I've been feeling a bit off it lately and stuggling with my energy levels. I know I have alot od decisions on my mind with change of work, house etc so my batteries are not charging as quic as usual. So the other day I decided yes I needed to ride but not an overly energetic one.
So of to the school I went. Did the usual warm up then spent the rest of the session just in walk. I worked mainly on a circle but did some figure of eight work too. I followed alot of what Becky had done in my lesson but also mixed it with my lessons with Joao.
Working on a circle I rode shoulder in to shoulder out on both reins. On the left rein both were even and and flowed whereas on the right rein Caia was fallng out through her shoulder on the shoulder in and it was harder to keep her on the circle. On the same circle I then decided to change the shoulder in to traverse to see how this would effect the falling out and immediately she came back under herself. I swopped from traverse to SI then back a few times and this did improve her going and help reduce the falling out. I then went onto the left rein and did the same exercise. I then swopped to S out and renverse and she started to fal out slightly on the shoulder out. I continued with te exercise and increased it to a figure of eight and did the same exercise on bothe reins.
As i was doing the exercise I really thought about where my weight was and what I was telling her. On the left rein in shoulder in my inside leg was on the girth, outside leg just behind and my weight was in my right bum cheek, my shoulders mirrored hers, as I went to traverse I kept my legs tand upper body the same but swopped my weight into my left bum cheek and she kept the same bend and movement but moved her quarters in to traverse. When I went onto the right rein and again thought though where I was I realised that instead of just my shoulder mirroring hers I had twisted my whole body and seat. This was then putting my weight into the wrong bum cheek and moving my legs out of position so they were not being as effective. Once I sat square again and just twisted my shoulders from the waist she no longer fell through the shoulder.
Sorry this is probably so boring for you all but I found it so enlightening
and am now going to regulary revisite this work. I am aware that my right pelvis sit lower and I need it sorting but this showed me how something relatively small in my movement had a large effect on Caias. I do alot of walk work anyway but I need to really concentrate on what I'm doing and get it right and then trnsfer it up the gaits so I'm then confident that my seat is correct to help Caia.
Really slowing the movements down help too This was something Becky told me as I wasn't aware you could
. Funny how you presume you must always walk either collected working medium extended etc and when the movement is really slowed down you think you should be pushing on. Since Becky said it's ok I can really disect it all better and hence discover what id happening.
to Becky for enlightening the numpty me
Hope this is as thought provoking to you all as it was me.
