Well after the disappointment of not being able to try my Western saddle properly poor old Pinto was subjected to being saddled again wtih my English saddle. It was absolutely freezing in the tack room, so I opted for my Wintec. Poor old Pinto was a bit bemused, but stood quite happily while I changed over all the blankets and sheepskins etc.
We got trotting almost straight away, and everything was almost perfect right from the start. Pinto wasn't rushing, I could do small rises, my lower leg felt really stable (for a change), so I switched to sitting trot.
Oh how long have we come?
I just wish someone had been there to take some photos of short videos as everything just felt so right. OK so I was still a bit tense in my shoulders, and my hands were a little unstable, but my legs were relaxed (miracle of miracles!), so much so, I could even change my foot position in the stirrup.
Of course all of this was helped with Pinto not rushing and staying relatively calm. There were a couple of times when he did speed up, and for the most part I was able to stay with him and ask him back to a slower pace.
It's odd, but I feel so much more at home in sitting trot (when I get it right).
Some things which I really have to work on further though are:
*Tension in the shoulders: if my shoulders are tense my hands become unstable
*Breathing: I have to learn how to breath softly and fully, rather than gasping (which of course adds to the tension) Normally I would take very deliberate breaths, but as Pinto will transition down a pace on a deliberate exhalation it's making like rather complicated!
*The unilateral movement of the seat bones which Heather stresses. I just can't get it
I have the impression that Pinto is happy with the new bitting arrangement. We are having much less yawing on the bit, and a couple of times he even sought the contact which is also practically unheard of.
Anyway we finished the session on a really good note (for me too), a nice sharp/soft transition to canter, 4 strides of canter then a rather wobbly transition back to trot and walk. It was the first time I've attempted canter in the manege with Pinto since before my accident last March
2 comments:
hot water bottle ....works a treat on the memory foam!
Haven't had enough experience with western saddles to offer advice about the fitting for either you or Pinto...sorry.
Singing as you ride can help you learn to both breathe and relax. It's hard to be tense when you are thinking about the music instead of your position.
Perhaps the image of kind of "melting" down into and around your horse might help you relax more. Then too the tension in your shoulders will soften and with that you will begin to feel your seatbones more easily. Most of the time, tension in one part of the body will affect the rest of your body as well whether you realize it or not.
Still, from having read some of your posts on EE from a while back, you have made fantastic progress! I am really impressed. Pinto is a honey who wants to do right by you, so if you can believe in him, that will also help you find harmony with him.
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