Stinker loves to be crooked. His favorite place to be is with his left shoulder popped and hips trailing to the right. I have gotten it under control in the walk, and I don't feel it in the canter as much (he readily picks up both leads) but that might change as I canter him more. But the trot...it is a bitch.
Does not always look like this
He tries, but somedays he reverts back and the amount of leg that is required to get him straight is enough that he takes offense to it and the head pops up and back hollows out and front legs go flying. I can get him somewhat soft by leg yielding. I went through this at the walk, so I know I can get there it is just going to take time.
At least his back is straighter
And by time I mean lots and lots of time. I bounce back and forth between what to focus on. I want to get him stretching and relaxing in the trot, but I also need to get him straight. Relaxation comes before straight on the dressage pyramid, but I question how relaxed I will be able to get him if he bouncing around with his inherent crookedness. I think for now I am going to stick with the straight followed by the relaxation unless my favorite dressage judge tells me I am totally wrong in a few weeks.
Why does dressage have to be so darn difficult? If you are good at it, it looks effortless. If you are like me...well you make it look really freaking hard. And as soon as you figure out one thing you up the bar and make things hard again. People who do dressage are gluttons for punishment.
I can't remember - have you ever tried a chiropractor? We have a mare at the barn who traditionally has been exceptionally crooked - always bent right. As she is a pony, and a mare, she loves to duck out of fences on occasion - and almost without fail, she will go right. Two chiro sessions later, and the tendency to go right is all but gone. It's ridiculous how much it has managed to help correct her crookedness.
ReplyDeleteI second this. Fiction used to be insanely crooked and the chiro really helps him out. Plus I stretch his neck and front legs/shoulders before every ride.
DeleteI have our vet check him regularly and he has been done twice.
DeleteSoooo....... Haha. Uhh. Charlie is pretty crooked too. It's to be expected, right? I mean he is super green and everything. Certainly it's him and not me. Except. Um. Let's just not talk about how he is crooked in *exactly* the same ways as Isabel. It's definitely a coincidence. Right? RIGHT?!?!!
ReplyDeleteI'm sure I contribute some but I know it isn't all me because he did it before I ever sat on him and does it while running around loose. Maybe I should do a post about my crookedness to be fair...
DeleteYes- we are total masochists. But it's soo addictive: the perfect canter depart, transitions through the seat etc.
ReplyDeleteIrish had the same problem going to the right- he wanted to drop his shoulder out and trail his hind quarters in. I spent a long time trying to fix his handlers and someone said' just fix his shoulder'. Aha- Once I stopped his shoulder from dropping he would be straighter. I also had to let him be tense when we were working on it so he could learn to relax into it.
So so addictive! I do try to remember to go to the shoulder first but it's hard sometimes...
DeleteThat makes me feel better that you went with straight before relaxed.
Gluttons for punishment is literally the best description of dressage riders ever haha.
ReplyDeleteThanks, it felt pretty accurate :)
Deletewow his back looks soooo much straighter. at least youve done that right!
ReplyDeleteive found alot of runkles crookedness is actually my... crookedness...
I'm working on a post on my crookedness... We both have plenty to go around
DeleteDressage is for perfectionists! :P His back is much straighter for sure. My horses are all crooked in the same way. Strange coincidence....
ReplyDeleteI'm going back through everything to see if I can find common crooked things between Pongo and Stinker and write up my crookedness too :)
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