It's All In The Hips.

"You hasa cookie?"

"Uck, no cookie..."

"...please hasa cookie?"

This mornings ride felt pretty rough, DH wouldn't turn off the tv until nearly 11PM because he just has to get his drama shows in, I am talking chic flicks, like 90 Fiance and Before 90 Fiance.

I actually like the shows but I would rather sleep.

Then for whatever reason I woke up at 4AM and could not get back to sleep. So here I am... still chuggin' at lunch hour.... more like chuggin' the coffee pot...

I noticed in the arena this morning there were an entire set of new jumps. (I took mine away since they were still always getting busted, not by me... and I am not even using them right now. I must add, do you think anyone ever offered to fix them after their horses broke them?)

I am guessing they are owned by the ship in coach that comes to teach some of the kiddies, in debate if I can use them in future seeing as said person and I don't meet eye to eye. But hey, that hasn't stopped them in the past using mine and using all my poles and fillers, which I had not taken seeing as I use those.

Anyhow, off the rant and onto subject.

This weekend I was cleaning out my walk in and picked up my Creative Dressage Schooling book.

I had nearly gotten through the entire book of exercises with P but Solo isn't at that level yet, so I took out the marker and flipped back to exercise numero uno.

I felt like rider regression but I remind myself how much I still learn from this young guy despite his preschool levels. 

I started reading through and picked the first three to work on. 1st and 2nd were for creating proper corners and building impulsion through corners by trotting the long side, coming back to walk in corner with a half halt, riding the corner almost square, focusing on only seeing a bit of inside eye and not enough to pop the outside shoulder. Inside leg driving, outside leg guarding. Back to trot. Then proceeding with this but on a squarish figure 8. Basics but good reminders since I have been slacking and allowing the baby drifting corner instead.

The 3rd I actually found pretty interesting and I don't know how I missed it the other times I have read it. Still working the corner but the concept was more rider than horse adjustment. The ideal was to weight your inside seat bone coming into the corner, continuing to drive with inside leg, and guard outside but to shift your inside hip to the outside to naturally encourage bend through the horses barrel. This is supposed to aid in a more natural bend through entire body rather than mistakenly using too much hand and getting the whole shoulder falling out thing.

I was skeptical but interested. I didn't feel like Solo was really at the level to adjust himself from what my body does and it didn't feel like I was giving an 'aid'.

I tested despite.

It works. Brilliantly. It took two corners but Solo was quick to soften his inside rib cage against my inside thigh and take up the space now in my outer thigh. In turn I didn't have to use as much inside leg for the bend and I am pretty sure I didn't even touch my inside rein to give the aid to soften. (Turn the key).

I have to say it was difficult to maneuver my body in a different way and remember to do it when it came again but this was actually quite revolutionary. 

#Addedthattomytacklebox

The best part. I found myself practicing this in my car while en route to work. Is this how you know you eat, sleep and breathe equitation? Lmao.