The devil is in the details....

Yes my friends, we have found the solution to our "behind the vertical" woes! It was the horse equivalent of "problem exists between chair and keyboard" aka.. It's Mom's damn fault!

Had a wonderful lesson with my centered riding instructor Becky Hart, and she fixed ALOT of the issues we are having.

She started out by reminding me that at the level Monroe and I are riding at, we can't get away with the little mistakes anymore. My main problem is that I drop my right seat bone which makes me crooked, and results in a plethora of other issues.

She gave me a balance rein (to keep my hands quiet) and did her cool exercise to loosen up my legs, and sent me off at the walk with the instruction to "let my legs drape like velvet" around my horse. We also worked on having "heavy elbows" which softens your hands--cool little trick! Around turns we focused on the outside ear, and "lifted and shifted" (excellent way to make sure you use your seat-bones to turn!

Then we moved on to the trot and I had to be reminded to keep myself straight and "breath center grow" to half halt and keep myself aligned so I wouldn't perch forward on my seat bones. I fell apart a bit so we transitioned back to the walk, re-centered, and then continued back up to the trot by "shining the laser beams forward" (using your seat to round the back into the transition). Near the end I was being too pully with my inside rein, and using an opening rein to turn, which she corrected by making me ride with my thumbs touching.

It was a great lesson, and Corrie watched so she knows what to tell me if I get crooked when we jump!

Today I practiced what I learned yesterday and WOW what a difference!!! My horse was calm and relaxed, and round a lot of the time, and not fake round... TRULY ROUND. She even kept it at the canter!!! I stayed centered, kept my elbows heavy and kept myself relaxed and on my seat bones. It was the ride I have been waiting for for a long time!

There was no tension, my horse was relaxed and soft, and when she went round, she didn't duck, she lifted her back and kept her nose vertical! It was an amazing ride :]