Manage expectations. That's my new by-word. I figure that I need to have an empty head in terms of what I hope for on a day to day basis. When I was first teaching regularly I would spend hours planning lessons, recording what we achieved etc. Often I would arrive at a client's place to find that the week had not gone as expected and all my preparation went out of the window. Work with what you have, develope as you go and chuck out the plan in favour of an open eye and freedom of thought. I'm not saying that planning is bad, so long as you can adapt as you go. I often think of that awful old game show 'Cathphrase' and the host's oft said 'say what you see', why do we find this so hard? It's as if we lost our belief. So my 'catchphrase' this week is 'work with what you have'.
Anyways, back to Moo and managing expectations. Today I rode in the school, it was so hot that I thought that a good plan (lol) was to have no plan except to give up when we got hot. The walk was pretty good, really relaxed and no sign of any stiffness. The leg yield across the school was balanced and in good rhythm and stepping through (although still not so good from the left as from the right).
Trot work on figure 8's (with trannies in the centre) and serpentines and so calm and steady. We worked for about 45 minutes in all and then the stretches afterwards. A nice day's work.
6 comments:
which possibly means that, like the rest of us, you've been trying too hard? LOL....
I try to have a plan, but sometimes it needs to be modified. A Mark Rashid saying: "Ride the horse you have today."
That's what differs us riders from the rest of the sports world, isn't it?
I mean a football or a bike doesn't have a bad day, or a stiff shoulder.
I am also a fan of that approach. I try to have an overall plan, but never to make too detailed plans for each session.
"Ride the horse that you have today".
Like that.
"So my 'catchphrase' this week is 'work with what you have'".
LOL, I can relate to that.
Trudi, just wondering what your thoughts are about Sylvia Loch. She is featured on Horsehero.com at the moment and I've read several of her articles. Very classical and very Charles Harris. Horsehero web site very interesting. Worth reading.
Sheila (in Hurrican Bill-swept MK)
Sheila, yes Lady Loch...very passionate about classical dressage and a great supporter of the Lusitano. I believe that she and Charles Harris had a long standing disagreement over the classical seat, indeed I think he challenged her on a number of occasions to a 'ride off' to prove his point but alas now too late.
I'm not a huge fan of her riding but it's some time since I last saw her but I do admire her for bringing the world of classical more into the public domain.
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