Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Changes

This post has been a bit delayed because I've been contemplating my lesson with Carolyn which took place last Wednesday.  It wasn't bad, it wasn't great, it just was.  If I'm honest with myself, the last couple of lessons have been ho-hum.  I'm not sure if it's because I don't have a set dressage goal or what but all we really do is trot around in a circle and she tells me to flex him in...no lateral work, no real transition work, no counter canter, nothing.  Not really sure that's worth my $55.

All that being said, she was a total miracle worker this summer in helping me correct my contact issues. So where to go from here?  I think I'm going to take a bit of break from straight dressage lessons and spend the money on going to Amy's and maybe trying to find a jumper trainer to add to the mix.  Sigh.  I hate change.

Onto the Amy lessons.  More jump in the canter is the theme.  I still get lulled into thinking he's in front of my leg when he's not but I'm getting better at telling when he's faking!  We worked on some shoulder in on the circle to encourage him to step under himself with his inside hind.  He was quite good going to the left and not as good going to the right.  I kind of expected it to be the other way around - just shows how much I know!  We warmed up over a vertical two strides to a small oxer with 2 placing polls in the middle.  The first two times through were a bit sketchy because I couldn't see a distance to the vertical to save my life but once I got my head in the game, it rode really well and I could really feel Charlie use himself over the oxer.

Then we moved onto some bending lines of related distances and really trying to make the lines smooth.  Sort of successful.  Successful in that we were forward but I'm still struggling with not feeling like a wild indian when Charlie is forward.  I'm going to start riding in one of the fields at home so I have more room to gallop around and practice lengthening and shortening his stride.  I think that will help me adjust my inner metronome.

In today's lesson, we worked on lead changes because I'm a loser and I don't know how to do them.  But the WonderPony does!  Amy got on him and showed that he is very well schooled if you ask correctly.  She made it look so easy and when I said that, she promptly replied "that's because he knows what I'm asking for" - made me laugh because it wasn't blatantly obvious by her response that I was the one with the problem!  Although, I'm beginning to think I'm not coordinated enough to ask correctly.  One more thing to practice in the field!

A quick rant - on my way home from my lesson today, I had a semi literally a foot behind me.  I have no problem getting over (I was in the middle lane) but I had a slow-poke semi in front of me and another one right beside me.  Not really sure where the one behind me thought I was supposed to go but he was making me very nervous.  It makes me very angry when people do this, especially truckers as they know it takes them much longer to stop than others.  I looked at the trailer number on the truck and I'm going to write to Tyson Chicken and tell them how unsafe this idiot was (when I was finally able to get over to let him pass, he continued to tailgate other folks until they got out of his way) and that I am never eating/buying Tyson chicken again.  They don't need to know I don't particularly like chicken. ;)

Now for a quick side note - I may have to cyber kill Megs over at Natural Noshing Meets Dressaging - Ride-Away was having a 20% off everything sale so I just had to get some more poly pads considering they were about $30 a piece after applying the discount.  Megs is the one who turned me onto Ride-Away.

I'm going back to Amy's on Friday to meet a new farrier.  I'm also going to have a lesson as I might as well knock two things out at once.  Pretty excited about this farrier - he sounded very normal on the phone.  Novel concept!  I'm really over the farrier drama.

 
Someone is waiting for breakfast!


8 comments:

  1. Sounds like a new dressage trainer might be in order. And as far as chicken goes, my mom was a Chemist at Fosters Farm and she says its the only chicken she'll buy lol.

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    1. Haha! Good to know - after watching Food Inc, I'm scared to eat most meat. Makes me shudder to think what they pump into those poor animals.

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  2. Sounds good to write a letter. I will sometimes call the "hows my driving" when its really bad. If no one calls no one knows! Hope you can find the right dressage trainer.

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    1. Exactly - good to hear I'm not the only one!

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  3. Muahahahaha! I mean...urm, sorry. At least I know I am not alone in my online UK ordering obsession. Their deals are way better than the ones in Canada. How about just a cyber beating?

    Bummer about the coach thing. Riding slumps are no fun. Sounds like more jumping lessons are a good alternative, and Amy certainly seems to install good flat values into her lessons.

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    1. Cyber beating it is so consider yourself beaten! ;) Haha! I love the UK stuff and it doesn't hurt that it's significantly cheaper than ordering stateside. Not thrilled about the shipping costs but even with that tacked on, it's still cheaper to order from across the Pond.

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  4. I know your frustration with unproductive lessons. I'd rather take less lessons and get a thorough butt whopping every single time than have more underwhelming feedback.

    Our dressage instructor kind of scares me, but hot damn she gets results.

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    1. Yup - so frustrating to feel like you just wasted your $$$$. I kinda felt like I paid $55 to ride in a very nice dressage ring - I think I would have been more productive if I had been riding on my own. :(

      Haha! Your dressage instrutor sounds like my kind of lady. And since you two rockstars pulled out a 29 in your BN event last summer, I'd say she's well worth it.

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