This past weekend I decided to sign myself up for a two day clinic with Christian Schacht. Prior to my lessons I knew very little about the clinician but following my weekend I'm so glad I signed up. I always learn so much from clinics and always leave with a sense of determination and purposes in my riding. I decided to make a note of the most influential bits of my lessons.
This is the point that probably resonated the most with me. Christian noticed that I have trouble sitting the trot, which has always been a struggle for me, especially on Stryker. What I realize now is that I tend to stiffen and become rigid and overly formal in the sitting trot and at times also in the canter. Christian told me to imagine that I was wearing my show jacket and to think of the two buttons on the back. He told me to imagine moving those up and down with the rise and the fall of Strykers back. I rode around on a twenty meter circle, eyes closed, just imagining rotating my back so that the buttons of my jacket would rise and fall, and suddenly I was moving with Stryker! Not ahead or behind or above but moving right with his back, that was a harmonious feeling. This was one of those things that is so incredibly simple but which immediately impacted my riding so much, it's simultaneously exciting, and annoying that I only just now got it.
Lower Back
Something that ties into my seat is my lower back. Something I had never thought about but which was pointed out is that I tend to arch my lower back. This feeds into my rigid-ness in the trot and canter. Christian told me to think about pressing my lower back against someone's hand, and although it took me a few tries, I fought myself and softened my back. This really, really helped my canter, the second I softened my lower back he rounded his whole body and my seat and legs remajned effortlessly still and in the saddle.
Canter-Walk
I was told to canter a three loop serpentine with simple changes on centerline. Nothing too challenging, however my canter walk transitions were less than perfect. Stryker tends to do one of two things, 1: he trots into the walk on his forehand or 2: he plants his forehand and just stops. Christian said something which immediately changed my riding. He said to think about beginning the walk, not ending the canter. So instead of stopping my seat and then having to compensate for his lack of power in the transition, I simply thought about riding his hind legs from canter into a walk. There it was! An effortless transition into the walk from the canter, almost easy. I can't pinpoint exactly what I do with my legs and seat differently, but when I actively think "begin the walk" the transition is smoother and more balanced. I want to say that my seat and legs stay active and I ask for a downward transition without tightening and shutting him down.
Giraffe Moments
We're all aware of the similarities Stryker shares with his longer necked specie sibling. Although his attitude has improved significantly, there are still times when Stryker has the nerve to turn his nose up to me. Christians approach is one that I have no problem resorting to at a competition when my patience is endless, being that all eyes are on me, however at home my patience occasionally runs short and I end up in a fight. When Stryker puts his nose in the air Christian instructed me to basically do nothing, don't pull, don't yield, simply put my hands down and wait him out. A fight will only prolong his behavior and make it more persistent. After a few moments, Stryker would give it up and continue in a content way.
Clinics are so unique, in that you and your horse seem to excel at a rapid pace in a matter of 2-3 days. You leave with a plethora of tools and a refreshed idea of how to obtain your goals. I think clinics are an important aspect to training both rider and horse, because you get a set of professional, objective eyes and often leave with new understandings of your own riding and how to better communicate with your horse.
