Thursday, March 14, 2013

My notes and Kelly's notes on Sunday session


My NOTES
TEST—simulation and mounted
Turnout feet
Collapse torso
Look down
Puppy paws
Straight elbows

When I am riding: constantly check the left foot/hip, looking level not down at Try, thumbs and elbows. Remember thumbs not fingers—soft fingers. Soft touch reins rather than contact terminology. Holding a small tray. Kelly had me shorten my stirrups.

Warmup on the ground: calm, connected, responsive
Riding warmup: Standing in the stirrups: walk then try it at a trot. Try being relaxed/not bracing with the soft touch and good rhythm is warmup before beginning any teaching.

Ride to music
Coming down Straight center line: played with wting stirrup and turning head to see what happens.
Loops: (½ pass/leg yielding) off the rail and back using jump block (or cones or whatever). Leg a little forward and focus.
Played with riding over cavalettis for lengthening and shortening stride: rhythm and tempo/speed.
Played with lighthouse: turning head and wting stirrup to spiral in and out: walk and trot.

What is the distance between poles? Poles cannot be pvc pipe!
Why—asking for canter in my body on Saturday?? Easy leg/little kiss
Shortening—collecting: look up Michael Jackson and ??
Lookup wt back slows/lookdown—wt forward speeds ie canter for Keystone
Rhythm/beats of music vs qualities being expressed in the music
Standing in the stirrups and ballet porte bras—from the shoulder (down) not with the shoulder
??no bending to get flexion
When does vertical flexion come into the picture??

Riding: play with exercises from the standpoint of does my right or left side cue Try differently? I suspect Try has learned to tune out my turned out left foot and stay straight.

Sunday was a really fun day—riding in a group and music—fun exercises putting it to purpose—Try mentally (and physically) engaged in a good way.


Kelly notes:

1.  STRAIGHTNESS:  Are you straight? Test that on your horses' back while you are sitting- what happens when you drop your right ear, drop your elbow- go all the way down to sticking your toes out!  

2.  HOW DO I GET STRAIGHT?!?  Start with your feet- 
A. Stirrup Length- are the platforms of your stirrups right below your ankle noble, and if so, are they even?  Stirrup platforms need to sit right at the back of the balls of your feet.  Toes straight forward- not out like Charlie Chaplin~
B.  120 degree angle in your knee-
C.  Is your zipper in the middle?  Your visor level- shoulders level?
D.  Toe in front of your knee?
-This is just a start-

SIDE TO SIDE ISSUES:  Are you twisted on one side?- start from the feet up- is one toe out more than the other, a knee, a hip, head tilt?  Ear- ext…...
Standing in the stirrups- try the stretches- fingers up, down, forward- walk, trot and eventually the canter- this is a great test and an excellent way to get you straight!!!

3.  BE AWARE OF YOUR SPACING with other horses around you

4.  TURNING- THE different ways to turn- direct rein of opposition, indirect rein of opposition, emergency stop on ice. The latter add 2nd rein to prevent turning.
Turn with: Vision, Weight then Rein….

5.  Regularity- this is the second thing that  you need to focus on- look at the email on music that I sent to you

6. FORWARDS AND BACKWARDS-  What happens when you lean forwards and backwards?  Forwards= Forehand.  Backwards= Engagement.  How does this enhance my engagement and downward transitions?

7.  Put all of that together with the LIGHTHOUSE exercise- spiral in= half pass, engaged or not. This is a stretching exercise for your horse.   Spiral out= shoulder, strengthening exercise.  

8.  Once you have all that- LOOPS- to develop straightness.  Begin by putting a cone 10-12 feet away from the wall.  As you head to the cone, bend your horse to the inside of the ring and push that same leg forward (example: right rein forward, right leg forward), at the cone, go straight a few strides, then bend to the outside (example: left rein bent to the left and left leg forward).  You only need a slight bend to begin with.  Start this at the walk and then the trot.  You will see that you horse is better on one side than the other- your goal is to equalize the bend so that your horse is straight!!!

As for a daily plan…

Make sure that you have the first 5 in place- play some music!!!!!  Remember- 7 sessions to start a pattern….21 to make it a habit!  After a few sessions and your horse starts to transition into reinforcement stage- add the others.  Loops need to get further away from the wall over the time to develop their strength…Email or call me if you have any questions!!!!
Kelly Sigler Patterson
3 Star Parelli Professional

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