Wednesday, October 7, 2015

My Trainer: Kristin Corcoran Part II

 Recall that I'm having a struggle in my lesson with crookedness. Here's what happens...

Not Kristin, and not me, but this is "the demo"
The demo and regroup
My trainer Kristin and I are in the center of the ring, and Kristin stands next to us. She gets in a "riding position" and illustrates the key weaknesses in my position that are allowing or causing crookedness.  It's a body tendency I instantly recognize -- collapsing and uneven hips, over-rotating my upper body. Then she demonstrates how to correct each flaw, repositioning her own hips/torso, and guides me in making the same corrections. I do. She nods, but it's not yet 100%. She says, "move your hips and torso even more to the right." I do, and when I feel like I am close to toppling off the other side, she says, "now you are straight."

We walk on a circle and Kristin keeps a near the reins, monitoring my contact and position. Ri starts to fall, but instead of impulsively grabbing the right rein in a punishing way, I follow Kristin's instructions to "tuck in" the outside shoulder and gently pulse and release the outside rein, releasing instead of holding.  I add a little inside leg, and Ri responds by standing up more in his shoulder and stepping under. Yeah!

 Back on a circle
Kristin has me move on a circle around her.  Now, though I again feel like I'm practically falling over the outside,  I can't help but notice that that Riley is easily bending around my inside leg. And when his inside hind leg "threads" slightly between his two front feet, I feel his back lift and something clicks. His neck, which was stiff as a board, feels round and rubbery and he is moving more into the outside rein. I can't help but feel that he has been waiting for this all along. It's now easy to keep a light, quiet contact. The gears are aligned and he is flowing forward like a waterwheel. Now I can feel where he is between my seatbones, too.

Riley is now stepping lively. We move into a trot. I  tap with the inside leg, and Ri has a power surge! His back is soft and springy for a half-circle, and I have a place to sit comfortably. When I feel the energy dissipate,  Kristin reminds me to sit more to the outside (which makes me straight). Again, power surge!

On to Part III




4 comments:

  1. Me too with the crooked. I have been banished to riding with only one stirrup and jumping with only one stirrup and no reins.

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  2. Finally. You are writing about riding again.

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  3. Amazing how we think we are straight, centered and balanced and we are just nothing but wopperjaw all over the horse's back. Our poor PONIES!! I had a real problem with sitting UP because I came from a forward seat riding background. Also had a "custom in price only" saddle made for me by a moronic dolt who refused to correct the issues, telling me it was ME that didn't understand a saddle that was built for me (it measured 17" and I need an 18" unless it's a deep seat; then a 17.5 would work) and I strugged for six years before I finally gave up and went somewhere else. (Saddle fitters are like doctors--they don't like to criticize each other, either). You and Riley are going to be unbeatable once this straightness issue is settled. LOVE muscle memory!! It will be your friend.

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  4. I have had this exact lesson (over and over again as I seem to be a slow learner) and it is amazing the difference these corrections make. My instructor reminds me to sometimes look at the outside ear (which positions me straight, but feel like I shift to the outside). She also tells me my hands are holding a basket (I think of a shopping cart) and she tells me to move my basket to the outside which also keeps me from overbending to the inside. These concepts have made such a dramatic difference in my riding and in my horse. Love that you could write about it so clearly!

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