The Rhythm is Gonna Get You

 Last Sunday it was Carmen's turn for a lesson and I was excited. Earlier in the week riding I had an epiphany. It was another breezy fall day but the sun was shining and it felt pretty warm. Carmen was being really good but every time we went through the corner where there are a lot of bushes with leaves blowing she was getting tense, counter bent and rushy. I did what I normally do- bend her, half-halt and ride on. After multiple times there it hit me about how her rhythm kept changing.  Now if you read this blog even casually you will know that Jane has been on me about her rhythm from day 1. I've even joked about it. So I don't know why on this particular ride it hit me as something, you know, I should work on. (My theory is that in the past I was more worried about her spinning and bolting but I don't anymore so that freed up more in my brain to think about more things than survival). 

Anyway. I decided to ignore everything but her cadence. To help myself I began to repeat over and over: this-is-the-rhythm. It really helped. So when she sped up or slowed down at the trot I just kept posting to that chant (thank goodness there's not anyone really near to me!). And funnily enough after our third time through Carmen gave a big sigh and totally relaxed. And we went on to have a great schooling session. I have this habit of texting Jane when I get these breakthroughs. And she's always positive about it: 

Which made me even more excited to have our lesson and work on this some more. And hoo-boy was it a great lesson. There was so much good stuff and so much covered that I could make this post way too long. So let me hit the highlights. 

Receiving our instructions from Dotty

 Rhythm of course. Carmen and I managed to keep it for most of the lesson and most of the time when Jane reminded me I had already recognised it.  I need to keep the feel on the bit to help her steady and ride her to the contact. Carmen tends to shorten her neck and stride and go faster with her legs. Of course I need to be steady in the contact to  encourage her to reach for it. But I tend to then get too open with my hand so she can just fall on the forehand. 

this is our first trot work and so much to love, but 
see how she's thinking of curling behind?

Jane talked a lot about getting her open in her trapezius muscle. I had to stop and ask her to explain it to me because I wasn't sure. She explained how it is a fan shaped muscle and has too parts in the neck and in the back just behind the wither (https://www.rodnikkel.com/content/saddle-tree-blog-from-shop-and-desk/the-trapezius-muscle/. Horses that have a dip in front of the wither do not have a well developed trapezius. And if it is not open they cannot lift their back. Carmen has a habit of retracting her neck and she does, indeed, have a small dip right in front of the wither. We spent a lot of time getting her to stretch it out. 

Jane explaining the trapezius 

If I understand what she said, Carmen needs to stretch into the contact so she can lift up her back and engage in self-carriage (I'm sure Jane will let me know next week if I'm right on this).  And a horse cannot relax and stretch out this muscle without a steady rhythm.  

Now this is lovely - reaching for the bit and 
pushing from behind

could she be rounder? Yes. Is she stretching
to a quiet contact? Also yes. I'll take it

My hands are so much better than even a couple months ago. I'm doing much better in keeping them down and not having my shoulders up around my ears. It was a lot of work but Carmen was great through 99% of it. There was one spook she did when Quaid came barreling up the field but if you watch the video you can see that she really was deciding to go with it. 

It felt like it took us a bit to come down from this and for me to relax my hands down again but really it was not that long and we were back to the exercise of 10 m circle to shoulder in. Then SI to half-pass. 

Shoulder in, haunches in are all getting so much lighter and easier. 

shoulder in

half-pass

Every time it gets better and better. I love how much 'ground' we covered in this lesson. My hands, my awareness of her rhythm, getting her to seek contact rather than me pulling back to get it. When I compare where we were this time last year it's not even close. It feels like we're so much better balanced and together. It's rare that I feel that we're not communicating. Even when she questions me it's not a pure rejection 95% of the time.  

love this screenshot from when I was setting up the Pivo. 
Carmen: look at my halo