Flatwork Session @ home with Ibby MacPherson

I started off in my Patrick dressage saddle today – but Ibby swapped in after about 10 minutes for her Albion dressage saddle – this felt much better: more able to sit on my seat bones rather than tipping forward.  Really need to get a new saddle fitted!

Key Points:

  • Make sure that I always feel like I have 2/3 horse in front of me – Finn must accept the leg and always be in front of it.
  • Get the weight onto the inside stirrup, with the weight onto the outside of my foot (I could consider wedge stirrup treads)
  • Hip/seat shift on direction changes – Finn moving around my inside leg, thinking about my inside leg being a post which Finn Centres herself around.
  • Ensure that I turn from belly button – not just my head! I’m sending mixed messages to Finn by my weight and body direction telling her something different to my rein aids.
  • Really sitting on my seat bones rather than my ‘fork’ – sitting trot – no stirrups (and lots of it)