why I love my dressge trainer...

[2ndyrgal]

Because in my lesson this afternoon, I finally got inside leg to outside hand. As in an electric, positive connection where we didn't lose the circle when I gave him my inside hand. There is no way to describe how amazingly thrilled I am with my horse.

[Sebastian]

I feel ya. Love it when a plan comes together... :yes: :winkgrin:

Seb :)

[evans36]

!!!!!
Congrats!

My dressage trainer is a former prelim eventer gone DQ in her old age. I never understood how someone could be content with just flatwork after that awesome XC until I felt this for the first time. I think that makes me grin just as much as big fences.

[Kairoshorses]

!!!!!
Congrats!

My dressage trainer is a former prelim eventer gone DQ in her old age. I never understood how someone could be content with just flatwork after that awesome XC until I felt this for the first time. I think that makes me grin just as much as big fences.

Heh. I tore a groin muscle a couple years ago, and couldn't jump all summer. I did dressage, and I learned to love it. I felt it this morning when I snuck a ride in and worked on lateral stuff. I work with a local woman who really helped me feel the power of the outside rein (and inside leg!). I still need her to yell at me, but I do have moment of self-induced bliss when I do dressage on my own. Occasionally. Not quite the high that XC is, but a very wonderful, warm, empowering feeling nonetheless!

[Flying Hippotamus]

Because in my lesson this afternoon, I finally got inside leg to outside hand. As in an electric, positive connection where we didn't lose the circle when I gave him my inside hand. There is no way to describe how amazingly thrilled I am with my horse.


Sounds like my recent aha moment - I got his shoulder to move! Now I can bend my filly in half but for my lug of a gelding, like wow!

[cranky]

!!!!!
Congrats!

My dressage trainer is a former prelim eventer gone DQ in her old age. I never understood how someone could be content with just flatwork after that awesome XC until I felt this for the first time. I think that makes me grin just as much as big fences.

I've recently started getting this too. I've had a few dressage breakthroughs myself in the past month or so. I really feel like I'm finally starting to get IT. And as a result, my dressage lessons have become almost as much fun as my jumping ones and I'm now even more excited about my riding.

[QHEventr]

Because in my lesson this afternoon, I finally got inside leg to outside hand. As in an electric, positive connection where we didn't lose the circle when I gave him my inside hand. There is no way to describe how amazingly thrilled I am with my horse.



Who do you ride with in Lexington?

[Auburn]

2ndyrgal and I ride with Marci von Lenzner Plopper. If you go to www.mlpdressage.com (http://www.mlpdressage.com) you can read about her. It is well worth a visit. If you go to the photos page, you can read about Tess and me. :winkgrin:

Marci has done wonderful things with 2ndyrgal and Junior. He is becoming round, responsive and much more supple. He definitely is not the same horse that she was riding last summer! There will be many folks in Area VIII who will be surprised at Junior's progress.

Marci is helping Tess and me come back from Tessie's pneumonia, too. We now have exercises to work on at the walk and are moving up to two minutes of trot work, incorporating those exercises.

[2ndyrgal]

Her name is Marci, you can PM me for details, and here's the really cool thing, because she is a classical dressage trainer, she does not care what kind of a horse you have, or what kind of a rider you are, she believes she can improve both through classical training. I have a TB/Perch that can trot a 5ft fence, and three months ago, we couldn't trot a 20m circle. Last night, we were doing two changes of direction INSIDE that 20m circle. Her last comment to me last night was "Don't you EVER underestimate or doubt your horse's abilities EVER again!" As someone who isn't riding a horse typically known for great dressage, this is a very big deal. My horse is 17h and probably 1500lbs, and he was light in the bridle with a correct connection.

[2ndyrgal]

the link to the website that Auburn provided. Auburn fails to toot her own horn about the amazing progress she's made with Tess over the last summer. Tess will no doubt come back from her pneumonia better than ever because she'll spend all spring working on her already good enough to garner her many year end awards in 2008 dressage! I can only hope she moves up this year so Junior and I don't have to compete against them! And Auburn, if you keep telling EVERYONE about Marci, how are we going to use her as our secret weapon?

[Auburn]

Oops. Sorry. There is that, huh? :winkgrin:

[easyklc]

I've had a few of those moments lately with my giant draft cross. Although my trainer is not dressage specific, she's well versed and an active eventing competitor. Just this week I actually felt how powerful it is to be able to move my horse's shoulder with just the slightlest amount of leg--like a whisper. I'll be honest and say I became a big, sloppy heavy handed rider when I started riding this horse, but having worked with this particular trainer now since last Fall I am reborn. REBORN! My mare is light, soft and forward. Something that many told me was not attainable. It was such a lightbulb moment for us when I got the inside leg to outside rein with her. I cried tears of JOY. Seriously.

Raising my glass to all those patient, kind and knowledgeable trainers that work so hard to help become better riders!!!