A Type A Dressage Rider Is Humbled
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| WONDER PONY STANDING BY |
I find that a lot of dressage is learning things, and then un-learning them, and then learning them again, and feeling mostly like a total idiot in between rare moments of sheer brilliance.
A couple weeks ago, I un-learned that my seat is an aid I can use. And then re-learned it, thank God.
In any case, I was trying to get Dino a bit rounder in the walk and I was squeezing with my legs and keeping contact with the reins and he was just... not doing it. And I was getting annoyed and HE was getting annoyed and we nearly fell into a bottomless pit of mutual annoyance until I remembered that my seat is an aid.
I remembered, and I used my seat to grab the energy from his hind legs and push it over his back into the bridle during the moment that my hands were releasing him forward, and suddenly my pony was rounder.
It was LIKE MAGIC.
Except it wasn't magic, I just remembered how to ride.
Isn't dressage fun!?
I relearned a similar thing just this week. I got on Bridget and was like 'WHY is she rolling around like a ship?' Ah yes, because she's super in her back and gets annoyed when I don't follow along and exaggerates it because she's a smart pony. The lightbulb moment was that I've probably been riding Sophie with that same tension and that's why she's been bracing. How did I forget to follow with my seat? :(
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