
Pushing Forward
I was supposed to show tomorrow, but that got rained out. This is only important to note because this exact same show has now been rained out three times. Excuse me while I pout in the corner.
Small chance I might get to show next weekend, but we’ll see. I’m not holding my breath. At this point, we have one last guaranteed show in 2014 – the weekend before thanksgiving. Will we do 2’6″? Will we do 2’9″? Will we do jumpers? You’re in just as suspense as I am, trust me!
Anyway, I took yet another rainy can’t go to the barn night as an opportunity to play with a Wacom tablet a co-worker is letting me borrow for a while. You know what this means – slightly more advanced stick figure drawings… but only slightly more advanced.
Since the weird-not-quite-lameness episodes of the summer, I decided Simon can’t loaf around however he pleases anymore. We’re going to trot with purpose! We’re going to work on our flat work! This has been paying off very well, and now we pretty much look like this at the trot.
That drawing may be a slight exaggeration.
Once the trot work started feeling really good, I realized (aka my trainer told me) that I needed to push the boundaries a little bit. First this started with simple leg yields at the walk, which turned into shoulder in at the walk and trot and eventually turned into leg yields at the trot. We’re still working on that last part… and if I’m honest, pretty much anything that requires sideways movement.
The laterals are where Simon slowly starts to get into his “I’m a bit flustered” place. As he learns more what I’m asking him and more of what I want, this attitude gets better and better. I can now do lateral work and go back to our happy trot above without too much drama.
Then my trainer suggested we work on bend and counter-bend at the canter.
And that my friends, is where Simon’s brain pretty much leaves the building. He throws his head, pretty much his best and only evasive trick, and I do my best to keep asking him politely but not letting him get away with ignoring me. The first night we got three nice strides. The next night, some more… and so it goes.
My riding has been super inconsistent due to travel and rain and such, but hopefully things will pick up soon. Until then.. stick drawings.
27 thoughts on “Pushing Forward”
Just keep picking away at it, before you know it you will be leg yielding at the canter with ease!
You may have an over inflated sense of my abilities 😉
It will get better!! Lateral work is fun!! Says the human 😉
Love Wacom tablets! I need to use mine more. I <3 your drawings, they should be a part of more posts! 😀
I need to practice more with it, but I like it a lot. I have a hard time with these drawings though, because I feel like I get stuck between “Funny cartoon” and “Artistic Doodle” and I’m not every good at either extreme!
Your doodles are a 1000x nicer than mine. 🙂 Good for you to keep pushing new things!
excuse me while I pout over your exquisite doodling abilities
Lateral work = the key to my life. So so neccessary, Shoulder-in and leg yield make up a vast portion of my flatwork. Maybe you will find that it helps with your lead change… being able to move the horse’s parts around independently unlocks many doors.
Yup, you hit the nail on the head. That’s why S is having me introduce bend/counter bend at the canter and work on all things lateral. More buttons = more rideability.
One day at a time
Love the doodles! Bummer on the show- fingers crossed for next week!
Baby steps! The drawings crack me up.
These are perfect! I think you should maybe get your hands on one of these tablets permanently… For blogs-sake.
That last picture just made my day.
Keep at it! With the lateral work and the stick figures!
I love Simon’s lateral-work face. Pretty sure Miles’ looks the same, haha
Lateral work is so important. Definitely a building block. I can normal crack issues with some lateral work. Once I got started with lateral work I was a junkie. I would never want to do just drsg I don’t think but I love learning new tools and tricks.
Excellent stick drawings!
Those doodles are awesome! It sounds like you are working on great things and they will definitely come over time. Sorry about the show.
The last drawing made me laugh out loud (literally). Poor Simon. Life is hard. 😉
excellent doodles! the lateral stuff is hard (esp bc i’m super uncoordinated and clueless…) and i kinda want to pretend it doesn’t exist… but as you say, the results are real so we best practice it… good luck and hope the weather clears up!
Love the pictures!!!!
To be fair, counter bend in canter is hard! It’s much easier to throw your head 😛
You’re so talented: the cartoons, the photography, the riding and writing. Your little horses might give Fergus a run for his money.
Love the doodles! Moar please!!! ☺
I hope to build up to lateral work with my girls if i can organise more lessons for myself. They both can do it thanks to my friend who rode them a good bit for me last year, I am the weak link who doesn’t quite now how to ask. So i never do as i don’t want to ask wrong and confuse everyone or cause an argument
Love the stick figures!
The drawings make this post!
Love your stick figure drawings!