The Rainbow Connection

You know how ages ago I wrote that post about how I love teaching baby horses jumping?

I don't usually feel the same way about dressage.


Jumping typically builds linearly. Your horse trips on a jump and eats dirt, he picks up his feet next time. I mean, he may jump to the moon too but he doesn't usually trip and eat dirt again.

Dressage's progress is... slightly less linear. It feels like we circle and meander closer to that mystical nirvana called 'connection' while taking forward, backward and sometimes lateral steps.

For awhile, Indy's main issue was forward. It's hard to connect when the horse is behind your leg. We also went through a wobbly phase where connection was eluded because of lack of straightness. And the tongue thing is a day to day road block.



Forward isn't a problem now but I tend to lose his spine in various places. Keeping his legs going forward in one direction kind of feels like herding ducklings.



I have to keep my lower leg moving because - oops! His butt is swinging out! Quick get your knee on now the shoulders are breaking rank! Apply leg at the girth because he's tilting his head and sticking his tongue out like a bulldog on a hot day!

Recently I've realized the lack of connection is a lack of control over his shoulders. Once the shoulders are gone his head tilts, he falls in on my inside aids and usually the stupid tongue comes out. We had a couple fights where I made very little progress and couldn't pick up the left lead canter. I was rescued by a dressage lesson.



"I see," my trainer said from her perch on the mounting block. "He's not connected through his back, which means you're losing body parts. Ride him long and low for a week and we'll see what we have."

Which, long and low? For a week? BORING. I did it anyway because I'm a good student. 

It did start pretty boring, but shave my head and call me baldy if it isn't working. He's so through his back, he's getting what my trainer and I refer to as 'Shakira booty'.


It's so awesome. It feels really cool and is surprisingly easy to sit - and sit I do. His neck is so round and low he looks like he might kick himself in the chin. We do everything down there; walk/trot transitions, baby lateral work, lengthening and collections. The more work we do down there, the more strong and through his back he gets.

I'm actually finding I'm enjoying myself.

And there, I've said it. I'm enjoying dressage. I'M ENJOYING TEACHING MY HORSE DRESSAGE.

WHO AM I.

Tackless too???



Comments

  1. We need to be doing more long and low too.. thanks Saddlebred neck. But worth it if we get a Shakira booty too...
    How do you film your rides? Phone mounted to fence? Minions?

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    1. hah i just lean it on the fence. not good for like "heres a video of our ride" bc most of it ends up being an empty arena but it works for short gifs!

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  2. I do one "long and low" long trot (like 30mins on the little hills we have) once a week, and I too find that the next dressage ride is always better in the connection.

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    1. yeah it makes me wonder why people think rollkur works. i'll just long and low my horse into submission

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  3. Ahhh I love it!! I need to lunge in my chambon and do more long & low... it's hard to do the boring stuff, though!

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    1. yeah i just want to do fun lengthenings and canter around not like.. do actual work

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  4. Perhaps long and low is a pit stop I should have made with my new mare... I think we will have to take a step back and try this, as now that my brain is churning it's probably exactly what she needs! Thanks :)

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  5. I think just about every dressage trainer I've ever heard has waxed poetic about using a long and low stretching frame at some point in every ride. The best one I heard was to end on it, to foster relaxation and shake out the muscles. Pig always enjoyed that to finish, and I could never get it from him until I'd worked the edge off anyway. Glad it's working for you!

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  6. Welcome to the wonderful addictive world. :)

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  7. I was getting excited reading this because my horse lacks forward and I lose the connection because parts meander away and I was hoping for some magic fix. But my horse doesn't do long and low. He's too busy watching for horse eating monsters all the time. Bummer for me. But awesome for you two! I guess that long and low is almost like hitting the reset button.

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  8. You guys are so good together! Glad you're having fun.

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  9. Guilty of not doing a lot of long and low!

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  10. haha but ducklings are so cute! Also love the description of Shakira Booty

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