Lackluster Spins ... No More?

We all know that probably our greatest weakness in our reining patterns is in the turarounds. Some might argue the stops, but I feel that the spins are what need the most work.

I work on spins almost every time I ride. I certainly dont drill, but I do work on them. The last week or more I have been focusing on perfecting the small circle (and by small I mean small, not reining pattern small) to encourage Milo to be more on the outside rein and in a true arc in the circle. I have been trying to keep his inside hind to the inside of the circle, and his body arced (but obviously not overdone) for the circle and turnaround. With focus on this area I felt we were getting somewhere. Then when we went to the show it all blew out the window - our turns were pretty poor (especially from what I knew we were capable of practicing at home) and what I felt it really came down to was that Milo just wasnt trying very hard in the spins.

Naturally, the show environment changes how I ride and my horse performs (and I will get to a post about the show, Im waiting on an upload of video from Boyfriend's phone, which has since caused some problems). I didnt think a whole lot specifically about the spins and then I was cruising YouTube and found this video:

What first caught my attention was what he said a lot of people tell him; "My horse will spin but not any faster". My ears opened up a little more. He explained that the whole time they are spinning the rider is pulling on the reins and kicking with their foot. While I like to think that I ride better then what the average person is doing, I knew that that was the scenario Milo and I were playing. Throughout the turnaround I have to ask him to keep going and once I stop asking he stops. Seems logical, but this guy was emphasizing making the wrong thing hard and the right thing easy. He said that "the horse is looking for the stop," and that feels like the boat Im in with Milo. 

If you watched the video, you saw that he didnt keep asking for the turnaround. When the horse stepped out, he put pressure on it, but when the horse did what he wanted there was no pressure. I really liked this idea and it made more sense then what I have been doing. 

I tried this simple exercise with Milo yesterday, and I tell you what it works. But I was surprised to find that it didnt take long for Milo to catch on, in fact, I think I had been doing this to a degree, unknowingly, at least at home. But at the shows I throw it out the window and ask for more more more. 

When I tried to turn to the left, our good way, within moments Milo caught right on and spun spun spun with no pressure on him at all. It was pretty cool. But the test would be to the right where he not only drags in the turnaround, but also tries to turn on the outside foot. Initially, Milo was just figuring out to stay in the spin with no pressure, he fell out, I put the pressure on. It was working but he was on the outside leg. So when I could feel he was spinning but on the wrong foot I lightly bumped him forward, if he stepped out, he got pressure to go back in. Once he changed to the wrong foot again, he got bumped forward, if he stepped out he got pressure back in. 

We worked on it for a few minutes, keeping him in the spin and on the inside leg. There wasnt speed, but there was correct cadence, and Milo was freely turning around without my asking for each step. I was really happy. I got off then and he licked and chewed. I hope to get video of our second try at this exercise so you guys can see too. :)

Circles and Stuff

I've always felt that I do plenty of work on circles and actually need to spend more time on the rail or on straight lines. So when I saw a post from Dressage Mom on her lesson with Phil and they worked on various circling exercises, I didnt think too much of it pertaining to Milo and I. Then I got to thinking that one exercise in particular might help with cleaning up the neck reining, but boy did it open to my eyes to a few other things besides the intended goal.

The exercise is simple; working along the rail, do a ten meter circle to the inside, then continue along the straight-of-way for a stride or two, then circle again, and repeat all along the length of the rail, so in my small arena it was about six or seven circles each direction. I worked in my lifter bit one handed, and still kept in mind (as I have been since my last post) about driving forward with my legs into the bit. And for the circles, using my body, legs and seat, to maintain the correct arc and complete the circle.

I started circling to the right, which I wasnt surprised to find that the circles were really hard to maintain. This is the same direction in our turnarounds where Milo doesnt move around freely. It was really good to work on these circles this direction, at a walk and trot, and to help Milo stay on the contact of the bit, and keep his shoulder up and crossing over in a nice arc - no diving down into the circles, no leaning out and making them larger. I really had to focus on the subliminal cues I was giving him too - just how much seat pressure, keeping my leg in the proper arc position, but not holding him up, and all the while keeping the energy coming from the rear. I felt that the exercise was really good for the both of us.

When we went the other direction (changing across the diagonal, which I have been working on the change of rein coming from the position of the ribcage, something I read about in my new Reining book, but also something Sarah mentioned to me when I last rode Wesley), I was surprised to find that the exercise was not as easy this direction as I assumed it would be. Although Milo turns around more freely to the left, in his circles he didnt have a problem with drifting out the shoulder, but he did have a hard time holding it up and maintaining the arc.

I didnt do this exercise at the lope as the ten meter circles are too small, but when we did get to the lope and make larger twenty meter circles I saw just how important it would be to clean up the exercise at the walk and trot to help with the lope. But before then, we still need to establish what my bumping legs mean at the lope. He wants to interpret it as a speed increase, rather then coming into the bridle from the rear. There are a few tiny moments when he does it, but for the most part at the lope he isnt driving from the rear.

Just another reminder on how much work is still yet to be done! But at least I am now aware of it.