Further Rewards for my Increased Stability

This week has been full of rain down here in the Piedmont of North Carolina.  We’ve gotten about four inches of rain over the last seven days.  I just got to ride once.

Debbie had to go off Wednesday so I did not get my lesson.  I went out to the stable anyway, I wanted to see if Mia was still responding to my increased stability, and I also wanted to take care of her.  I was tired from a dentist appointment on Tuesday and I forgot to bring my hard hat, bridle and crop with me.  Darrell (Debbie’s husband) told me just to get one of their lesson helmets and a bridle and crop from the tack room.  I picked out an old bridle that I lent/donated to Debbie’s stable years ago with an egg-butt Dr. Bristol, got the helmet that fit me the best, and then I curried Mia and got tired.  My husband took over with the brushing, but I had to do a LOT of rasping on her hooves, she is starting to get chunks out from stamping against the flies, plus her hooves are growing fast with all the good grass.  By the time I mounted Mia out in the ring I was TIRED!

It was so hot and muggy on Wednesday, with lots of pesky flies and gnats trying to find a place that did not have fly spray on it.  I knew it would be warm so I wore my super cool but slippery riding tights and used the Sit-Tite spray.  I did not feel that secure in the saddle as I initially walked and trotted around the ring but at least I was not sliding around.  Mia did not seem too upset with the different bit and bridle even though the brow band was a little tight and the bridle’s reins were laced reins instead of my usual super supple plain reins.  The last time I had used the Dr. Bristol on her she had told me vehemently that she no longer liked it, so I was mildly worried that she would not respond well to my hand aids.  After 15 minutes of warm-up I decided to see if she would still let me ask her for a more extended trot.

At first Mia was not completely happy with me, but instead of her usual  NO, NO, NO violent head swinging she just gave me a few firm nods, sort of telling me “better, but you‘re not quite there yet.”  Backing off to a walk I tried to interpret what Mia was telling me.  After a few ineffective experiments with the height of my hands, the inclination of my upper body and how I did my leg aids, I remembered all the times Debbie yelled at me for my lower leg being too far back.  So I brought my whole body, legs included, around an inch further forward in the saddle, and that seemed to be what Mia wanted, with my lower legs where Mia wanted them she was ready to cooperate.  I would not have been able to keep my legs and body forward in the saddle if I hadn’t used the sticky spray, but with it I seemed to stay forward enough.  So I asked for an extension again (alternating my legs when I sat with a slight stiffening of my fingers when I rose in the post), and Mia started to move out without any objections.

No, it was not a full extension of the trot, but she did move out with more impulse and  some lengthening of her stride while keeping contact with the bit.  Since there had been a lot of rain the ring had several deep spots which limited how far I could trot her in a straight line, so it was a case of trotting, extending for a short line, and then going though the deep spots at a walk.  I successfully got the same lengthening of her trot two more times, then I was exhausted.  One good thing about my MS is that I get tired so quickly that I am not tempted to do too much when I first get a result I want.  The other good thing from my MS is that, in the beginning, I look for the response, do a few strides, and then I reward Mia (and me) with a rest.  Since Mia is an ancient arthritic mare she appreciates not being pushed too hard. 

I was VERY happy, I’m finally getting Mia to move.  I don’t know if Mia was happy, but at least she was not displeased with me.  Mia is super reliable, she will ALWAYS let me know if she is not happy with my riding!  Being a gracious Arab mare, she will forgive me if I immediately correct myself.  She had been forgiving me for my clumsiness due to my slippery breeches, the resulting unsteadiness of my hands, legs, and seat, but she absolutely refused to move out because I was not, in her opinion, riding well enough to merit the extra effort.  Now that I am regaining some steadiness in my position maybe, just maybe, I will be able to find out what this astounding mare can do.

Right now my steadiness is rooted mainly in my upper calf and somewhat in my lower thigh and in keeping my heels down.  If I can keep these parts of my leg stable in the saddle (not sliding around) my lower leg stops swinging and my hands become independent of the rest of my body.  Of course if I did not already know how to ride properly my increased stability would not show such positive results.  If I had not properly schooled Mia over the years, strengthening the right muscles, training her to my aids, and gaining her trust and cooperation, I would not have gotten such positive results either.  Good performances are made up of many small parts.  It seems that I have finally corrected the small part of my position that was preventing further progress.  WOW!!!!

Have a great ride!

Jackie Cochran         

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