I had my second dressage lesson recently and it went really well! For the second half, at least. For the first half, I just wasn’t riding great or asking too much.
This was how I rode the first part of the lesson:
Straight arms. Why? At least I was sitting up straight though.
We were working on quality in the walk and trot, getting the horses to track up and power from behind. Apparently my brain thought this meant I should stick my hands out and ride on a near-loose rein.
Trainer B eventually stopped me and came over to help with Artie a bit. She wanted to see if he could get round and soft on the bit. It took some convincing but once he figured it out, he was nice and light in a frame. It was so much easier to get flexion and bend at that point. Shocking, I know.
I was also given a note to bend my elbows. (Okay, I was given this note a few times but it eventually stuck.) The contact felt firm but not like I was pulling back, and Artie was staying in a nice frame. We progressed to trot and he kept the frame and throughness in the transition and into the trot!
This is how we can ride when we both work a little harder. Bent elbows, strong back, relaxed leg, forward and through. I just wish I were – everybody now! – sitting up a little taller. We even got some nice canter in there, though it was bit tougher for Artie.
For proof, here’s a video of us doing a 20-meter(ish) trot circle. And looking mighty cute, if I say so myself. Although I do wish I were sitting…well, you know.
I’m finding that I really enjoy dressage. I may even start to love it. (Not as much as jumping though! [Yet. {Probably.}])
Centered in the Saddle 
Nice! You’re getting it – and it’s so fun to watch the progress!
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Good work! A small fix that made a big difference for me was relaxing my wrists and keeping them flexible.
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Great tip! I will think about that next time. I can imagine how that would help keep my arms from becoming rigid, while still keeping the bend in my elbow.
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I’m posting tomorrow about the last 3 weeks I have spent in lessons working on the trot. Maybe you would find it interesting.
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I will watch out for it!
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You guys are looking good. What a cutie Artie is!
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Thanks! He is adorable. I’m really enjoying getting to know him…and I’m hoping to wrangle someone to take some jumping photos soon!
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Y’all look great! A small fix for me was when an instructor told me to “show off” every time I ride. Thinking that way made me sit up much straighter and my aids to be much more forward thinking (and helped my riding since I tend to ‘curl’ in). Dressage turned fun for me when I realized how many different things you can do with it. Keep up the good work 🙂
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Thank you! That’s a great idea to trick yourself into sitting up. Sometimes I used to do that in my eq on the flat classes – I’d try to exude “look at me, see how PRETTY I am!” I think it helped in a similar way!
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No knee gripping. Still revert to it sometimes, but it’s the ticket to ride well.
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Me, too! I pinch my knees but when I sit up it’s much easier to relax them.
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My trainer recently told me to look around the turns with my eyes, but to keep my body centered with the horse throughout the turn. OMG, so much difference!
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Good one!
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