Susanne von Dietz Educational Event in Landrum SC

[piedmontfields]

I doubt that phrase about "feeling" resonated with everyone the way it did with me. I'm just struck by it because I used to be a rider who (over)reacted to feelings!

I was also struck that many very, very good riders are simply not especially verbal people. It was hard for them to come up with words to describe their new sensations (which the clinician sought, so that they could help the rider return to that experience), even as they recognized the changes in themselves and their horses.

[musical comedy]

I wonder if the way Jeremy uses it and they way Susanne uses it means the same thing? So, this could be yet another dressge lingo that is as confusing as the quick hind end.

What it means to me is that if something feels good, it doesn't mean the horse is going as well as it could. I think back of one day doing and extended canter and the trainer said "good" and I said "it felt terrible". He said "doesn't matter, it was correct and looked good".

I have in the past also be told what Demi has heard; i.e. that if it feels good it is probably not good (or something to that effect). I heard that mostly with respect to trot work. Contrary to what so many think, a really powerful collected trot is not all the comfortable. It might be if one is a really good rider, but for the average AA, it doesn't feel easy or great.

[piedmontfields]

What it means to me is that if something feels good, it doesn't mean the horse is going as well as it could. I think back of one day doing and extended canter and the trainer said "good" and I said "it felt terrible". He said "doesn't matter, it was correct and looked good".

Yes, I this is what I'm assuming it means! And regardless of what the sources meant, it is a really helpful reminder to me that I should not simply trust feelings--especially when we are doing things that are outside our comfort zone. This is why good eyes on the ground are so essential for learning.

I do think more experienced, capable riders have a much better sense of how things are going from what they feel, but they need that outside perspective, too, to assess the work performed.

On a slightly different note, I also find it can be easy to fall into "following feelings" when I am worried about how my horse feels physically. I've heard riders talk about this in relation to returning their horse to full work, too.

[StraightForward]

Treasure trove of SvD videos - The Rider's Seat: https://video.dressagetodayonline.com/p ... d-position

[Ryeissa]

You have to pay for those. ... Thanks though. Although I don't subscribe to everything she says I really enjoy her work.
(Im in the Mary Wanlesz camp more or less)

[Tsavo]

In my opinion, the fundamental roadblock that riders have to break through is marrying the ability to register when the horse is correct to when the horse is actually correct. Several people on this thread have stated that in one way or another. Everyone starts from a place of extreme disadvantage and many if not most things are counterintuitive. Just having instructors admit this would be helpful. Instead they are often trying to reduce to words something they forgot how they learned and is so deep into muscle memory that they can't even really tell you how they do something.

Instructors like Wanless and SvD recognize this central roadblock and do a very good job of explaining how to reset your evolution-designed proprioception which is clearly not adequate to the job at first. It would help if more instructors admitted the obvious so people would not beat themselves up quite so much.

[Ryeissa]

It helps to have an instructor that welcomes dialog. I ask a lot of "is this it why not" questions.
I'm a kinesthetic rider so I have to feel as I learn. That is why certain lessons are much better for me. If I can't carry out an instruction its usually a communication problem as I have the ability to execute what the trainer wants .
I usually can tell right away who has it or not.

[StraightForward]

You have to pay for those. ... Thanks though. Although I don't subscribe to everything she says I really enjoy her work.
(Im in the Mary Wanlesz camp more or less)

That's weird, I went through a FB link and could watch them all for free. I don't have a DT subscription. Did you try clicking on the videos? Because it says Subscribe Now, but if I use my link, scroll down and click on a video, it plays.

[musical comedy]

SF, are you sure you can watch ALL of them? The first few are sample ones. There is a 'lock' on the others that require subscription.

[Ryeissa]

SF, are you sure you can watch ALL of them? The first few are sample ones. There is a 'lock' on the others that require subscription.

yes, there was a note to this effect on the FB post

[StraightForward]

SF, are you sure you can watch ALL of them? The first few are sample ones. There is a 'lock' on the others that require subscription.

yes, there was a note to this effect on the FB post

I watched the 52 minute rider demo and 30 minute lecture last night, then opened another video directly from my link this morning.

Edit - scrolled down and below the top 4 are locked. The top 4 are a fair bit of free content though, not just short teaser clips.