Post by equus8 on Aug 23, 2010 1:03:43 GMT -5
Kelly had Sara start riding Doc, an eventing horse. She was sitting in the instructor's chair at the close end of the dressage arena as Sara walked the gelding in.
"Sara, you can practice on him anytime and I'll talk to you about being my working student after the lesson. But for the next little while I want you only riding in lessons" said Kelly.
"Thanks!" replied Sara
Sara mounted up, listening for what Kelly would ask her.
"Today we are only going to work on the walk, maybe the trot, but I want you to get a better sense of your contact so it is going to be a lunging lesson" said Kelly as she pulled out side reins, a cavesson and a lunge line. She put them on Doc and sent him out on a circle with Sara on his back, after tying the reins to his mane. "You get no reins" she said, "reins are a privilege, you misuse them, now put your hands at your side or oh your hips. Sara put them on her hips. "Good, now ask him to extend his walk". She saw Sara squeeze her leg and Doc moved into the trot. "Easy" Said Kelly and Doc slowed to a walk. "I want you to ask for the extended walk with your seat, not your legs. Open your hips, and bring your legs back under you. Open your shoulders now, and don't grab with your knees. Relaaaax, and now move with him, allow him to swing. There. Did you feel that? Thats what you want. Now ask him to shorten: close your thighs and block with your thighs, block, and block, even more, don't move with him as much, now don't get stiff. Open your shoulders. Good. Use your core. There! That was perfect! Now ask him to bend onto a smaller circle around me, use your legs and open with your hips. Bring your outside leg back. Don't lean in, swivel, keep your shoulders level, use your heel now and make him move. Open on the inside...there and keep him on that smaller circle. Hold his shoulder straight with your outside aids. Good, and shorten his stride even more. Stop now. Good job! Now that is using your seat! Ask him to reverse now, no reins. Don't let him walk out, hold him back, use your core and check, now turn him, bend him, use your outside leg. He's not listening so kick him! There and turn. Tighter! there now keep him on the same sized circle. Okay, now side step him out to a larger lunge circle around me and ask for an extended walk. Flow with him, take your knee off, and lean back now, roll your pelvis and lightly squeeze with your inner calf. Now open your shoulders. There, feel him swing and move with him. Good and halt. Good! There you go, now you are using your seat! The next lesson will also be a lunge lesson, so I'll see you then. You've already improved!"
"Sara, you can practice on him anytime and I'll talk to you about being my working student after the lesson. But for the next little while I want you only riding in lessons" said Kelly.
"Thanks!" replied Sara
Sara mounted up, listening for what Kelly would ask her.
"Today we are only going to work on the walk, maybe the trot, but I want you to get a better sense of your contact so it is going to be a lunging lesson" said Kelly as she pulled out side reins, a cavesson and a lunge line. She put them on Doc and sent him out on a circle with Sara on his back, after tying the reins to his mane. "You get no reins" she said, "reins are a privilege, you misuse them, now put your hands at your side or oh your hips. Sara put them on her hips. "Good, now ask him to extend his walk". She saw Sara squeeze her leg and Doc moved into the trot. "Easy" Said Kelly and Doc slowed to a walk. "I want you to ask for the extended walk with your seat, not your legs. Open your hips, and bring your legs back under you. Open your shoulders now, and don't grab with your knees. Relaaaax, and now move with him, allow him to swing. There. Did you feel that? Thats what you want. Now ask him to shorten: close your thighs and block with your thighs, block, and block, even more, don't move with him as much, now don't get stiff. Open your shoulders. Good. Use your core. There! That was perfect! Now ask him to bend onto a smaller circle around me, use your legs and open with your hips. Bring your outside leg back. Don't lean in, swivel, keep your shoulders level, use your heel now and make him move. Open on the inside...there and keep him on that smaller circle. Hold his shoulder straight with your outside aids. Good, and shorten his stride even more. Stop now. Good job! Now that is using your seat! Ask him to reverse now, no reins. Don't let him walk out, hold him back, use your core and check, now turn him, bend him, use your outside leg. He's not listening so kick him! There and turn. Tighter! there now keep him on the same sized circle. Okay, now side step him out to a larger lunge circle around me and ask for an extended walk. Flow with him, take your knee off, and lean back now, roll your pelvis and lightly squeeze with your inner calf. Now open your shoulders. There, feel him swing and move with him. Good and halt. Good! There you go, now you are using your seat! The next lesson will also be a lunge lesson, so I'll see you then. You've already improved!"