Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Fancy Pants Dressage

Cuna and I have taken two whole dressage lessons this year in an attempt to be the butt-kicking-ist novice team to hit the horse trials in our neck of the woods. Our most excellent instructor took a short video from the first lesson. 

When she took the video, we were working on sitting trot with no stirrups. I had to focus on about a million things at the same time, but Cuna was responding really well.

Here's a quick close up more for an overall gear shot than anything. Taking screen caps is hard on a slow computer, let me tell you.

We borrowed a dressage saddle and that style of breastcollar fits him a lot better with that saddle. Plus it matches. Win win. Not to worry folks: it's also borrowed.

He's decked out in bell boots as per farrier orders and wraps to keep him protected. We use white wraps to give the most amount of contrast possible to make it easy for our instructor to see him.

The more we move along, the better it gets. Cuna relaxes into the contact as I get steadier. To my great surprise, sitting the trot was not incredibly hard. Our instructor kept pushing me to ask for more trot.

She said not to ask for more trot than I can ride, then watched and said, "You ride well enough. More trot."




By the end of the lesson, I couldn't feel my thighs and my arms and core felt like Jello.

I love this. 
So worth it.

Check out my fancy dressage Cuna!!

I'm going to have to snag a photographer for solid dressage shots here soon.

I mean, who doesn't want to see more fancy Cuna pics? Helloooooo sexy.

I have to hand it to the DQs out there. This is pretty intense stuff and we're not even doing cool tricks yet. Any one else playing dressage and figuring out just how much work it is?

22 comments:

  1. Daaaaaamn he looks good! I know he is no sandbox-afficiando, but you've got him looking really good. I know you have followed our Dressage saga, and my opinion that it is just relearning to ride inside leg to outside hand over and over in many different scenarios. I am a meticulous perfectionist, so it appeals to me. I started liking it more after we had the rhythm-relaxation part out of the way and started doing more interesting things.

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  2. Cuna and you look great. I remember riding my Arab, who was my eventer super star, and learning that when he was moving correct, I was working harder. I agree that it is the best feeling.

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  3. I would take sexy dressage shots!!

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  4. Love it when everything works! I'm a bit frustrated now -- what worked so great in lesson now is very confusing on my own with overthinking, sigh. We've got some lovely canter work, nice walk, but I am beginning to reallly hate trot!

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  5. Looking good!! I'm loving dressage right now too =)

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  6. That last picture is kick ass! Great work you two. I love dressage. I do wish I had more opportunity to really delve into it.

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  7. YOU LOOK AWESOME!!!! Look at that reach in his front leg, great engagement! Holy moly, everyone better watch the heck out when y'all enter your next event!!!

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  8. More sexy dressage shots please!! :) Cuna looks like a stud.

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  9. Y'all look great! So glad I found this blog. I am also tack-obsessed. Cuna seems like the coolest. I just took an ass-kicking dressage lesson on an enormous gaited horse. It was nuts. I'm a hunter/jumper rider, so it was a real change of pace, but so is riding an enormous gaited horse. Keep on keepin' on!

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  10. Love that last shot, he's really working it!

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  11. Look at that engagement! Super fantastic :) Anyone who says Dressage is easy doesn't have a clue.

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  12. LOOKING GOOD! I started riding as a dressage rider in september and to start with i didn't realise how much work it would be now i see just how much harder i have to work with Gatsby

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  13. I have NO dressage skills. But I do have a fancy camera...let me know when your next lesson is and I will do my best to be there! You guys look awesome!

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  14. I love that last shot too, if he looks like that regularly than he may get in over at the palace!

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  15. I live/work at a dressage barn. The owner/trainer teaches biomechanics. Dressage is hard. Biomechanics is HARD! Sooo rewarding thought and really cool when you "get" moments.

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  16. Wow you two look fantastic!! :D Keep up the great work! And yes we LOVE lots of pictures of Cuna!

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  17. You guys look great! I love that jell-o feeling my legs get after a good dressage lesson.

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