[Mukluk]

I had my first dressage lesson on my green OTTB this past week (I am a total newbie to dressage). The trainer wanted me to work on more contact with front part of inner thigh. Keeping wrists/elbows more loose relaxed to encourage loose and relaxed in my mare (it worked!). Flexing pelvis to improve sitting trot. So just curious, what does your trainer tell you?

[Petstorejunkie]

In what context? My trainer is a wealth of word pictures. Even though we are 500 miles apart now, I send her videos and we discuss. She's coming to sit in on a clinic I'm participating in as well to help me through any kinks.

[Mukluk]

In what context? My trainer is a wealth of word pictures. Even though we are 500 miles apart now, I send her videos and we discuss. She's coming to sit in on a clinic I'm participating in as well to help me through any kinks.

What does she want you to work on/do differently?
Very cool she can come to your clinic!!!

[GraceLikeRain]

With my trainer there is a lot of emphasis on RIDING. My mare is forward and hot so my natural inclination is to sit, hold with my hands, and wonder why we are flying around. So she pushes me to constantly ride my mare every-single-step.

So for me it's a lot of "'put your leg ON. no really, that is not on. squeeze" to help me remember that I shouldn't be nagging but that everything has to go from back to front. She also spends a lot of time "so that right elbow....ya. better. now that right wrist. Great! Awesome! so that right elbow...." I have very opinionated arms that love to subtly deviate from being absolutely straight so she spends a fair amount of time reminding me to be absolutely straight through transitions and lateral work.
My trainer spends most of my lesson focusing on my position because my horse is really awesome and figures everything out after one try, while I on the other hand take 100 repetitions

[CFFarm]

Alignment, alignment ,alignment!

[Mukluk]

Alignment, alignment ,alignment!

What does your trainer mean by this? Your body position, the horse? I'm asking because I don't know!

[meupatdoes]

Here have been the latest helpful things:

"Your elbows are yours and yours forever."
I was being too generous with my elbows with a young horse who preferred to explain to me where he wanted the contact to be rather than simply accepting the box as I gave it to him.

Also in the lateral work "get the feet moving first and bring the topline along later."
So in the halfpass, SIDEWAYS is paramount. Who cares if the bend is nicely perfect if we aren't actually going sideways. Fly SIDEWAYS even if the bend disappears. Fly SIDEWAYS even if you have to turn it into a legyield instead.
Worry about the topline and the bend later.

[CatPS]

I have a tendency to ride a bit timidly. My trainer loves to say, "c'mon, make it happen... make it happen NOW!"

But my favorite is this: "Every rider is going to make mistakes, so make yours with conviction."

[rizzodm]

Your too nice! Rode with a judge on Wed and she put it this way" One of you is the alpha and your on top of it."

I think I get it now.

[KrazyTBMare]

Forward! Having a young, green horse, this is the name of the game. Its forward, bend, path. Meaning you have to go forward before asking for bend and if you have to come off of your path to keep the bend, then do it. Keep the elbows soft and moving and be sure to release when he gives me what I want, even one step.

I have some videos on my FB that are part of my lesson if you want to watch some to see what other trainers are saying, etc. If there are other dressage lessons you can watch, I would go and just listen and try to see the things the trainer is talking about and see how the rider impliments them.

Welcome to dressage! Its awesome.

[eponacelt]

Lately? There's been a lot of "I promise your horse's neck will not fall off if you stop looking at it. Really."

That and "Put your butt in the saddle. Really in the saddle. Sit back more. More. More. Well, you're close." Apparently, my inner hunter rider has been coming out lately.

[InsideLeg2OutsideRein]

Looks like we graduated from "SLOW DOWN!!!!" to 'stay loose in your hips and ellbows at all times'

I have a young, hot, very talented and equally opinionated mare, so my biggest challenge is to stay loose and light with her yet still *ride* and demand (bending, leg-yielding, through and prompt transitions etc.). And know when it's me and when it's her that needs to be addressed first.

[CFFarm]

What does your trainer mean by this? Your body position, the horse? I'm asking because I don't know!

Keeping my shoulders and hips and legs and the horse's shoulders and hips aligned with the amount of bend.

[Big Spender]

Get him to "fill in the reins"! I understand it and feel what he does, so I just have to figure out how to explain it to him!!