Blog alert: Dressage Curmudgeon

I recommend this blog, dressagecurmudgeon, which is the kind of writing I would love to do if I was a tuned-in dressage hipster. The writer is more of an insider to the sport than I'll ever be, and she has a sharp wit and ain't afraid to use colorful language.

DC, I'm stealing your photo for the blog and hoping you won't mind since I'm using it to promo your blog, and besides, you are hardly a typical "walmart shorts-wearer." You look great (darnyou).

So go to DC's blog to find out about the drama of the shorts.  Do not drink while reading her shorts drama, as the liquid could spew through your nose.

Exercise with Heike Kemmer

Olympian rider Heike Kemmer shows us exercises for riding. Narrated in German, you can still get a lot out of it, and it's fun to watch a rider in goofy positions...

Laser Amulet 17.5 medium setting

I tried this saddle -- what a great-feeling saddle, with thinline padding on the seat and underside. I wanted it to work, but it didn't feel super stable on his back no matter where I adjusted the tree. Ri seemed to like it well enough, but it slid forward onto his withers within ten minutes. To be fair, the county does that too, but I have a mattes pad to keep it in place...

Dressage instruction is hard because...

I'm learning a few hard truths about myself these days -- I'm not much of a student, apparently.

Maybe I'm just not a good listener. Maybe I can't multitask.  Maybe it's hard to hear over the buzz of the arena lights. Maybe I'm just not a quick study.

Maybe all of those things are true. In a recent instruction session, I got the impression that the instructor felt I was not engaged in the process. I dunno, maybe I wasn't. Here's how I see it.

1. There are always two conversations going on -- the instructor, and the horse.  
2. I am certain that instructors want riders to think for themselves -- they don't want to have to tell you to do every little half halt.
3. Given that you have to listen to your horse. You're sitting on 1200 lbs of muscle, how can we not give them priority? Their conversation seems much more immediate than the distant voice in the background.
4. As a result, my fastest response is about 3-5 seconds behind in responding to the instructor. Or all too often, I miss the instructor comment entirely. 

Am I alone in this?

 How many times have you felt exasperation when an instructor says "circle at E" -- and by the time you've processed it, you're passing E? I feel dense as a post, and I can only imagine how much my instructor would like to throttle me by the neck. 

I rode in a clinic over the weekend. It was useful, and I received a clear message about what I need to work on as a rider. I failed to deliver on the goods when the clinician asked for things, though -- IMHO it was partly nerves and partly the problem of dueling conversations (described above).

The clinician is not at fault; other people manage. My only defense is that failing  to deliver the goods is not the same as not trying. The spirit may be willing, but the flesh is weak!