Oh dear :-) I thought I had better start teaching Ace to carry me sitting, in preparation for elementary tests which can't be done rising in working trot. So today I planned to sit for a minute or two on each rein.
I couldn't. It was hilarious. I thought that after Jazz I would be able to sit Ace easily, but there is a heck of a lot more movement going on in that back than it looks like on a video. I simply can't get enough forward-and-back movement in my hips to stop me bouncing up and down. I even hung on to the handle I have between the D rings to fix my air jacket to. No good. I can sit when he is going really slow, but as soon as I up the pace I'm like a Jack-in-the-box :-)
I'm going to have to get a lot more flexible if I want to do Ace justice!
I tried a completely different approach with Radar today. I decided on two things. One, not to hold him together or hold him back. Two, because it is his preference to go faster, to make the correction a complete stop, square halt and move off again. It produced a very, very interesting result. It was mentally agonising to do it, because in order for things not to go badly wrong, I had to stop him the moment he altered the rythm or began to drop his back, and at first we were halting every few strides.
After what felt like a long, long time, he relaxed and walked nicely and then I could half halt instead of full halt. At that point I decided to try for a trot transition with the same rules. The first one was great. So was the tranisition to walk and it did not take long to get back to the good walk again. Normally I'd never get it back after trotting. The second trot transition was the same. The first one on the other rein was bad, a mad dash, but I took time to re-establish the walk and the next two were really good, and the trot was really sweet. Now, in all this work so far he had taken, and I had given him, only the lightest of light contact on the bit. After this second trot, he pushed his neck forward while keeping a fantastic swing through the back and took a lovely contact on the bit. It was quite the best walk he has ever done, with the nicest mouth he has ever had.
I have no idea if this will work the next time we school, but I'm going to try it and see.
C
I have, to my fortune and misfortune, always been a bit too flexible, so I can't be too much help here. I do hear Lockie Richards voice in my head, however, "hip towards your hands!!" You can take a hold of the pommel of the saddle and pull your hip forward with the stride. It may help.
ReplyDeleteSuffice it to say that from many videos I have seen, there are a lot of riders out there challenged by big moving horses when they try to sit the trot.
You can also try a side to side motion that sometimes helps, depending on exactly how Ace's stride tosses you. Hopefully, as he gets stronger and lifts his back even more under you it might be easier.
All that said, I do remember getting tossed off PJ on the trail one day when he went into his huge extended trot...and I was trying to post!! His stride and back action was humungous!!!
Good work with Radar, again. Remember, there is often no "right way" to work a horse only the "way that works." I truly appreciate and respect your adapting your techniques and methods to suit what Radar offers. That's truly the sign of a good rider/trainer.
Have you thought the same as me, Jean, that when I watch or see pictures of Grand Prix riders, some of them appear to be stood in their stirrups all the time rather than sat down on the saddle in a proper sitting trot?
DeleteC
I think Jean has a good idea. Pull yourself into the saddle with one hand on the pommel, if Ace will cooperate with only one hand on the reins.
ReplyDeleteThelwell comes to mind :-)
I did that ML. Still couldn't sit the b*gger :-) !!
ReplyDeleteC.
Here's a link with a little article on sitting the trot. Maybe there is a suggestion or two...or some theory that might help:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.classicaldressage.co.uk/Sitting_The_Trot/sitting_the_trot.html
Could be that Ace is not yet fully giving his back too, so that may be a factor. You could try a "fake post" where you really only half rise, but you'd need someone to watch to see just how visible it is. Wish I had some more ideas.
And yes, I do think some riders on big movers never really do sit but ride in their stirrups. It's not really correct, but it might be all they can do.
Check current British Dressage rules as I think you can now choose to rise or sit to trot at elementary
ReplyDeleteHi daphne! Welcome, I don't know your name but hi :-)
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately the choice to sit or rise is only for the medium, not for the working. I'm going to have to learn to go with that movement or fake it somehow!
Ta, Jean, I'll check that out
C
Hi. I am more of a lurker than a poster. Am known as Pascal96 on HHO but only post occasionally. Its thanks to your blog and posts on HHO, people like Nick Barker at Rockley and Lucy Priory that I took my horses barefoot 18 months ago. With regards to rising or sitting at elementary I checked online and I was right you can rise or sit to all trot as detailed below
Delete78. Sitting and rising
For all tests at elementary level and below used at British Dressage competitions trot work may be
executed sitting or rising.
I thought I remembered it as at one time I was hoping to take my horse to Elementary and I was pleased by the rule change because I find sitting difficult with my bad back
Daphne
Well I'm glad you called me out on that one! When did they change that rule, I missed it totally ???
DeleteWhat good news, I shall abandon sitting trot for another good while yet then.
Thanks Daphne, you've done me a big favour!
C
They have also changed some rules here to allow rising trot where they didn't before. The reason is that more people have these big moving warmbloods, like Ace, that are difficult to sit to.
ReplyDeleteI know how they feel ML! Horses with longer backs like Tetley are much more comfortable to ride. He's like a limo, isn't he :-) ??
ReplyDeleteC.