First Dressage lesson!!!! *pics*

[fataldream]

wow:eek: ive never worked so hard in my life!!! i thought the whole sressage thing was much easier than it would be lol! i done it on my new horse, cus hes a dressage expert :D . i never knew that you had to do **************** and ********** to get them on the bit, and getting them to stay there and do it:eek:

im having another one on friday:D

heres some pics, feel free to critique me:p

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v314/Acurra/100_0403.jpg

excuse my position!!! lol.....wouldnt belive i had been riding my whole life

[domane]

Can sympathise! As a happy-hacker turned "interested in basic dressage" - blimey, it's hard work innit! And that's just keeping them on the bit in a straight line!!! :D

[fataldream]

blimey!!! hehehehe lol....i am looking to compete now, so i need a hell of alot of work....:D

[palmerlover52]

well done...sounds great...beautiful horse by the way:D

[Cool Rider]

Great Picture and Well Done

[CMR]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who has an instructor who likes to torture :p

Your position is a bit slumpy :) You need to bring your shoulders back, think like you're pushing your shoulder blades together. Pretend to put space inbetween each rib, imagine a string pulling your head up. Looking up and where you're going will help as well. For a first Dressage lesson you look fantastic though, I was way worse at my first :p
You need to stretch your leg down, but I think it's just up because your were appling leg aids?

You look as though you have nice, soft hands, and you look like you have great balance :)

[Miska]

I'm a happy hacker also, who has ridden for my whole life.....and i only had lessons for four years when I was younger. All i learnt in them was to walk, trot and canter (in some riding schools u never learn more than the basics!)...and so i don't have a clue how to make my horse work on the bit etc.

But well done for having a go, you both look like your having fun!

[HorseManiac]

is your martingale not done up?:rolleyes: :confused: :D

[fataldream]

aww thanks guys for your views!!!


about the martingail....apparently, you arnt supposed to use them in dressage tests or showing classes?? so, she just rapped it round or smthing...lol....im having a jumping lesson on tuesday, but that im good at ehehe, not like dressage:D

[Parisexxx]

i have your numnah!!!

[pioneer]

Congrats! as someone just starting dressage too - it's not easy is it! good luck with it. looking good;)

[Rips]

Yeh, you can't use martingales in dressage competitions, you should try taking it off and see how he goes without. My mare came ridden in a martingale but she didn't actually need it, she goes much better without one because theres no slight "pull" on the reins.

[Jester87]

[QUOTE=Miska] All i learnt in them was to walk, trot and canter (in some riding schools u never learn more than the basics!)...and so i don't have a clue how to make my horse work on the bit etc.QUOTE]

Im exactly the same. I was first taught natural horsemanship and not the "fancy pants" way of riding- i hope no one gets offendeed by that.:( ive never been taught or shown how to get my horse "on the bit" but ive been trying just by looking at my next door neighbour ride and by pictures in books. my horse is going well with it tho...

[BeachRiding]

WEll done!

[HorseManiac]

your shoulders need to come back and you need to sit up abit more. and you stirrups look like they can be legenthed is well.

Anneli :)

[jenren!!]

You have peculiar jodhpurs :D

Jenny xx

[palmerlover52]

They're not perculiar LOL

They look comfy ;)

[Lgd]

One foot on the slippery slope to Dressage Queen-dom.

Enjoy but one word of warning - it is addictive :D

[stormchaser]

Shoulders back, weight in your heels, chin up (nice smile, we want to see it!) and hands just a tiny bit lower. The horse seems a bit behind the vertical, but anyway to me he seems to be accepting the bit nicely. Anyway on the whole I'd say you're doing pretty well for a first dressage lesson!

[coss]

For a first dressage lesson well done, here are things i think you need to try and improve first:

I know it is really hard but look up, when you start doing dressage there is a tendency to watch the horse's head - basically to watch it lower and soften and the rider ends up really focused on the head and doesn't see where they are going.

With a body protector it can be difficult to tell but i think you need to flatten your back a bit and sit up taller. stick your chest out and open you ribcage. the best way to get a good upper body posture (that i know of) is to put the reins down infront of you (if safe) stretch your hands/arms down (perpendicular to the ground) then rotate your hands away from your body and you should feel the the ribcage lift. this is good. hope thats understandable - this is an exercise you can continue doing fot the rest of ridng life.

Leg position - its not bad, you're not in a dressage saddle so getting a good dressage leg position is always harder (i have two horses, one in a dressage saddle the other in a GP) it makes it harder to keep your leg right underneath you but a good way to improve leg position is to take you feet out of your stirrups (this is hard to explain) and take each leg back in turn with a straight leg and try and turn you leg slightly to make you toes point more into the horse/forwards then slowly bring your leg forwards keeping it fairly straight, this lengthens the legs and gets the inner thigh muscle out behind your leg (therefore starting to develop the flat inner thigh). it will feel really weird at first but should give you a deeper and more secure seat.

I don't know if its the camera angle but the horse looks on his forehand. make sure to get the head down it is not because of a restricting hand but because the hindquarters are engaged. this is awkward in walk as you can't have impulsion. the horse should accept the bit without falling on the forehand but i know this is very hard. If you can keep that outline in walk then you can think about lightening the forehand with other methods as you don't want to spoil it,

As i have said, you are doing really well for your first lesson and the above may seem technical.
The horse looks as if he will go well for you so enjoy it :)