Today was my second lesson on Walero. This time, we didn’t do any party pieces, just the basics. Ironically, the basics are much more difficult than the special effects! This project is going to be a real challenge! At the moment, I can’t even find where to sit comfortably in the trot which is HUGE! I felt like a cork bobbing on the ocean. It’s also a fine line between trot and passage as Walero does the P’s for fun! (In fact passage is comfortable as it’s more upwards than forwards.)

Nicola picked up that I think too much about how I ride, but I’m used to thinking, I do it all the time in my day job, I even think in my dreams. So I can’t help myself! My quest is to ride Walero in a way he understands and I need to discover how to do this. He is a finished horse and used to responding to aids given in a very precise way. He also likes ‘leadership’ in his rider, Nicola tells me.

Going round the corner of the arena in balance and without falling in, is surprisingly challenging, as is leg yield and shoulder in. I must be completely perfect and strong in my body for Walero to move perfectly in his. So I have to concentrate on shelving my normal way of riding (which I will retain, at least in part, for my lightweight thoroughbred). No squeezing with my calves. My legs must hang straight down and away from his sides, I can only use them when if I need to tap his sides a couple of times should he fall behind the leg. My thighs and bum must engage his back and push him into the hand without using any leg. When I half halt, I need to feel as if I am standing behind the movement. I must, must, must half halt before the corner, maintaining a good outside contact, keeping my outside shoulder up and giving with the inside rein so Walero stays straight through the corner.

I know this all sounds basic, but with such a finely tuned, large and powerful horse, I need to put everything in bold and underline it (with my body) in order to ride with invisible aids! Going from walk to trot is a major operation too. Collect the back end (like revving the engine for a hill start), ensure he’s up and round in front, then push the back end to the hand and contain this as he moves into trot - not only because this ensures a correct transition, but because this also helps to minimise injuries especially in an older horse.

Checking myself in the mirror, I ask Nicola what part of my body I need to focus on to be more stable, especially in sitting trot. She says, imagine you have been punched just below the ribcage! I now understand what tension I need for core stability, all the while continuing to breath! I’m discovering that dressage isn’t for the faint-hearted!

The minute I got off, I wrote down everything I learned in the session, so that I can work on it in my mind before next time and avoid wasting time in my one precious lesson a week! The next lesson is on film…….OMG!

PS. The picture is my attempt at sitting trot, so before you post comments telling me what I am doing wrong, I will tell you! The grimace shows lack of relaxation (on my face not Walero's!), the lower leg is being used for stability as I can’t sit with him, I am leaning back with reins too long, using the hand for balance resulting in an over-bent horse. Poor Walero!