I love having Gina sit on Oliver for me. In about 15 minutes, she's able to put him very straight and even in the reins, which helps me remember exactly what I'm supposed to be feeling when I'm on board. Yesterday was a very quick lesson, since my head felt like the Good Year Blimp due to allergies and I was sneezing every second and couldn't breathe properly. Riding did help clear my lungs, though, so I wish the lesson went longer, but I think Gina was afraid that I was going to pass out. I had a lesson that lasted an hour and a half last week, so I guess that made up for this. While G was up top, Oliver did try a little wiggliness which she nipped in the bid rather quickly, and then he was all business from there. She mentioned that he wasn't trying to "pinwheel" as much, and gave me kudos for riding him much straighter, and when she cantered him, she said, "he finally has a canter!" It was lovely to watch, and even more fun to sit - I don't feel like I have to work quite as hard at the canter and can just sit up there and enjoy myself. Before, I always felt like I was working way too hard and was pretty tired after just a few minutes in canter. She popped him over a few little jumps for me as I mentioned to her that I felt like he was taking off with me on the landing side. Of course, this was all kind of residual from last week's lesson where Oliver was quite fresh and took some time to settle down.
Once on board, I walked him around a little to make sure that I had him evenly in both reins, and then picked up the trot, making sure that he felt very straight and was listening to my leg. G said that if he starts to lean on a rein and get very heavy, to correct it with my leg. If he doesn't listen to my leg, then it's okay to bump him (sort of slap him with my calf) to get him to pay attention. She re-emphasized how important it was NOT to take off my leg when I kicked him, so that I didn't lose my balance and upset him. Since he's so sensitive, all I needed was a little bump with my leg. We ran into a little issue at the canter. On Sunday, I asked for canter and he tried to buck into it, so I lifted the bit in his mouth and gave him a kick with both legs and he stopped it. Yesterday, when I asked him to canter, he protested by kicking out to the leg. G said that I had to use my ENTIRE leg to ask him to canter, not just my heel or my spur, which I think I was doing. She emphasized how important it was that I was sitting properly, with my weight slightly over my outside hip, and to bring the entire leg back and squeeze him into canter. There was that moment where it felt like he was stuck and I had to fight the impulse to urge him on with my leg or my seat - Gina said to wait it out, make sure I was straight and that I didn't do anything extra, and sure enough, he picked up the canter easily. He takes a second longer than I think he will to canter, but I just have to be patient and wait it out, not letting my body start to kink up in an effort to get the canter right away. Once in canter, Gina said that I needed to work on sitting softer with my lower body through my midsection and allowing my hips to just move with him - she said that I was sort of stiff through the hips, soft through the mid section, and then stiff up top - I tended to brace my neck and jut my jaw out. Of course, this caused Oliver to lock his jaw, so when I softened he softened with me.
MacNair's is coming up shortly - I have another lesson with Gina this Friday (hopefully jumping, so I can practice over small courses at the height I need to jump)and then a dressage lesson, in an actual arena, next week before the show.
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