After my last lesson, I decided to start diving back into my Mary Wanless books, starting with The Natural Rider: A Right-Brain Approach to Riding. I haven't touched the book since I read it in high school but I remember enjoying it. I picked it up this time and a lot of what I've read so far has really resonated with the issues I am trying to fix!
So, when T asked me what I wanted to work on yesterday, my answer was that I wanted to focus on keeping my tone through transitions, because I know I am still tipping forward or to the inside when we accelerate or decelerate. She put us right to work with lots of figures and transitions.
Overall, my body felt really great and T said I was looking very straight and strong! There were only a handful of times that I could feel myself using my hands more than my body, or dipping in around a bend. There was one little bobble from Skylar on a 20 meter circle where I felt myself tip forward as he decelerated to catch himself, and then tip back as he regained his momentum, but I felt it, and I caught myself doing it. Then, toward the end of the lesson, on a downward transition, I tipped forward, but again, caught myself and sat up straight right away.
I left the barn feeling content -- and sore! I think it was one of the best, most productive lessons I've had in over a year.
I love books for this very reason, we are able to go back and reflect and hopefully find those golden nuggets that continue to resonate with us or resonate a bit more strongly at different times.
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