Day 3 Level 4+

We got rained on a couple of times today but it wasn't too bad.

Sooooooo... Where to start.

The morning started with some visuals of what we are aiming for as a picture or plan or goal from riding freely forward.

For the horses neck to be stretched forward, not with his head lower than his chest, that can be evasion or hiding.














We revised the riding posture from the feet up (building the foundation) and then added on the elbows and soft touch.

Then to add it all together and go riding right!!

We walked over to Pats arena on horseback and it gave me a chance to practise my leg position and engaging from the "thuttocks". It's something I am loving because it's making a big difference to my lower leg position and my knee.











Of course there's always time for a selfie. That's the lovely Kari from Albuquerque and the cheeky Ann-Marie from The Netherlands. The cream team.















So by engaging or pulling your heel and lower leg back rather than pushing it back you wrap your thighs. The angle should be 120 degrees. Where's my protractor?

Wrapping thighs: This was something I could not do before. But I can see the concept now. It stretches your hip flexors. I knew how to do that out of the saddle but not while riding.














Then this creates the hover, lightening your seat and sitting you up to some extent. Of course you still need lats on (armpits down) and to be straight with an engaged core - oh and breathe and look where you're going lol.















Oh Dixie likes selfies now too. She needs more practice though. Handsome has got the photo bombing down though. Aptly named horse right.


Our riding session was focusing on our position, the horse riding freely forward, then follow the line. So keeping our nose and the horses nose on an imaginary line, and not losing rhythm as we turn (faster or slower). Horses tend to speed up trotting a turn and slow down walking a turn. So we needed to keep rhythm while making sure there were no floppy reins. Soft touch. We were not trying to put the horse in a frame just have a soft contact. Going up the slight incline I could really feel Dixie getting it! She doesn't love going downhill so much.














We rode back just as the rain started again. Dixie has been a super star.

The afternoon had rain predicted so we had lunch and then did simulations again. This time on the equissage horse. Then on barrels. Just to get the right feeling and to isolate the muscles for the thuttocks and then for the rising trot.

Ryan is so patient with all us females. :-)

Location:Parelli Ranch Colorado