On the aids... or lack there of.

Went to my first recognized show of the year with her redness. Won the warm-up! Drowned miserably in the actual arena (figuratively & actually; we had torrential down pours the day before, so the show grounds were swamped).

I had my trainer coaching me in the warm-up, of course, and I was finally starting to get my act together.

[side note: mare has feet problems, farrier just tacked on new shoes two days prior, mare is 90% sound; previously she was about 75%]

Tori's not used to her feet not hurting, she doesn't know how to trust that there probably won't be anymore pain, and she especially doesn't trust me when she can't trust the footing she's moving around on. So, she shuts me down & goes around like a flaming retard, head straight up in the air & is more likely to damage herself than get anything productive done.

Long story short: horse is not obedient to the aids; the judge put it very nicely and said "horse replaces engagement with speed". Probably had the land-speed record for Second Level - Test 2.

So I've been brooding over this... trying to figure out what I can do, what concepts or books can I revisit, so I can continue to correct this problem under the careful guidance of my trainer. One of my favorite books to revisit is "Riding Logic" by Wilhelm Museler.

[Excerpt from the book...]

A horse is obeying the aids completely if:

• It is totally relaxed. There must be no tension or stiffness at all in the jawbones, poll, lower jaw, neck, back or legs. This applies to joints and muscles.
• It is attentive to the rider's legs, back, reins and moves in equilibrium. This means in effect that the complete moving mechanism of the horse is willingly subjected to its rider's commands. This is only possible if the horse understands the influences of the legs, hands, weight and back and will willingly carry out what those components say to it.

Teaching a horse the aids does not mean:

• That it has to adopt a particular position or carriage.
• That it already understands all the aids that are made up by the various influences.

The rider must:

• Sit, at all times, calmly and with suppleness in the deepest part of the saddle. He must not lurch about in the saddle at every stride, nor should an onlooker hear or see him slapping back into the saddle.
• Keep arms and hands still. He must not work his hands and arms at every stride. His rein contact must be constant. The reins must not hang slackly, or be slack at one moment and strongly applied the next. Nor must the rider saw with the reins to keep contact with the horse's mouth or to keep the horse mouthing the bit.
• Keep his legs still and in constant contact with the horse: they can thus influence if required without the rider changing his position. It is permissible to make a slight movement of the knee, which may need to be bent or straightened ever so slightly.

The horse must:

• Take calm, even, but energetic steps.
• When going forward, be perfectly straight with both ears at the same height; at corners and when turning it must give the appearance of bending of its own volition towards the inside. Stiffness will manifest itself if the horse's head is turned to the outside.
• Mouth the bit calmly and steadily all the time without it being audible. It must not try to spit the bit out, grind it or play with it with its tongue. It should not get its tongue over the bit, let it hang out or make foam.
• Keep head and neck still. It should not shake its head, even at a change of pace or halt or when trotting on from rest, nor stretch it forward or upward or lower to its chest. The neck should form an even, curved line.
• Carry the tail quietly with no twitching or swishing.

From all of that I can gladly say that Tori does carry her tail quietly! ... everything else however... she does not do. >.> BACK to BASICS. always basics... Oh, and I also am not very still... need to learn to be still.