Ix-nay on the Andbox-say

Ready?  Now?  How about now?

Not just because I would rather be outside (though that doesn’t hurt) but also because it’s occurred to me that riding figures in the ring is maybe not the best use of our time.

What I’m after: a better answer to the aids, a clearer connection, and a straighter more uphill balance always – with the horse under me, not out in front.

All of which are in theory (and practice!) addressable by way of figures in the ring or else no one would be able to ride dressage ever, right?

Our problem: what with Reasons that I started to outline for the umpteenth time but honestly I was boring even myself and the point here is to move forward, not to dwell on the past…Tucker and I both have an frustrating set of confirmed glitches that become really, really tempting when riding figures with things not going well.  We go crookeder and crookeder, get stronger and stiffer, and it is really easy when you’re always on or approaching a turn for all of that to snowball.  Shouldn’t be that way, but it is.

The stronger-and-stiffer progression is easy on an infinite straight line, too, and Tuck’s beloved dump on the right shoulder ditto.  But I stay straighter and more even in saddle, irons, reins, when I’m not constantly overthinking and overriding the curve.  Here’s hoping that will make all the difference.

So, new plan.  Stay on the trails, and re-up the expectations out there.  (I’ve historically done a lot of dressage-on-the-trails, which is how Tuck got to be as good a trail horse as he is, but in this summer’s detox mode I will cheerfully admit that I’ve been coasting.) Transitions times a billion, ridden per the dressage clinicians (streeeetch out the transition and prioritize quality) rather than the eventers (make it happen now and prioritize obedience).  Ride square and in the middle, and think correcting the balance rather than the horse.  Think texture.  Crisp aids, but sustained enough for the horse to process->understand->react.  Light aids, but firm enough to be clear.

First day of program was – bracing?  Tuck wanted very badly to get out ahead of me and go go go, and we ended up schooling walk/canter/walk down the dirt road with considerable fussing and flailing and some pony very obviously begging me to either negotiate with terrorists or make the mistakes that I habitually make in the ring and give him justification to escalate.

But hey, he was reacting to the aids, albeit with some added flourishes and a repeatedly blown left lead depart, and I had a clear picture in my head of what we were aiming for and how I intended to get there, so I resisted temptation.  Sat chilly in the middle.  Kept explaining the transition and explaining the transition and explaining the transition again.  The walk->right lead was reliably at least good all ride (and the halt/walk/trot work ditto).  The walk->left lead was either nonexistent or atrocious, mostly, and then progressed to an acceptable departure followed by a swap off two strides in, which was useful information, and finished up – let’s say, “still not centerline ready,” but obedient and correct and contained, rather than flailing and rammy, so we trotted back up the mountain and finished there.

He had two days off to think about it, and came out Saturday for more of the same.  Two thousand percent better lateral and longitudinal balance from word go, two thousand percent operating within the space left by the aids, and he nailed every walk/canter all ride.

The goal is to build some different instincts, to develop some more productive habits, so that when we do get back into the ring we will hopefully have better answers when things go kind of wonky.

So far, so good.

(Other things I am thinking about: hind interference boots for the distance rides, an extended early-winter vacation for Tucker, and eliminating that damned sneaky canter stride from all of our would-be trot fences.)