Cancelling the Noise.

 

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Lately, I have been concentrating on cancelling all 'noise' while I ride Paloma to make sure that I am giving her a clear picture of what I want and removing any area of confusion or potential tension.

What I mean by cancelling the noise is not giving any aid unless I intend to give one.
The biggest area of 'noise' for me as a rider was my hands.

I have more or less been all over the boat with my rein aids. Back in my 'rider to be pretty' hunter days, my hands were quiet, quiet, quiet. But to the point where I wasn't giving any aids.
Then, I started training with a dressage trainer who had very active hands but a ton of success and respect in our area. She must be doing something right... right?

Well, she was.

My downfall was my interpretation of her lessons. When she would tell me to ask for soften, I would close my inside hand and release when pony obliged. Nothing else.
Thus, I wasn't getting 'real' soften. I was merely getting 'give to pressure'. I thought I was doing it right.
I wasn't.



Then it began the battle of wits with pony. I would ask for 'soften', she would 'soften', then all connection would be dropped, by me, so it was an endless game of ping-pong. Take, give, take give. Nothing ever really achieved.



When I injured my ankle at the start of December I started doing quite a bit more of no stirrup work. And let me tell you, I hate no stirrup work. All I can do is concentrate on keeping my body/leg position proper and nothing else. So hands became very quite and my leg stayed on.

What I did find working without stirrups was that I could really feel pony's body. If she was bulging her barrel/ shoulder left or right, if her haunches were falling in etc. It was amazing. So I in turn started using my leg, or a little more outside rein to remind that shoulder/ barrel etc to stay where I was. Suddenly, I realized that I was getting REAL softness. There was no constant requesting for softness, it just was.


Taking back my stirrups I concentrated on setting my hands, not floppy but not tense, and keeping a solid barrier of sorts with my legs. (Five pounds of pressure maybe).
Shortening my stirrups a hole seemed to be a key factor in helping me sustain this.
Also, remembering to keep the never wavering, inside leg to outside hand connection.


These past few weeks have felt like I have been putting in those final pieces into the 1000 piece impossible puzzle.
It is a good feeling to accomplish, when I remember to ride correctly...