Dressage Professionals ::

Karen Mitchell

Creative Dressage Instruction and the Lesson of the Lemming

Posted 25 May 2006 by Karen Mitchell from Tristan Oaks (5805 views)

On Tuesday evenings Jill teaches dressage to three young ladies, all ten or eleven year old talented young riders, together in the arena. These same girls have been taking this Tuesday evening lesson for several months now. Since they are sharing space in the dressage arena, this arrangement has required that the girls quickly develop their skills at steering, leaving space for other horses, coordinating their movements, etcetera. They have come quite a long way. This past Tuesday evening Jill decided to kick it up a notch. Jill was having the girls ride a pattern that required them to cross the arena from, say, e to b, and then turn right or left. During one of these exercises the lead girl turned the wrong way, and the other two girls just followed. And so Jill shared the story of the lemming with the girls, the infamous animal that will follow the lead lemming over the cliff. The girls were enthralled with the story and it clearly illustrated to them how in their riding they had just behaved like lemmings. While she clearly felt that the girls understood her point, Jill felt compelled to put them to the test. Jill secretly enlisted the help of one of the girls under the guise of checking her bridle. We will call that girl lemming number one. Jill gave lemming number one a code phrase that, when it was used, would be the signal for lemming number one, who was riding as the lead lemming, to turn the wrong way in the pattern. Jill wanted to see what lemming number two and three would do. It was all arranged. Jill called out the code phrase. Lemming number one turned the wrong way. Lemming number two froze in indecision but her pony kept going. The spectators, who were in on the plan, could see the looks of confusion, doubt and finally resolution cross the face of lemming number two. Lemming number two decided that lemming number one had in fact gone the wrong way. But it was too late! The pony under lemming number two was following the pony under lemming number one. By the time that lemming number two asked for the turn in the right direction, the mind of that pony was already made up. It was a battle of wills between girl and pony. Girl wanted to go right and pony wanted to go left. Instead of doing either of those things, the pony that lemming number two was riding went straight and hopped right out of the arena! Lemming number two went over the cliff! But, it should be noted that she turned her pony in the right direction on the other side. Of course by now we in the lofty positions of spectator and instructor were howling with laughter. What a priceless moment! And what of lemming number three, you ask? She too was laughing, having caught on to the deception. And so lemming number three, in true lemming fashion, followed lemming number one in the wrong direction! Lemming number two was a great sport about the whole thing, laughing at herself and her lemming friends in true Tristan Oaks good sportsmanship fashion. What a great lesson!

Trail Riding

Posted 20 May 2006 by Karen Mitchell from Tristan Oaks (5826 views)

Went on a mini trail ride today to the front fields riding one of the schoolmasters belonging to Jill and also one of my favorite horses to ride. It was a lot of fun and made me realize I should be doing that more often! What is interesting is that I also realized that it has been so long since I cantered on anything other than the wonderful footing in the dressage arena that I had forgotten what it felt like to canter over regular old ground! Go figure.

Rode Baby Boy Today

Posted 29 April 2006 by Karen Mitchell from Tristan Oaks (5913 views)

I had a chance to ride Baby Boy today. I am still pretty nervous getting on a three year old - I ride him very tentatively, which I need to get over - but he is just great. Such a great approach to the work he is being asked to do. You can almost see him ask, Okay, what do you want me to do? Not a mean bone in his body, just wants to make you happy. And they do not come any cuter. Jill rode him first, and of course with Jill on his back he looks like he has had months of training, the way she can pull him together, nice and forward and round, hind end reaching under, and you would not guess he has just turned three. His body is maturing, starting to look like a horse instead of a baby. He is great! I have fun with him on the ground and on his back. Looking forward to more good times with him!

Progress at last

Posted 27 April 2006 by Karen Mitchell from Tristan Oaks (5935 views)

My last few lessons have been super. Yes lots of work but you know we all love this stuff or we would not keep coming back for more. It is great to really feel a difference in my riding and to see a noticable improvement for all that hard work. Getting the horse through more quickly and using the aids more independently and starting to be able to not only feel but actually organize the body mechanics of my seat and hands at the different gaits and use them to affect the movement and responsiveness of the horse feels great. I can look back at where I was six months ago and truly see that I have come a long way. Think canter transition for example. Still a long way to go but I can believe now that what I would like to accomplish with my riding is actually possible. With continued great instruction and a great horse to ride and perseverance my riding and ability to form a partnership with my horse should only continue to progress.