My First Western Lesson

On Wednesday morning I had my first ever proper (or official for those of you who aren't familiar with the Brit speak I picked up in the UK) Western Lesson. What an eye opening experience! My instructor and friend Rachel Burlison - who also teaches at Rock Creek Park Horse Center - gave me a lesson that I won't soon forget.

To start I had to work on getting my leg nice and long without over exaggerating how low I put my heel down. I also had to work on keeping my back nice and relaxed. What was the most challenging about riding western for me is how much more I had to use my legs and how much less I had to rely on my hands and reins. I've been told by another instructor that I tend to balance on my horses mouth using my hands. I didn't realize how much this was so until I had to ask Grayson, my trusty steed for the lesson who is also pictured above, to turn off the rail. Once I started to figure out how to communicate effectively with Grayson with my legs we were on our way to picking up a jog. A jog is the western version of a trot. Like a trot it is a two beat gait in which the legs work in diagonal pairs, you do not post, and according to Rachel you want to look like you are floating just above and moving with the saddle. Once Grayson and I were "happily" jogging around the ring - for those of you who know Grayson you know what I mean by "happily" =) - we tried to work on the lope (the western version of the canter). Ever since I started riding my biggest problem has been that I learn forward, especially during upwards transitions (I blame it on playing ice hockey as a forward and a goalie for over a decade). I was pretty frustrated when this problem reared it's ugly head in my western lesson. You'd think with a big saddle horn in my belly I wouldn't lean, yet it still happened. I assume that this - partly because of my lean and also because of my struggle with primarily using my legs instead of my hands - was why Grayson wouldn't pick up the lope for me.

By the end of the lesson my legs were already sore but I was aching for another lesson. The improvement in my sitting trot was already noticeable to me. I would recommend a western lesson to every rider. For those riders who are trained in English, Hunt Seat, Dressage it can help with leg work and balance and of course sitting trot and for other riders it is simply fun! A good horseperson and rider is a well rounded one and I recommend every rider try a western lesson.