Harmony Between Horse and Rider

I read a lovely interview with one of the top dressage trainers in Great Britain, well actually the world.  And everything that I read made sense and I felt that I could apply it to my riding even though I'm not riding at the level of the horses and riders that they were discussing. So with that thought in my mind and went to the barn and proceeded to have a wonderful lesson on Bella with my trainer Judy Whyte.

Before we even started the lesson I was walking on a loose rein and telling Judy about the interview and she laughs because she had just read it that morning.  Well, that's good because I knew that everything that we both read was correct and that it would play a part in my lesson.  If you've been reading my blog you'd know that Bella and I have recently been going through a little sticky patch.  She was being hormonal (we realized the dispenser on her drugs/hormones had broken and she had not been getting any for a few weeks). And when Bella is hormonal she can be very difficult (so can I for that matter).  Well about 2 weeks ago I had a horrible ride and it was during a lesson with Judy and she had me get off and she rode Bella through some of the tough parts.  Then Judy told me that I was over riding with my hands and using strength in the wrong way to control my horse.  So she gave me homework for the week.  I was not to use my hands but to use my seat.  My seat that I've been trying to develop these last 10 years.  My seat that should be one of my first aids not one of my last.  Well, I listened and I worked very hard to not over ride but to let my horse come to me.  To use soft re-balances and create a lighter horse in my lighter hands.  We have been doing that for about 2 weeks now and the results have been amazing.  (Bella is also back on her drugs/hormones, so that helps).

Now back to my lesson.  My warm up was going very good.  Soft bending lines, leg yielding, steady rhythm, relaxed horse but developing engagement.  And it just got better and better.  Judy wanted leg yields to shoulder ins to halts to rein backs back to trot and so on and so forth.  Then we moved onto the canter where we did shallow counter canter serpentines to changes of rein through the serpentine.  Then simple changes every 4-5 strides with a little leg yield before the new depart.  Wow it was just great.  I rode with feel and channeled the thoughts that I had from the article.  Bella was lighter and freer and just absolutely trying her hardest without getting super tense which would be her normal MO.

Now I couldn't have had that type of ride without having control over my own body.  Riding softer and lighter with less forceful strength doesn't mean that your not using your strength and conditioning it just means that your using it differently.  Instead of being forceful and trying to make Bella do what I want, now I ask her with subtle aids and praise her when she answers.  I help her by having control over my body first.  Being fit has not just benefited me but it has also benefited my horse.