Of "bubbling springs" and other cool lesson-related topics

I've had three lessons on Dude on Monday evenings. This week we are switching the time to Friday at around noon, so tonight I rode him for "fun." The horses didn't go out today because we've had so much rain recently, so when I got to the barn I ran him out for about 10 minutes to graze and then did Bestie. I feel bad that they're in, but really, the fields are such a mess it's just as well. Yesterday they did go out, but I brought Dude and Bestie in before I left to take Maddie back to school. Didn't want to take any chances that either might slip at turn-in time, when tensions run high. As Dude walked toward me I could hear that telltale sucking squelchy sound of deep mud at every step.

Tonight I tried to work on various things that Emma and I have been working on in lessons. Sitting up tall yet relaxed in the saddle, being firm with my commands (ask, then tap/tap with the crop if no response), and transitions. Last week we had talked about positioning and it was pretty cool because she had me ride without stirrups and with my eyes closed as she moved Dude around on the lunge line. I found my whole body shifting and realized how much I use my hands to balance, which means I probably exert a lot of pressure on the bit even when I don't mean to. I also place more weight in my left foot than my right. No surprise there; my left leg is definitely my dominant leg when I skate, too.

It is really interesting to me how philosophies float between different disciplines. For instance, she talked about grounding and using your foot placement in the saddle to ground yourself. Very yoga-like. The "bubbling spring" is that place on your foot that grounds you. My probably simplistic interpretation of Emma's explanation is that it is a tai chi philosophy and you find the spot by tapping on the bottom of the foot and identifying where the sensation of tapping feels different.

The odd thing was that when she tapped my foot, the spot that I identified as feeling different (more resonant) is the exact spot where my foot naturally shifts to after I've had my feet in the stirrups a while. I've always been instructed not to have my feet too deep in the stirrups, so that is how I place them. But after I've ridden for a while, my foot migrates forward and the stirrup ends up right behind the ball of my foot, not quite at the arch. And that is apparently my bubbling spring :). I look forward to the lessons and Dude seems to enjoy them, too. It's good for him to be "working" again; he's definitely happier.