Dressage gurus please advise...

[kerilli]

I had a bit of a breakthrough today with my big gangly 5 year old. Everyone's telling me she's a very late developer (don't I know it) so we haven't done much. She's big-moving, really light on her feet and very elastic (TB x Stonegrove Ace, by Akkord).
Today at home, she was soft, through, working beautifully into a light elastic contact in walk and trot (didn't try it at canter yet, she really is a bit backwards!), and for the first time in my life when we went into trot it was just like sitting on top of a rubber ball, or a spacehopper or something, literally round at both ends and totally bouncy and soft underneath me. I could give away the contact completely with inside and then outside rein, on both reins, and she stayed just the same underneath me. It felt fantastic.
I've had nice horses before, e.g. one i bred who was correct and obedient but had no natural athleticism so was quite limited (Medium was her absolute limit), so she never felt like this. The only Grand Prix 'schoolmaster' i ever sat on didn't really feel like this either...
Is this what it's supposed to feel like?!

 

[icestationzebra]

I think so yes. A horse with natural 'bounce' and athletism that holds no resistance through it's body, that hasn't been made unlevel by unbalanced riders, or mouth ruined by unsympathetic hands will feel like this. It's truly fabulous to feel and I warn you it becomes totally addictive. It's important to try and replicate this feel whenever you ride but don't get frustrated on those days it doesn't happen

 

[kerilli]

ha, yes, that's it, thanks! There was no resistance at all, just this amazing bounce and softness. I won't get frustrated if/when it doesn't happen, i'm totally Zen about my dressage now!

 

[coss]

what icestationzebra said! when you get that feeling you feel like you can turn anywhere across the school, circle at whatever size you want and just float round

 

[diggerbez]

when he's being good this is what my horse feels like! its an awesome feeling. unfortunately he's not often good

 

[brighthair]

It's a fab feeling isn't it, like you can sit there and do nothing

 

[Prince33Sp4rkle]

the feeling of simultaneously being kicked up the arse by an elephant yet being able to sit totally fluidly without a struggle, like you are glued together?!

 

[not_with_it]

Is this what it's supposed to feel like?!

In a word yes.
I love it when you get that feeling, Its like they have gone gooey. Its so hard to describe though, it just feels 'right'.

 

[Baydale]

I'm no guru but from the nice and well-marked/well-judged horses I've sat on, I'd say yes.

It's great isn't it, even if it comes and goes when you try to do more with it? It's also the best way for your brain to learn how to reproduce the feeling again, kinda automatically if that makes sense - the "reward" is stored as the wow feeling in your brain so you want to do it again. A bit like eating chocolate....

 

[Thistle]

K I love your description!It's very similar to how B described her dressage lesson on Hec today!

 

[kerilli]

Yes, Baydale, that's it. Actually Thistle, that reminds me, it's quite like how Hector felt actually, but he was trained so obv secure and stronger in himself, whereas this one is so green she's still totally wibbly and permeable, i can't think of the right words really but i know what i mean!
nat, you're right, it feels "gooey", it's so soft and squidgy, like playing with that goo stuff when I was a kid.
PS, didn't get that far, didn't put any power in, we were happy just bouncing around floatily, or floating around bouncily!

 

[Thistle]

You just need to save that feeling in your head and be pleased to recreate it even if only for a few seconds at a time.