Inlägg publicerade under kategorin Straightness Training reflections

Av Ann - 24 juni 2015 11:50

Soo, here comes my 11th English blog post about my experiences in the Straightness Training Mastery course :)


I haven´t been as visible as usual on the blog or on the Facebook last month. I have come to the conclusion in my Wheel of Mastery that I spend far too much time sitting in front of the computer. I do miss the community in the FB-groups some days but I also need more time with my other teachers, the horses. And as a part of it all my family also wants more of my attention ;) But I´m with you all guys, in mind and in spirit! 

I give some lessons now and then, introducing people and horses in the basics of the Academic Art of Riding but I think my small experiences of ST becomes increasingly a bigger part and a very good complement/developement/"what ever" in my teaching and it is so exciting! Personally I like challenges and I often want "it all". I know it might be too much sometimes combining two things but I learn so much from AR and ST. It feels good and I hope it doesn´t mean in this case that I will get the problems of "chasing two rabbits".
Well, yesterday I sent my video "Work in Hand Grade 1" to the ST team for evaluation. Venus is still not quite as she used to be before her muscle rupture but almost! She is better both in her back and in her leg and she is better in getting off the shoulders in halts and in movement. Though, there is still to work on... me keeping focus for example :)) I can also feel that it is easier for Venus nowadays to keep the balance and to lift her back when I ask her for bending around me, but the chest rotation in shoulder fore/in, to get the inside hip forward/down and to get the lift in the outside frontleg, it is still difficult for her. Patience, patience...


Enough computer work for today. Good luck everybody with your ST Evaluations! I love to read and learn from you all and your horses on the internet and I´ll see you there, soon  :)


My ST Evaluation video - Work in hand Grade 1 is on YouTube  Anns´ Channel  


#StraightnessTraining  #ArtofRiding 

Av Ann - 24 maj 2015 00:00

Yesterday, in last minute, I submitted my second ST Evaluation; Longeing Grade 1 (Time is running away from me nowadays. Maybe I should look at my Wheel of Mastery and try to master my time a little better ;) ) I have been working with Venus closer to me in groundwork since the first Evaluation and I´ve also tried to get her more soft and round in her shape. But, when I´m so close to her shoulder I feel that sometimes I send too much energy to her inside hindleg. Then she chooses to step to the outside and put the quarter away. Last week Venus has also shown symtoms from her left hindfoot which is a bit warmer than usual and sometimes she still wants to relieve it. Then she falls out with the quarter and puts weight towards her right shoulder. So, now I´ve started to work with her outside hindlegs too from my inside position, to get her quarter back to me. And actually, mostly my white lady responds on this very well. On distance in longeing the quarter mostly stays in place but she still gets more on her shoulders. Maybe there are other solutions or an other way I should do to get her in balance in longeing? More halfhalts? I´m looking forward to Rebeccas feedback and advice :)



I´ve put my longeing video on "Ann´s channel" :  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egBO9IWnApY
  
#StraightnessTraining   #ArtofRiding

Av Ann - 12 maj 2015 00:00

I have stayed on the ground last week preparing for the longe evaluation. Venus is better but still not quite ok in her back. She also has tensions in her right shoulder and I hope the work from the ground, the longework included, will help her to stretch and get more relaxed in the areas. The feed back in the GW touchstone evaluation was very useful and I try now to find the connection between Venu´s inner hindleg and my hand. To find this I have to make the movement from her hindleg pass in a correct way through her spine, which I think is really difficult.  I have looked also at the horses of my pupils. I think I can see now that left bended horses need to have softer angels in inside hindleg when they´re on the right hand. Helping them with this makes it possible for them to place the right hindleg a little more sidewards towards the POW. On the left hand the inside hindleg usually already is quite soft and it does not need to move more sidewards. On the contrary it needs help to step more forward. If the grip forward is missing the chest and spine are not rotating, the right front leg often points in the wrong direction and to compensate the neck bends too much to the left inside. Does this make sense to anyone? :))  It´s not a golden rule for sure, but maybe it is a pattern?


On the left hand it may be easy to bend a leftbended horse´s neck too much to the inside. This is Maggie & Ambra. Maggie helps her horse with placing the inside hindleg more forward and with keeping the head in right position.

 

#StraightnessTraining  #ArtofRiding 

Av Ann - 1 maj 2015 00:00

Have been sitting by the computer all morning watching the longeing videos in Home Study Course. I understand now that probably it´s in the longeing I can do most to improve Venus balance and our communication. Marijke talks about the importance of giving. And yes I give, but Marijke also talks about the timing! I have to admit that I haven´t really been aware of, either from the ground or from the horseback, the importance of giving in the moment just before a transition...  Problably my "need of control" have stopped me from giving and if I can´t handle the transition the following gait can´t be of any good quality, right?  To make transitions with a giving hand and with a kept LFS on a loose longeline will for sure be my next big challenge. Now I´ll watch some more videos in ST Mastery. Then I can´t wait to get to the stable and investigate the longeing component, with new eyes and a new hand ;)


So, how was it now? Foals never run on circles, or do they...? I found this sweet little video on Facebook :))

https://www.facebook.com/groups/513532805338827/1142721219086646/?notif_t=group_activity#!/ida.andersson.5891/videos/vb.1495685809/10206597316600374/?type=2&theater

 


#StraightnessTraining  #ArtofRiding

Av Ann - 24 april 2015 00:00

So, now it´s done. I have submitted my first video, Groundwork Grade 1, for ST Evaluation. I don´t know if I´m very comfortable with being on YouTube but I guess I have to get used to it :))

It has been a very valuable learning experience to begin from scratch in groundwork, with new eyes. I have understood that my horse still is too heavy sometimes on the shoulders, even in standing still. I have to put her weight back now and then and then she offers me more softness in forward-down and in the stellning-bending. The position on the inside is new for me and I think it is a very good complement to the position I´m used to have when I´m going backwards in front of the horse. When going backwards I can work more easily with both sides and shoulders of the horse. I can work with our frames and our balance and a lot with my own body awareness. But on the inside I reaches the inside hindleg and quarter, I can ask for more softness and I can use my hand to do observing halfhalts. I can also feel at once when the horse starts to push and I think the position on the inside is a very good preparation for the longeing.

And finally, Good News! :) Yesterday Venus got her second treatment by a physiotherapist. Venus is healing surprisingly well but there was found more strains, in the abdominal muscles (!). These strains have pulled the back downwards and this explains why she hasn´t always moved in a correct way. Probably the tensions from her abdomen also are a big contribution to the muscle rupture in her back . Now the problems are fixed (!) and I have been told that I can probably sit on her again the day after tomorrow... I don´t know really if I believe this, but I have hope! :)


I have started "Ann´s channel" on YouTube. There you can watch my first Evaluation video  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcG7X2-vA3E

 


#StraightnessTraining  #ArtofRiding  #Ridkonst  #Dressyr

Av Ann - 17 april 2015 00:00

I was told three weeks ago: "Venus is not moving over her back in the correct way". After having returned home and after having found the muscle rupture in her back I thought: "But of course, the injury explains everything! " But now, maybe it´s not that easy...? I have trained groundwork the last two weeks, in very short sessions. Venus is still sore over the backarea but she is not as affected any longer when she´s moving in walk and trot. The push has got less but still I can see her back moving in the wrong way. It´s now I´m going to think; "Ah, interesting!" Really difficult I have to admit :)) I try to ask for more softness in her inner hindleg and shoulder.  It works, I think, but where did the shoulderfreedom go? I try to do very soft observing halfhalts, just to feel the softness in her neck and spine and that she´s not pushing too much. I also try to be generous with a giving hand but it doesn´t seem to be enough. Is it this tiny "stopping" in the front that make her loose the shoulderfreedom? I just have to think more "forward" next time. Or maybe I just need some more patience and more "red stop signs" for the gremlins  in my mind...


Venus has stretched her right side and is able to make a little bending to the left again :)
 

#StraightnessTraining  #ArtofRiding #Ridkonst  #Dressyr

Av Ann - 10 april 2015 00:00

Unfortunately, Venus has had a bad back for the last two weeks. Something is really hurting and annoying her. I can see in her movements, in her yes and feel in my hand that something is wrong when I take her on the circle, especially to the left. Perhaps she has slipped in the mud and hopefully it is "only" muscle tensions easy to repair, but I´m worried. She hasn´t been like this for three or maybe four years and I have truly difficulties in keeping up the positive spirit for the moment. Today she will get examined by a physiotherapist. I keep my fingers crossed...


Yet, Venus and I have started to explore the first touchstone in groundwork. In the Academic Art of Riding I´m used to walk backwards in this training component. Now I realize that my dutch warmblood is pushing with her hindlegs far too much. There are several positive aspects with the backwards position but when going forward next to my horse I can ask her more easily with the whip to get soft in her inside hindleg. I can also "observe" with my hand and feel at once if she starts to push. And this is the biggest and most important difference for me in GW, the feeling in my hand. Again, a new insight :) The straight lines are of course the most difficult ones but the repeated half halts and short breaks seem to work. We  should have been practising for the coming evaluation now but we are taking it very easy. Venus is in pain and I´m a little sad so we do the exercises now and then only in purpose to stretch out her muscles, not very harmonic I´m afraid :S


On the right hand, ususally the most difficult one, Venus still manages to find an LFS and shoulderfreedom


 



Usually Venus has no problems with the stellning and bending to the left. But now... look at her neck, her hip and flat back  

 

#StraightnessTraining  #ArtofRiding  #Ridkonst  #Dressyr

Av Ann - 27 mars 2015 00:00

So, now I have dived into module 2. Gosh, it´s a lot of information but it is so useful! ST Mastery really offers you a great system with tools. You learn how to master your thoughts, feelings and energy, You learn about observing and producing aids and about observing and producing halfhalts (I love the distinction between observing and producing, it´s very useful). You learn about the independent seat and you learn a lot of other things.  Wow... Marijke must for sure be a master of time fixing this education and training system, with all that material, assignments and Master Mind sessions included :))

Well, my insights then; It feels like I earlier has been searching for something in my riding without having a clear mind of what I wanted. And even if I found what I searched for sometimes I didn´t always have the knowledge to recognize or take care of it (it sounds a bit crazy, doesn´t it? ;))  )...  But now I think I understand better what I want (among other things a better LFS), and most of all I have "know-how" tools to get it and tools to systematically synchronize better with my horse. Of course we have to practise, a lot... 


Next module, nr 3, is about groundwork. It feels good to learn more about the "basics of basics" and just do everything from the beginning, with "new" eyes :)
 #StraightnessTraining  #ArtofRiding   #Ridkonst  #Dressyr

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