Moan alert: definitely getting worse

Caol Ila

Caol Ila

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I was starting to think I'd made big improvements in my horse's collection and engagement. So I dragged my hapless OH out to the barn with me and he dutifully video'ed my ride today.

Verdict: I've gotten worse. Pants. Don't know why I bother any more. Should just hack away and forget all the dressage malarkey. If I haven't figured it out in seventeen years of work at it, I'm not going to figure it out now.
 
We all have bad days! At least now you know what to work on. Our perception as a rider is often very different to what we look like, I think most of us can say we did a terrible dressage test and got very good marks, or a great test and got terrible marks!

Don't give up now!!
 
or that your 17 years means you can now look at the video and see how you need to improve?! been riding considerably longer than 17 years and I have still go SO much to learn..
 
I have a good eye and can give instruction and see what needs improving from the ground. It's that there seems to be a large gap between what I see from the ground and what I feel when on the horse. And not in a good way. It can feel as though the horse is engaged and collected, but in reality, she may not be.

I quit showing dressage back 2003 because it was all too stressful and I would freeze up in tests and ride appallingly. I decided that I didn't need to be paying $100 in entry fees in order to feel pissed off and miserable. There are, after all, plenty of ways to be pissed off and miserable for free. After I quit giving a damn about improving my dressage, I started enjoying my horse again. Yes, I'd still school in the arena and fiddle with dressage movements, but I wasn't bothered about their quality. I was doing a master's and then a PhD, so horse time was relaxing fun time.

In June, I finished my PhD and graduated and now have time and energy to think about other things. So I've started thinking about improving dressage again. And perhaps this is a very bad idea because I'm just getting wound up by it.
 
Caol Ila said:
It's that there seems to be a large gap between what I see from the ground and what I feel when on the horse.
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Do you get regular lessons? That and videoing are the only real ways to ensure you are getting the right feel, and I find lessons are better as your instructor is giving immediate feedback.
 
or if you don't have a good instructor, why not teach yourself? so, get OH to video a movement, then watch, then ask how you would do to improve it. Is there a more advanced horse you can borrow and do the same thing on?
 
Well get to an instructor! Its very difficult for anyone to improve without that type of feedback.

Everyone, even top level competitors, benefits from lessons.

Even if you are 'teaching yourself' (and it sounds as if you aren't happy with your progress doing this), you will benefit from another person's point of view.
 
Hackie said:
Do you get regular lessons? That and videoing are the only real ways to ensure you are getting the right feel, and I find lessons are better as your instructor is giving immediate feedback.
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Totally agree, lessons are the way to go and hopefully to improve :)
 
That's a good idea, Luci07. For the duration of the videoed ride of doom, I forgot lateral movements, transitions, and corners existed. Not helpful. And not how I ride when the camera isn't on. Perhaps if I videoed with a view to working on a specific movement, it would be far more useful.

My horse is the most advanced dressage horse at my barn. No chance of me easily getting a ride on a schoolmaster who's gone further up the levels than she has.
 
Aye, I know a lesson is probably in order. Anyone know of any good classical dressage instructors around South Lanarkshire? I'm very picky. Hate to say it, but a lot of the instructors I've seen at various yards since I moved to Scotland are asking the rider to pull the horse's head down into an outline and not emphasising the importance of softening and releasing when the horse cooperates. That's just not on.

I would have loved to have participated in a Mark Rashid clinic last May but couldn't afford to shell out £400+ to do it. :(
 
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No idea re: instructors, as I'm not from the UK, however I can relate to being picky.

My formula was to seek out competitors that do a good job (not always just the ones that are winning, but for me it is people who consitently produce good young horses :)) and go with them. Sometimes its expensive, however I always considered it as one of the costs of competing.
 
Hackie said:
No idea re: instructors, as I'm not from the UK, however I can relate to being picky.

My formula was to seek out competitors that do a good job (not always just the ones that are winning, but for me it is people who consitently produce good young horses :)) and go with them. Sometimes its expensive, however I always considered it as one of the costs of competing.
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I'm so out of that scene I wouldn't know where to start. I have not yet been anywhere or seen anything that's made me think, "Wow, that is a beautifully produced young horse." If I'd seen a local trainer who's work I definitely thought was awesome, I'd be phoning them up right now.
 
I was just using that as an example of how I found my (great) instructors - if you don't know of anyone you are going to have to do some research and find them, I guess its up to you to decide what is important to you and seek it out, and be comfortable that you may have to try a few different people.

I also tried to not restrict myself too much in terms of location - I used to travel for an hour for regular (weekly or biweekly) lessons as I got a lot out of them, but maybe thats just me. It was a huge cost and time commitment, but I always found I got the best out of my horses from regular lessons and as I have always competed I found it a false economy for me not to have them.
 
I would get some lessons. I agree watching yourself on video can be a bit of a shocker. Having someone watching from the ground is very helpful. I rarely had a lesson as a kid and I was self taught. I am a reasonable rider and able to ride difficult horses quite well however now I am going down the lesson route to polish things up :)
 
i was also thinking that I ride other horses better than mine. Especially youngsters. The owner of a greenie I'm working with took a video of us last week and I looked much better on that horse than I did on my mare.

I think when I'm focused on the absolute basics, as you are with a green horse, it's okay. But it all goes to pot when I start worrying about stuff like collection.

I've emailed Morag Higgins.
 
Ps I am going to a classical dressage trainer in the next week or so in Fife, will let you know what I think. No way to pull my horse in by the head as she has a lot of issues with her head!
 
Caol Ila said:
Aye, I know a lesson is probably in order. Anyone know of any good classical dressage instructors around South Lanarkshire? I'm very picky. Hate to say it, but a lot of the instructors I've seen at various yards since I moved to Scotland are asking the rider to pull the horse's head down into an outline and not emphasising the importance of softening and releasing when the horse cooperates. That's just not on.

I would have loved to have participated in a Mark Rashid clinic last May but couldn't afford to shell out £400+ to do it. :(
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Don't worry misses I'm the same - I feel like Carl Hester but in reality look like a jockey trying to learn dressage :(

As for all instructors up here wanting you to pull the horses head down - nonsense! Try Diana Zajda. She was head coach at Gleneagles when I worked there and I loved the way she taught.

There are lots of good intructors up here. Jo Barry is seemingly good too, and Sam John of Avalon Equestrian?

I was taught by my old boss who is based in East Lothian that the head carriage comes last after the forward,straight and relaxed sequence.

My friend who holds a few Scottish Championships breeds, produces and competes her own horses up to Inter 1 / GP I think. She has a slightly different way of brining on horses that not everyone would agree with but it works for her and she is going to give me a few 'eyes on the ground' sessions.

I'm hoping to get some dressage lessons at some point. Spent my life jumping!
 
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