The Art of Natural Dressage

next saddle, and (as Josepha predicted) I found it better to sit in!!!
I liked it a lot and everything went great, till Beau touched the electric fence with his nose.

But... some remarks:
it was warm and he was sweating at the girth + on his shoulder(front part of the saddle) and the back of the saddle, but not in between... strange.
positive thing is that his hair wasn't whirled like with the london.

What do the wet spots and dry spots mean???
He did move big ( after touching the fence) and did not seem restricted, he even cantered.
And let me get on and even 'briesde' and lower his head until the unfortunate hit...
I'll go out this weekend for a ride and see if there is a difference, but I think for me I like this better, feels like I can move more...

ow great.
I really like this ones look. If I would ever buy a barefoot I think it would be a cheyenne.
Please feel free to post pics

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I wish I knew your world

today I had Kim over and rode again. Beau was a bit scared at first, remembering the hit with the electric fence, but I did have the idea that after a while he got better. Kim said he did not look relaxed, but I had the feeling it was a lot for Beau to do. And she said the saddle wasn't really in the middle, but a bit to the left, but he has had that with every saddle so far, maybe he's just not muscled right yet. I do feel a lot more comfortable in this saddle, I have more space in the cheyenne. It does come more forward over his shoulders, but I do not know if it restricts him in his movements then. I did feel him lifting his back I think




it was the first saddle in times that did not give him wirled hairs, that is good!







Tomorrow I'll put some more on it but now I'm going to eat and watch some tv. I hope I can find the right saddle for him, I wish he could talk!

I decided to put films on here now, I hope you all could give your advice, I just want to not, I do know that he looks tense a lot of the time but he did hit the electric fence last time I rode... And he was just starting to trust me riding... sigh

My friend said it wasn't going well, but for Beau I believe it's really not bad. He just started offering lowering his head before meeting the fence. I do know that it takes him some time to loosen his back before I can start steering actually but we'll get there And another difference is the bridle, but I had no good environment today to ride without it.. sadly enough





more are following...

Hi Barbara,

In the first 3 movies, there is not enough movement in your pelvis, so there can not be movement in Beau's back.
Also it would work better if you were to move forward in the saddle and open your pelvis more.
You feet would land underneeth the point of gravity and you both were able to move as one.
And... there would be no pressure behind the 15th vertrebrae of Beau.

Loosen your reins, so Beau can find his balance and move his head down and forward.

In the last 2 movies it is much better, Well done but Beau's movement seems restricted due to muddy ground perhaps?

I think this is the saddle for you both, honestly.

Just keep it until our lesson next lesson.
I would not try the western one...

Warm regards,

Josepha

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www.equusuniversalis.com

I can I keep it? so I do not have to come to you tomorrow??? I'll call you if I haven't heard from you. I have so little time. I hope that everything get's better.
When we ride we always need about 10 minutes to get in touch I think. I hope this will improve.

Thank you for the advice!!! I do like the saddle!
I'll try to get more supple too, I've been working on my strength, but not on being supple!

no just keep it a while longer

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Hahaha, Josepha! You're teaching me even before we get together!

Sometimes Freckles also moves like Beau was in the first videos, so I did what you told Barbara - forward in the saddle, more open hips, more rein length - TaaaDaaa! Freckles moved a lot smoother this morning. YAY! Of course, my inner thighs are soooo sore and tired, but it felt good!

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Glen Grobler

Words that soak into your ears are whispered...not yelled. Anon

great!

Of course you're not supposed to be sore, so ussually in a real live lesson, I massage your leg so your hip loosens while your sitting on horse back

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Yeah, that sounds like an easier way to achieve it! At least I don't "push" my body so I get sore muscles for days afterwards!

Part of my "problem" is that a lot of my muscle-mass got eroded by illness so I have to "grow" new ones. That means I have to do stuff to make them work which makes them bigger and stronger, so sore and tired is a normal part of my like at the moment!

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Glen Grobler



Words that soak into your ears are whispered...not yelled. Anon

some more pic's, I just think the saddle comes forward a lot, but I do not feel like Beau has problems with it. I'll put some films in the video section

Barbara, I am learning to be more fluid too. It is harder for me with my bad back at a large trot, but the walk is nice for both Cisco and I.

I simply relax my seat (and I have found that lifting and then dropping your shoulders will help with this. Hold your body upright, but let your spine relax straight down it's length. Try not to lean forward (this is hard, I know!).

Keep your heels down gently, but don't stiffen them (easy enough at a walk...hard for me at the trot!).

Then, ask Beau to walk forward with your seat and back relaxed. Close your eyes if you can...even just for a few steps, and feel the side to side movement of Beau's steps. You CAN feel it. When he takes steps, you will feel one of your legs come off one side, while your other leg at the same time will lightly bump the other side. Once you feel this swaying, you can sway with him, and incorporate your hips into the sway...so in the walk, your hips will rise and fall (swaying softly one way, then the other) with his hips. If you match his energy with this sway, his pace should remain constant. If you stall your swaying, he may slow down...if you sway a bit faster than is, he may quicken his pace to match your sway...but for now, just feel his natural sway and see if you can match his rhythm.

at the end of winter, the winter coat is dull and dying, so do not mind the huge impact tack seems to have at the coat for the moment...

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