The Training Horse Goes Home

I’ve had a good month and a half on the training horse. And it went very well. I love it when the owners come back for lessons and take the time to ride their horse.

I am so happy about how well the horse and owner got along this week. The owner is a beginner, even though his wife has had horses for some time. I think that gives a beginner husband a better start! It has given my hubby a better understanding. He knows what to expect. He knows the horse. He knows and understands horses.

After coming back from the AAHS Clinic, I have begun using some of the principles in my lessons. I talk about the Nature of the Horse and why the horse does what he does. Some of the Secure Seat exercises are about the same for Centered Riding, especially the alignment.

Once we are balanced in our seat, and balanced over our feet, we stay with the horse whenever he moves out from under us. If we are balanced in our seat - that also means we sit evenly on our seat bones - we cam move when the horse moves.

My lessons with the training horse’s owner began with teaching how to Steer, Start and Stop. Then I taught him how to feel the horse’s movement in his body. We did the Following Seat, and allowed the hips to move. Then we did the Pedaling Backwards exercise, and felt when each hind leg hit the ground.

What really made the biggest impact was when I had him turn the horse with his whole body. As he neck reined around, I had him turn with his whole body. He turned his shoulders, waist, and knees as he made a turn. What a difference in control of the horse in the turns. Light Bulb Moment! At least for me if not for him.

I have learned to slow down and allow the rider time to figure out what he is learning! That is what this training horse and owner has taught me!

We need to continue to learn if we have horses, if we ride horses, and if we want to understand horses better. We also need to take the time to ride at leisure. Ride for fun! We don’t always have to be tuning on horses, or riding in a lesson, or riding as if every time we ride has to be perfect.

Enjoy your ride! Enjoy the journey!

“Embrace the Journey!”

LB Moment about Using Your Center at the Lope

Another moment I had the other day was when I was going to lope off Shaggy. I
thought about what I had read in the Centered Riding 2 book.

Think about when you were sledding, and for me, that was many, many years ago.
You sat on the sled and someone pushed you to get you started down the hill.

If they pushed your shoulders, where did you go? You went forward, then as the
sled started, your shoulders were flung back and they were left behind your
body. This would be the same as if you leaned forward to lope off.

If the sled was pushed, your upper body was pushed back because your seat was
taken out from under you. This would happen if you kicked the horse to make him
lope.

But what happened if the person pushed you, at your waist, to make the sled go
down the hill? This is the area across your lower back and behind your center.
The sled moves easily and you stay upright. This is the same if you USE YOUR
CENTER TO LOPE OFF! LIGHTBULB goes off brightly!

Now when you are on the horse, use your center, not just your hip or legs, and
definitely not by leaning forward. As I went to lope off Shaggy, I centered
myself, and with my hip and center, I asked for the lope off. Still not pretty,
but my body stayed where it should have. I still have to kick him into the
lope, but I try to use my center as much as I can.

What a moment of clarity!!!

A Wonderful Lesson

The next LB (Light Bulb) Moment will have to wait for tomorrow. I just had the most wonderful lesson and I have to share! It is a wonderful feeling, for both me as the instructor and for the rider, when the lesson is wonderful!

The owner of the training horse came to ride. He is a little apprehensive about riding, as he is middle aged and haven’t ridden much at all, even though his wife has horses. He just loves the personality of this horse, though, and he really wants to get along with riding him. He is a motorcycle guy, and he was getting frustrated with trying to ride the horse with horse cues and not in motorcycle mode.

Something clicked with me at the AAHS clinic. Or after starting to read the Centered Riding Book 2 on the flight home from the clinic. Whatever it was, worked! Maybe it was due to the fact that I am still tired from 10 days of traveling, 1 day of being very tired here at home, and another day of deciding how to catch up with all the paperwork. When it came to lesson time, I was ready for a break. So I took things slow!

I walked the horse around as I talked about the Nature of the Horse, explaining why the horse does what he does. Then I had him mount and do a couple of exercises to work on sitting correctly. I had him stand in his stirrups and get the straight line from ear to heel. I talked about your center, and what a Tai Chi ball would feel like in your center, small but heavy. I talked about that ball spinning in our center and our center sinking into our seat. The weight of our seat should continue down into our legs and feet and sink into the ground, as we keep the sensation of feeling grounded. As he rode, I talked about the Following Seat, and had him move with the horse, allowing his hips to move freely. I had him pedal backwards and feel each side of his seat move as the horse walked. As he felt the movement and moved with the horse, the horse’s movement became freer and he moved with a deep stride. As he rode, I had him steer with his body, not just his arms. I told him to think about having flashlight beams coming out of his shoulders, waist and knees, and as he turned the horse, to turn with his body. That worked really well to help him turn the horse. He had a great time riding his horse, and the frustrations that we had a few weeks ago were no longer visible. It was an awesome lesson.

Things just clicked with me, too. I felt like that was the best lesson that I ever gave. I was relaxed and watched the rider and his horse. I gave him practice time after each step that I taught him. I know I need to work on giving the riders time to think things through and practice so that they understand the concept. It seemed to work great today. I look forward to our next lesson. Until then,

“Embrace the Journey!”

Happy Birthday to my oldest brother, Ray! Wished we weren’t so far away. Here’s wishing you many, many more years!

Light Bulb (LB) Moments

Now I have to start another area of discussion, besides Centered Riding and
Secure Seat Exercises, Training Tips, and Questions. This has to be the Light Bulb (LB) Moments!

My LB Moment came yesterday! I was riding Shaggy, my 8 year old QH gelding who hasn't seen much ride time except 30-60 days each year, and very random. I have been riding him this last month. At the AAHS clinic, we were talking about Unlocking the Lower Back and Standing in the Stirrups and moving with the Horse, then Sitting the Trot and still allowing the movement of the trot to go down your leg and into the stirrups.

Unlocking the Lower Back helps to lower your center of gravity. With all your weight in your seat, pedal backwards as the horse moves. Do not move your leg, but you may appear to be rocking from the waist down. You can lengthen your horse’s stride by pedaling harder, and shorten the stride by pedaling slower. You can turn the horse by pedaling one side. This is the same as the Following Seat in Centered Riding. Allow the hips to move with the movement of the horse.

Standing at the Trot and Moving with the Horse at the Trot, the horse will shift your weight from stirrup to stirrup. The horse’s body moves freer. His gait will become more fluid as his back comes up. As your hip, knees, and ankle joints become more flexible, you will move will your horse more.

Well, finally, after a year of Centered Riding exercises, of the Following Seat, I got it!!! I sat at the walk and I could move with my seat as the horse moved his hind legs. My hips became freer. My seat moved with each gait, and the movement went down in to my legs, through my knees to my feet.

I made a conscious effort to feel the walk stride in my seat, which I always did with Finny. This time, I tried to feel it go into my legs. I think Finny had such a smooth gait is the reason I didn't get the feeling as strong. With Shaggy, he is very true and has a very deep stride, and I could really feel his walk and trot. I could feel as I did the Backwards Pedaling motion, like you should do in the Following Seat and Unlocking the Lower Back, each motion of the pedaling! My seat and legs moved as if the were pedaling. Awesome feeling!!! Try feeling this in your seat before trying to feel it in your knees and legs.

My next LB moment came while I was reading the Centered Riding Book 2 and I
can't wait to share that with you tomorrow!

“Embrace the Journey!”