I got to play with her new awesome possum camera lens so there is a lot of documentation of the lesson. The beast weighs like 20 pounds so not only was I capturing the moment I was also working out lugging it around - I had to stand outside of the ring because of the lens.
From what I could see Katherine was doing a great job. LIMrico (suck it, K) was being incredibly lazy and it was obvious towards the end of the lesson that K was getting tired. Anyways back to the good stuff - they worked on a grid that our trainer gradually built up so it went from trot poles to one cross rail and ended up being 3 cross rails - a one stride to a 4 stride. They even cantered out on some tries!
A question for readers... K has been struggling some with her position lately and while obviously in person instruction from a professional is key wanted to know if you all had any suggestions. The problem is her lower leg - it has a mind of its own and lately has been wanting to slide back - the only thing that has changed is the use of a neck strap. Even just over a month ago her form was pretty solid and her lower leg relatively stable. Why would this be happening? More practice should = a better form! Not worse. Please chime in with any advice :)
Video from late October:
Onto the pictures, courtesy of me. (Hillary).
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| For comparison :(((( |
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| Wishing this was me... E on board |
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| My favorite picture of Hill and Hue from today |
Loving all the photos!
ReplyDeleteCan i ask what kind of camera and lens you have?
As for the lower leg positioning, I am afraid that I am of absolutely no help! I actually have the opposite problem and my lower legs slip forward when I'm riding - so shall be watching responses here with an eagle eye in the hopes of picking up some tidbits for myself.
Maybe if we could combine with each other we could counterbalance our leg issues ;-)
If only!
Limerick is looking amazing - keep up the great work and blog updates please!
I have a Nikon D60 camera body and a Nikon AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II Telephoto Zoom Lens... complicated, I know!
DeleteIt's ok, thanks anyways :)
Thank you so much, will do!
Hmmm...regarding the leg - it looks like you're gripping with your knee and maybe jumping ahead a bit. I do this too. Besides riding without stirrups where you really focus on using your calf, it helps me to really focus pushing my heel towards the girth over the fence.
ReplyDeleteI am by no means an expert but maybe SprinklerBandit or L. Williams will chime in.
Love the pictures! Limerick looks so handsome in his quarter sheet.
Agree :)
DeleteMan is he cute! What a nice horse you have and E is showing you that he's got it in him :)
Thanks to both of you for the advice :) And thank you for the compliments on the Lims, he's so full of it!
DeleteDon't grip with your knee! Do your exercises where you swing your leg, and think about squeezing with LEG, not heel. But, in my (humblest and potentially wrong) of opinions, here's the deal with your lower leg: A few months ago, you rode around on Lims at HIS pace. At a nice, leisurely trot, or rocking horse 4 beat canter, it's very easy to keep your leg in place! But now you're an eventer! You've decided that YOU decide the pace, not him. He doesn't get to hang out behind your leg anymore, but in front of it. And he is HUGE. Getting that enormous thing consistently in front of your leg requires more leg strength than you (or I) have a this point. You get tired more easily and your leg slips back. Keep riding forward, keep doing laps of trotting in half seat. The leg will come! My leg STILL slips back on tough dressage days on Frank.
ReplyDeleteI'M TRYING! I don't really feel like I'm riding any differently than I was a few months ago... I'm not sure because I got into two-point well ahead of the jumps and the second I grabbed the neck strap, my leg flew backwards and I was too far out of the saddle. My leg sliding back was not caused by his momentum over the jumps, which is seriously confusing to me :(
DeleteLoving all the pictures, they look absolutely amazing, what lense it is you have and is it a Nikon or Canon camera? sorry for asking I am just a huge photography fan!!!
ReplyDeleteI had that problem a lot to and it took some work without stirrups, and really focusing on keeping the legs in place, i also spent some time just walking on Gatsby making sure my leg stays firmly in place.
Nikon and it's a Nikon AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II Telephoto Zoom Lens! It's no problem, I love questions :)
DeleteI guess I'll start doing a lot of work without stirrups and see if that helps. Thanks!
Thank you :D im buying the Nikon 1 that comes with the AF adapter so I can use the af lenses :D
DeleteNote: he looks awesome. And with E on, look how capable he is! That's in him, you just have to figure out how to ask for it!
ReplyDeleteI wish I could just wake up tomorrow and ride like she does :( Thanks!
DeleteIf you transfer too much weight on to your thighs and too little on to the seat bones your lower leg will probably slip too far back. This is sometimes called a "fork seat" ... try halting and taking both of your legs up and off the saddle. This will force you to rock back on your seat bones. That's where your bum should be in the saddle. My legs slip back when I jump because I grip with my knee (old saddleseat habit) so that could be part of it too. :)
ReplyDeleteThat actually makes a lot of sense, thank you :)
DeleteTwo other things I'd consider (although I think the suggestions so far are spot-on):
ReplyDelete1) Lim is a big horse that you have to ride forward, a kick on type ride. The temptation with that ride is to generate momentum from your seat, which puts you behind the motion and causes you to throw your body at him over the fence and lose your lower leg. (Not judging. I have oodles of pictures of me doing this.)
2) Saddle. As Limerick builds muscle and your position evolves, it's going to change how the saddle fits and effects your position. I'd just check to see if that's a problem for you. I know that right now, my saddle is pushing my lower leg back and I have to work hard to keep it forward.
I don't think it has anything to do with the neckstrap. Honestly, I think the strap is a great idea for you and I suspect all of this is part of being in lessons and learning more.
Thank you for your help!
Delete1) I would totally agree with this, but for both of those pictures, I got into two point well ahead of the jump. From other pictures I have I can tell that my leg slides back and I get way too far out of the saddle the second I get into two point and go for the neck strap, not when he launches over the jump :(
2) A very real possibility! We're right at the three month period with our new saddle, which means that the flocking should have compressed quite a bit. The saddle fitter is already schedule to come out on Friday to re-flock because it does seem a little out of balance on his back.
I love all the pictures! You and Hillary have that matching quarter sheet look down!
ReplyDeleteAs for the seat situation, as everyone has stated, now that your making Lim move on your terms, you may be trying to get him forward using any method available. This may include pinching with your knee, allowing your lower leg to swing back when your over fences. Try focusing on putting your weight on the balls of your feet, and keeping your heels down and stable.
Another thing that could be causing it, like SprinklerBandit suggested, your saddle may be putting you in an awkward position, and you may be trying to fight it and correct yourself.
I'm no trainer but maybe this helped you a bit!
Thank you, I love it :)
DeleteI'll try that, and I also have a lot of work to do on my extremely stubborn and tense heels... I just can't seem to push them down!
Like I said to SB, that is a possibility and I'll hopefully know on Friday whether or not my saddle is causing problems.
It did, thanks :)