Our pre-lesson banter centered around Core Rhythms. You know the infomercial on TV? A total core workout in the guise of Latin dance moves. What fun! All of us wanted it and the cry for a dance/pilates/yoga studio was raised. We even had a spot above the horse stalls picked out. I’m sure they’d enjoy that! Right, uh-huh.
I should’ve known what was coming.
Words that make all Dressage Diva Wannabes cringe. No, not 20 meter circles. At least not this time. It was sitting trot! On a Danish Warmblood dressage school master no less!
BIG.
BOUNCY.
TROT.
SIT?!
Okay. Sitting. Hmmm, not bad. Side-to-side, up and down.
BOING! Shoot! Quick! Stand up in stirrups. Now sit.
Side-to-side, up and down.
Don’t grip with your thigh! Huh? How’d she see that?
Lean back a little more! Hey! Saw that too.
No knees! How’d she know?
Think about doing the Rumba! Rumba? Uh, okay.
Ba-ba-ba-boom, ba-ba-ba-boom!
Whoa! My hips! I’m moving and sitting the trot!
Ba-ba-ba-boom, ba-ba-ba-boom!
I’m definitely not fluid but there’s hope. I did a good job and I have great balance. All I have to do is channel my inner dancer while chanting “ba-ba-ba-boom!” Oh, and remember to trust my balance. Hmmm, engage my core and sit up. Oh, and ground my feet. Darn feet. See? Piece of cake. That is until I tense or twitch a muscle and boing right off that saddle. Let’s not think about that though. Positive energy only! 
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October 17, 2009 at 7:32 am
theliteraryhorse
Good job on the sitting trot! I don’t know that I could have done it.
The video?
The first two minutes looked like one of my rides today. Could I sit still? Could I stop nagging? Drumming in the air? That would be me waving a dressage *in hand* whip over my head trying to get my horse to quit dogging behind.
I don’t want to hit this guy! But yup, that was me in the video, shoving my body every which way trying to get “forward”. *sigh* Not good.
October 18, 2009 at 6:07 pm
dressage rider
Yikes! I had hand issues yesterday. I don’t want hands anymore. Bad. Really bad.
And I hear you about the whip…hate using it. I was riding the sensitive horse yesterday and she tends to break in the canter but after the first few tries I kept her going using only my seat. No whip. Although it does have it’s uses.