I had my first lesson with Kim Herslow on Thursday and I absolutely loved it. She had traveled to the farm last month but I was unable to do the clinic due to my exam schedule. Kim's teaching style incorporates an approach where no lesson is the same, she addresses each horse and rider combination differently and with close attention to detail. You know you have a good lesson when it's filled with a ton of 'ah-ha!' moments, which is exactly how mine was. I rode Havanna and I loved how Kim emphasized the importance of the rider's balance and how crucial it is that it is developed and used properly.
We worked a lot on getting my seat bones to drop down into the saddle so that Havanna (or Nana as we like to call her) is ridden more off my seat. Kim wanted me to work on bending my tail bone slightly more under my seat. She said that Nana would feel that in her back and realize she too could engage her hind end. Kim's biggest emphasis was that this change to my position would essentially jump-start Nana's hind end and move a positive wavelength of energy from back to front, rather from front to back. This brought her to an even more important emphasis, which was rein length. Once I drop my seat bones and allow Nana to do the same, I have to give the newly-generated energy someplace to go. With a short rein length I would be able to capture the energy, allow Nana to lift with the withers and reach with her shoulders. If my rein length were too long, however, Kim emphasized how my hands end up back behind the saddle, towards my waist and therefore restricting the newly created energy and blocking it from where it should be going. We have all been told how important it is to maintain the correct rein length, but this put it even more into perspective because Kim showed how it truly effects the horse in its entirety.
We then worked on riding corners, proper corners. This wasn't simply riding as deep as you could in into the corner and trotting out with an even and balance horse. Instead, Kim explained step-by-step how you prepare for the corner, ride it once you're in it, and how you direct you and your horse out to prepare for the next movement. Coming into the corner with a steady, yet forward pace was important, but immediately she asked me flex the inside bend, push with the inside leg, half halt with the outside rein and position my body so that, although we are turning, to stay centered in the saddle. In the middle of the corner, Kim wanted me to think that my half halt transferred the weight back onto Nana's hind end so that she was able to sit and lift with her shoulders; essentially, I should feel a moment of slight suspension and lift as though she were going up a hill.
When we moved on to our lateral work, my leg aid became a major focus. In the half pass, instead of applying my outside leg as on constantly applied pressure, Kim wanted me to try applying my leg in a rhythm. I found that applying my leg one second on and one second off helped slow down the movement and prevent us from rushing through our line. This immediately made a huge difference. The half pass became more rhythmic, steady and ridable.
Next, we worked on our tempi changes. Our biggest goal has been straightness, jump and adjustability between and within changes. Instead of schooling endless lines, Kim had us start on the quarterline. Instead of worrying about the count, she had me focus solely on the quality of the changes rather than the quantity. Instead of schooling five fours or five threes, we spaced each change out 5-6 strides, it varied depending on how the line was going, and waited to ride each change until I had a proper response to my half halt and adequate straightness. The other thing we addressed was not rushing or demanding too much forward so that it created an energy level that couldn't be adjusted or controlled. I had been so fixed on maintaining enough energy that I ended up demanding too much, which caused her to get flat and too low. Focusing on the line, jump, a proper halt halt and a strong, quick leg aid brought us to a set of changes that flowed well and had a nice jumping feel.
The best part about this lesson was how Kim directed us back to basics that are often overlooked, but make the biggest difference in your riding and day-to-day training of your horse. Something like riding corners isn't always on the top of our list of things to train but without them we can rarely ride a good short side and end up sacrificing the movement we should be preparing for; as Kim says, "Your corner and short sides set you up for your next movement. If they aren't ridden well or correctly, then the movement will suffer." Not to mention, everything Kim explained was delivered in a way that was easy to understand. Sometimes it's so easy for people to get caught up in offering long explanations of the mechanical aspects to every step the horse takes. Kim offered me just the right amount of knowledge and understanding so that I didn't feel too overwhelmed when I went back to try and perfect what we were working on. Overall, it was a great lesson and I can't wait for her to be back next month!
Saturday, June 18, 2016
Eastern Township Acreages- Masters Circle.
Very excited to be joining the Masters Circle team! Their supplements
work towards building the strongest foundation for the horse by using
their 'Four Founding Pillars' approach, ensuring your horse maintains a
healthy diet in all aspects. They use only the best ingredients, which
is one of the most important things I look for, particularly in a line
of supplements. Aside from their supplements, they grow their own hay
with a similar approach towards providing only the best and most
effective dietary resources for your horse. A huge thank you to
Mark-Anthony Samson and Katie Brennan for this opportunity, I truly look forward to working with you both and the Masters Circle team! Visit their website and discover their terrific line of supplements and hay! http://eta-equine.com/
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