’. He wants to give me more of a training level
frame (instead of the uphill feeling I get the other direction) and I
definitely can’t feel his back working as well this direction. He has been sucking back a lot less lately
and really working into the contact well—every ride has foamy lips these
days.
Canter is coming along. He is round and using his back well. His hind legs come underneath him fairly
well. Getting him to sit is going to be
a real challenge, but I knew that coming in from his conformation and usual way
of going. He gives me uphill moments
(especially to the right), so I know it’s in there somewhere. I’m just going to have to work on strength
and understanding.
My Problems
The entire left side of my body. It’s dumb and I can’t make it stop. When Mr. Mort wants to blow through his right
shoulder and fall out my left hand does things that it shouldn’t and it holds
him in place (none of that wonderful inside leg to outside hand feeling). When I can’t get him to turn off of that
outside shoulder I twist my upper body (making my seat actually lean the OTHER
way). When I can’t get him to move off
of my left leg I crunch that whole side down until I’m a dang C; it
surprisingly doesn’t make my left leg stronger in case anyone wanted to try
it. I’m sure I also have timing issues
and lack of core strength and a million other things, but these are my current
glaring frustrations. Also my forever
battle to sit up straight like a dang dressage rider and not a hunter.
I feel like a lot of our struggles are turning into dressage
struggles and less OTTB dumbs; which is progress for sure. He’s also at a point where he’s getting fun
to ride and adjustable. I know a lot of
our problems stem from me being a potato and not being knowledgeable in
bringing a horse up through the levels.
I’ve ridden green horses to a forth level horse (and everything in
between), but I haven’t ever taken a green horse to a forth level horse. Poor Mort is my experiment in me being a
trainer. I have the feeling in my mind
of what I want him to be someday but I don’t know how to get from point A to
point Z (with a million sub-stops in between).
I know this is where lessons and clinics come in (going to a clinic this
weekend!). I just hope I’m not putting
too many holes in his training that I’m going to regret later. #adultamateurprobs
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