More good lessons

February 08 / 2008 04:34 PM Filed in: Dressage
I've now had two lessons on Kelton with the dressage instructor and what a difference that has made. We've obviously been doing reasonably well on our own, but there are so many little things I didn't realize I was doing that was affecting how Kelton moves, so I'm very glad to be working on that again. I guess some of them are not so little. For example, I apparently tend to ride with my right shoulder further back than the left, so even though my hands are on the same place on the reins, I'm putting more pressure on the right rein. I have in the past felt that Belle and Ivy were hanging on my right rein, and I bet that was actually my fault. Kelton doesn't exactly hang on the right rein, but she does tend to fall out over the left shoulder, and that could be because she's bending too much in response to my right rein. Oops.

I also apparently tip forward in my pelvis during downward transitions in a way I wasn't aware of. I'm very conscious of keeping most of my upper body solid and centered and upright, but I had missed the pelvis part. My pelvis is poorly behaved in other ways as well! Ah, the trials and tribulations of riding with a crooked pelvis and spine... Kelton is incredibly tolerant and forgiving of my physical flaws, but I'm glad I'm now taking lessons so I can make things easier on her by improving my position.
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