The Pirouette Apocalypse

So today I realized that if I'm going to make an attempt at Intermediare 1 any time soon, we probably need some full pirouettes... We have semi-decent half pirouettes for Prix St George, but we have only schooled the full ones a handful of times.

The problem these days in the pirouettes is that I get too hasty and lose control of the step while I try to whip him around because I feel like the pirouette apocalypse is coming and that I need to get the hell out of there as quickly as possible.

Pure panic

The first sign of the pirouette apocalypse is thinking that Rico is going to break during the pirouette. If I feel like he's going to break, I start trying to push him forward while simultaneously holding him back (making him more likely to break) and think that I need to get him out of the pirouette quickly.

To address this tonight, I warmed up with a lot of forward and back without my leg on. I need to be able to cue him for the pirouettes without having to get too involved physically. Being physical in the pirouette makes Rico back off even more, which makes him more likely to break.
The second sign of the pirouette apocalypse is when I don't think Rico is going to turn. If I start thinking that, I start MAKING him turn by pulling and then we return to sign of the apocalypse number one where I think he's going to break.

Tonight I fixed this by working on spiraling in and out in haunches in on a circle. It helped me gain control over the shoulders while maintaining my light touch that I developed in the first part.

Rider turning much faster than horse

The third and final sign of the pirouette apocalypse is when I don't think Rico and I are going to get out of the pirouette. Yeah, like Rico is game to keep going and going, pfft. What I tend to do is FLY out of them like a bad out of hell. I kick and push and throw my reins at him like I'm trying to keep up with a racehorse. This causes Rico to LEAP out of the pirouette and run off. Totally conducive to good pirouettes, yep.

Tonight I just told myself to pull my head out of my ass. After working on the energy and the turns, this was pretty easy to fix. Funny how when I have more control over the step and the turn, that I don't think that I'll be stuck in the damn pirouette. Weird how that would work.

Turn, Rico, turn!

We ended with some couplets and a 10 minute trot for conditioning and then I cleaned a bunch of tack because...

In a spur of the moment decision, I grabbed a spot at the upcoming Olivia LaGoy-Weltz clinic this weekend!

Boyfriend and I were going to dinner last night and in a state of extreme hunger and annoyance, I decided that I wanted a change of pace with Rico and that getting him to a new (ish, we've been there twice) barn with a full court was exactly what we needed. I didn't regret my decision after dinner so I arranged for an afternoon time on Saturday.

I'm stoked! Except that I hadn't heard much about this person (since I don't follow dressage very closely) so after agreeing to pay her to teach me, I looked her up. She's young, only a few years older than me, and has been kicking ass over in Florida. I watched a few videos of her riding and I was SUPER impressed.

Oh and did I mention that she's about ten MILLION times
better than I am at pirouettes
PS: love love love minimal white dark bays <3

So today I wouldn't shut up about the clinic! Apologies to my poor classmates who tried their best not to push me over the railing as we climbed up the stairs to our last class of the day...

I don't usually do clinics on Rico. I ride primarily with Tracey, occasionally with Heidi, and the rest of the time I'm on my own. I don't necessarily like spending money on clinics just because I'd rather ride with someone who knows me and Rico, and I'd rather spend any extra money (HAH) on shows.

But still, a new set of eyes is never a bad thing, and neither is getting an asshole of a horse in a strange(ish) court so he can be tempted to kick at your leg. And if Olivia can teach me to ride a fraction as well as she does, I'll be a gold medalist in no time :)

I can't wait to get back up in these hills when the semester
ends!! And soon Rico will be up there with me!