Mort and I both adventured to a clinic at Riverside
Equestrian Center this weekend with Britta Johnston. We rode Saturday and Sunday and I spent the
day Saturday auditing. It’s a lovely, friendly
facility and I love when they host Britta.
Day One:
I think the major take-away from
our first lesson was to step-up my game in the upper body department. While I know that it is my major downfall as
a rider, it is still really hard for me to be on top of it at all times. But when there is someone there to break it
down into individual body parts and I get to see how it affects Mort’s way of
going it really drives home. I think
this lesson will be a good kick in the pants for me to focus even more on how
my riding affects Mort. We’ve all heard
of a horse’s “self-carriage” but she said that we need rider self-carriage as
well if we are to expect it from our horses.
It makes sense and I need to just do it.
We worked on our centerlines. Mort and I definitely need to practice more
of these. We come into it really strong
but then when I ask him to trot away it all falls apart for several
strides. I simply think that more halts
into trots will solve these issues. We
worked on quality of gaits and me keeping a ‘hard core’ (I thought the wording
was funny)—especially in the transitions.
Overall a good lesson with an uphill and attentive Mort.
Day Two:
We
worked on running through First Level Test Two.
Britta wants us to break 70’s and earn our first and second level scores
toward my bronze within the year (training and skill-wise I think possible, but
we’ll have to keep an eye on the budget).
In the two shows this year Mort has earned mid-to-high 60’s. Running through the tests looking for
brilliance had Mort giving me brilliance—in both good and bad ways. Britta pointed out that if I don’t ask for
more I simply will never get the quality of gaits that brilliance
requires. I’m often cautious to ask him
for more, because asking for a lot takes away from our suppleness and
relaxation, but at this point I need to just get over it. Staying within our comfort zones will never
be as fun as pushing to the edge. It’ll
also never produce as good of scores.
We ran
through the test three times. She
pointed out that if I want to be a good test rider then I need to practice
riding tests (something I don’t do often).
Mort will never be the flashiest mover or have the best extensions but I
need to run through tests to know where else we can make up the points. He has a good canter. We can improve our transitions, etc.
So day
one was showing me where I need to improve in my body. Day two was giving homework and setting
goals. I am really happy that she thinks
we should easily be showing second level in the next year and that we should be
able to do well at recognized shows at first level very soon. I told her that my long-term goal for Mort
was to earn my bronze medal on him and she said that it shouldn’t be a long-term
goal at all but rather something within the next couple years. Obviously a lot of this will depend on his
soundness (and my monies), but it’s all very motivating. I love coming out of clinics with renewed
ambition and motivation. Mort and I have
lots of fun things in the future.
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