freestyle_clinic_salcey_19th_june_11.pdf |
Freestyle Dressage to Music Design Clinic with Alison Kenward BHS II SM regd and Equivisions.
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Helen Baker and Alison Kenward will be competing at Moulton College this weekend.
Helen will be competing in her first Baileys Horse Feeds Novice Freestyle Qualifier. For more information on Baileys Horse Feeds visit http://www.baileyshorsefeeds.co.uk/about/news.htm I have uploaded my newsletters and E Guide to Issuu.
Read them with page turning at a click! http://issuu.com/SolitaireDressage/docs/choreography_challenges_eguide The second issue of Solitaire News is packed with interviews from Solitaire Riders and some special offers too.
Well Done Tracy Osak for producing Arkon for the Royal Windsor Horse Show. Tracy received excellent feedback from the judges and a familar face in the crowd enjoyed their individual show.
I had a wonderful time riding Langarth Sebastian at the Canter for a Cure sponsored ride to raise money for cancer research & bio detection dogs.
Solitaire Supporters can now order the Equetech designed training waistcoats with unique Solitaire Branding at no extra cost.
The Waistcoats are here and I'm so pleased with the look and feel of them. I've worn mine riding and teaching and its smart enough to go to town in!
The Navy blue gillet has been designed by Equetech for riders to wear whilst training or at the yard. It has unique stretch side panels for ultimate freedom of movement and is lightwieght and breathable so perfect for year round use. Design features include double back vents witha Equetech fasteners and an adjustable back belt with rich self coloured Equetech embroidery. To the front there is a two way central zip with Equetech zip pull and a mobile phone pocket to the chest along with double front zip pockets. The gillet has a deep collar with rib lining, a scooped back hem and micro suede trim to the armholes for complete comfort. Solitaire Customers may order the gillet with Solitaire Branding at no extra cost. Please read my newsletter and let me know what you think!
For me to feel confident as a rider I need to feel in harmony with my horse to feel that I am symmetrical in the saddle and that my aids can be a whisper.
When I was learning to ride with feel and tact at Brampton to form those quick bonds with school horses that are necessary to pass the BHS stages exam and to help riders communicate with every new horse they meet I found that its a real achievement to bond with a horse to the point where you almost use no aids at all. Recently Jack and I have been having communication issues and although at a subtle level I was feeling it hard to maintain my position statement in the saddle. This uncertainty was not about feeling like the saddle was way off or that I could not ask Jack to do things it was more a sense of something is missing- am I trying to hard? Is Jack feeling some sub clinical imbalance? Is my mind playing tricks on me? I have worked a lot with Phil on how making 100 small changes can lead to 100% improvement in performance and with my test sheets in the last few outings showing that Jack and I were missing something, that polish, accuracy, harmony that I would say we established some time ago I was spending a lot of downtime questioning whether I had lost my feel. I spoke to Ted Boggis at www.rbequestrian.co.uk about my concerns feeling a little sheepish that I haven't been posting the results that reflected well. Ted came out again yesterday and I think we have cracked it. We are using a Korrector pad and Ted spent a great deal of time tallking to me and watching me ride making adjustments to the saddle balance and by the end of the session I felt like I had my balance back. We made very subtle adjustments but balance and symetry are crucial factors. To give an example the day before I had been cantering straight lines and the whole thing had felt as though I was constantly changing my position in the saddle as though I could not keep still as though I had to overcorrect. A few changes to the Korrector pad and there the saddle was a stable platform and Jack was dancing again, I was able to go where I chose in the arena with no loss of connection or suppleness and so much more comfort in the saddle. I see the magic that can occur for horse and rider combinations I teach when the saddle is well fitting and the rider is in the correct position and I have felt this magic myself, the lesson I have learnt is that riding everyday and working with a horse I know very well it is easy to miss the tell tale signs that the saddle is not quite in balance. So many things can effect performance but it all comes down as a rider to position, feel and communication with your horse and it shouldn't feel like mission impossible. Fall in love with your saddle and keep checking it is fitting perfectly to help you stay in balance with your horse. A good working relationship with your local qualified saddle fitter is essential because when they watch you ride they focus on how your saddle is performing and affecting the communication between horse and rider- essential feedback . Yesterday I had a golden moment when I asked Jack to half pass to the centre line and change leads it was effortless and a feeling I am going to hold on to! |
Alison KenwardQualified Rider, Instructor and Coach working freelance in UK . Archives
April 2012
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