January 24, 2010

101 Dressage Exercises for Horse & Rider

Today was a rain out, wash out, kapoot of a day. So! I went to the Olive Garden and had Cheese Ravioli with Marinara Sauce, had a Latte' from Starbucks, and visited Barnes & Nobles to look for a new book. My pick of the day was 101 Dressage Exercises for Horse & Rider. So for just a little over the price of one lesson, I have a book of ideas to work on with Phebes for an hour lesson now and then to change up our work, and hopefully keep her from getting sour on what we do. She actually seems to like exercises, and is generally more attentive to me than when out on trail. The author JEC Aristotle Ballou introduces a warm-up, exercises for Looseness, Straightness, and Rider Position, then Lateral Work, Improving the Canter (who me? what canter?), Building Suspension, Flying Changes, Developing Lightness, Lengthening Srides, and The Importance of Fitness. Plenty for my brain to chew on, lots of ideas for short hour long work sessions to break up the monotony of what we do. Now if they just included a stern little old lady with a pointing finger and DVD with remonstrations, we'd be set!
*******************************************************************
Phebes just had a getting put up for the evening melt down. Rearing, kicking her stall, pinning her ears. So I graciously let her out the door into the pouring cold rain and chased her off each time she tried to return to the stall. Then I let my sweet tempered little mare stand in the rain for fifteen minutes to contemplate her choice. Rain? vs. Dry Stall? She is now quietly eating hay in her warm dry stall.

2 comments:

  1. You are a hoot! Sounds like Phebes has met her match. :-) Also thanks for the reminder about that book. I need to take it off my shelf and read it! Doc & I played indoors on Sunday - poles, barrels, and other bareback fun. He is VERY playful right now as the pens are soooo muddy it's too hard to play outside.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks for the book recommendation. I would love to hear an update of if you've tried any of the exercises etc.

    Ii have 101 arena exercisese (cherry hill book) and it was excellent! I still haven't done all of them! My biggest problem is remembering the exercises once I'm in the saddle.

    ReplyDelete