Page 76 - ST November 2013
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education I
BY COLLEEN KELLY
Stand Up for
the Linda Land
Quadrille!
T
his year’s Parelli Summit was the best and the quadrille showed some quiet, elegant and
ever! For me personally, the absolute stylish moves to help with the lower leg.
highlight was riding my horse Saint
with the Linda Land Quadrille. It was Day 2 - Sit up Straight!
pretty spectacular, having those ive Instead of just hearing “sit up straight” for the
black horses working together: Ryan umpteenth time, the crowd got to see some of the
Pfouts riding Zen, Marion Oesch (who came all the exercises from the new DVD that we use to stop
way from Switzerland) riding Hot Jazz, Micaela Love people from leaning forward. Becoming straighter in
riding Finny, the lovely Spanish horse she is selling, the upper body is the irst step. After that, we need
Lyndsey Fitch riding Na’vi, and of course myself to ultimately USE the upper body to help the horse,
on Saint.
rather than just sitting there!
The demos were a mixture of education, problem- I showed the crowd that when I want Saint to “sit”,
solving, entertainment and FUN! In case you weren’t or to stop, I just think about how Pat would sit in a
able to join us at the Summit, here’s some of what reining sliding stop – and it worked! Even though, in
you missed (or if you did attend and just want a quick dressage, I don’t want it nearly as abrupt as reining, I
refresher course!):
still want the horse to essentially “sit,” so I just copy
how Pat sits!
Day 1 - The Secrets of the Lower Leg
When I want more speed, I think about how a
The lower leg can have so many problems: heels up, jockey sits. Again, because I don’t want the Kentucky
toes out, wobbliness, or all of the above!
Derby underneath me, I only sit like a jockey a tiny
In this quadrille, we demonstrated that by standing little bit – hopefully to the point that it is noticeable
in the stirrups. First, simply stand at the halt to make only to me and my horse.
sure your stirrups aren’t too long. Then, in walk, trot And, I’ve got to say, the sound crew came into their
and canter, you can develop a stable, elegant and own on Day 2 with some exciting songs; it was an
efective lower leg, and you can do it quickly. It’s absolute blast, and the quadrille photos and videos
incredible the diference a proper stirrup length can on Facebook went almost-viral within minutes!
make in your posture, balance, and overall riding.
We have some amazing exercises on the new Rider
Biomechanics DVD we’ve just ilmed (coming soon!),
74 | Savvy Times November 2013
