A Couple of Stupid Breakthroughs

TC had Friday off, so I had two nights of sleeping to get my new sitting trot lodged into my brain. I spent half the day on Friday with Peony and we talked a LOT about engaging the backline. I think weightlifting needs to be in my future again. I showed her the exercise from the Mary clinic - sitting in a chair with feet on the ground, pulling your feet back and trying to feel where along the backline the engagement stopped. And it occurred to me that simply sitting and doing this at my desk and while I'm driving (on cruise control and only when safe obviously) would be a good start.

When I was at the clinic, I could only get my backline engaged to the middle of my thigh, which explains why my leg stays under me well, but then I lose it further up my body. If while sitting (which I do a LOT), I can get my backline more willing to turn on further up, maybe I can translate that to riding.

He deserves a good rider

So then Saturday I got to practice for 2.5 hours before riding and it made a huge difference. I thought about really engaging my backline and keeping my shoulders forward. When I was riding Tango, Kate had said to think about how I could really make space for the horse under my seat. I've definitely taught that and been taught that, but I didn't realize how much that concept had to do with my backline and how my weak backline, despite me having some weight in my thigh and not being a super heavy seat-grinding rider, was preventing that from happening.

I didn't really feel the back come way up on Tango, not sure if that was just me not quiiite getting the seat where it needed to be or just that my weak backline doesn't shut him down the way that it shuts TC down, but either way, I kept that idea in the back of my mind.

Trying to sit in my old sitting trot (and not quite getting back to it)

Trying to sit in my new sitting trot (and not quite getting it)

I got on TC and he was feeling a titch behind my leg at first, which is fine by me, though often leads to me chasing him over the ground and him falling on the forehand, so I kept note of that. We got to the sitting trot before the canter work and I decided to video my attempt. I had the videos Kate took of me on Tango and figured that a comparison would be good.

At first I had to keep him in a really slow trot, but then it was like something switched when we went to track right (which is my better direction anyway) and his trot got super lofty.

Getting my new sitting trot pretty much down (for at least some
of the steps!!)

I can't believe the difference in TC when I changed the way I sat. And on Saturday I was still struggling with it in comparison to Sunday.

Sunday I had a couple of breakthroughs while riding. In terms of engaging my backline, I really felt like if I emphasized feeling my backline engage through my glutes (but still seat bones on my saddle ugh) and in my shoulder, I could kind of connect the dots everywhere else. I definitely needed to think about keeping my shoulders forward and waistline back, but I felt like I was able to keep the structure in my body a lot easier.

I also had a stupid, stupid, stupid breakthrough. TC and I have always struggled with transitions together. I think the biggest thing is that I just don't nearly do enough of them. Transitions tend to amp horses up and doing them a bunch on TC can lead to... bad things. Like him squealing and bucking in the canter after our fourth transition on Sunday. But part of it is that I make stupid decisions.

From the trot to the walk, for example, about half way through the transition I tend to lose my new Mary position and just flop into him. Obviously this leads to him putting his back down and his head up, and that obviously makes me want to pull on the reins. Always the right answer. Instead, on Sunday, I really focused on my position in the downward and he stayed through. Yeah. Turns out the same thing happens from the trot into canter too. Ugh.

Guess who has a little half pass?

Generally I feel like we're making some good progress. I REALLY want a lesson though. And I think I'm getting my wish! We got into the clinic this weekend with a trainer who I've ridden with a couple of times and have generally liked a lot. I reconnected with her at the Mary clinic and I have a lot of hope for her as my future trainer. But no pressure.

It's supposed to rain so I'm kind of dreading it, but I need to just keep him working this week (he got a light long line today) and hope that we can keep it all contained in the lesson itself!