Stephen Birchall Clinic Part 2: The Return of the Double Bridle

When we last left off, I was belatedly describing a clinic with Stephen Birchall. I'd like to take a moment to return us to that moment, several weeks ago. Maybe not the part where I almost got launched out of a window, though...

One more time, because it's hilarious...

Anyway. At the end of my lesson with Stephen, I decided I wanted to spring for an additional half lesson the next day. I had some parts of 3rd level I wanted another eye on. I also wanted to ride in the double, my first time doing so in front of an instructor. I've been toying with the idea of showing in it regularly, so I figured it would be a good idea to have a professional eye on its use.

In lieu of having real media from this ride, I'll be substituting a hodgepodge of random photos of Pig in a double and other miscellany. You're welcome.

Additionally, I rarely school in the double. I worry about backing Pig out of the bridle. I can make a stronger correction or have a heavier connection in the snaffle. That can make some things harder, but also make working through a rough training day much less likely to result in a bloody nose for me. I'd say 95% of our dressage schooling is done in the snaffle.

Another large portion is done sans saddle... because I am super lazy.

When we walked in the ring, Stephen immediately remarked on the double. "Ah! Wearing his big-boy bridle today, eh?"

Basically.

I replied that I was toying with showing in it, as it seems to help me keep Pig's brain in his head. I explained I use it mostly to get him to lower/lengthen his neck, which helps me to keep him from being in a false high frame and getting stuck there. Stephen totally agreed, and said he wanted to see us warm up and do a little canter work.

He immediately nailed me on needing to keep my heels down further, with my legs longer and my calf on more. Then he reminded me that my hands need to stay quieter. While my horse takes some finicky hand work, I need to ensure I'm not noisy when I have no need to be. That just overloads Pig's oversensitive brain. Stephen also yelled at me at least 100,000,000 times to keep my snaffle rein shorter. Ugh. Snaffle reins. Amirite?

"Bletch. Snaffles." -- Pig

Stephen then had us leap right into working on changes. We ended up doing several changes in a row, half passing to the centerline and changing from there; as well as changing across x on the diagonal, like in 3-3. Pig was a star for all of this work.

Pig's reaction to being asked for a change.

While he was obviously still a little nervous from the day before, he changed clean and on my aids every time. After the 4th change, though, he did begin to bring more tension into the movement. I'm not sure if this is strength issue (mental and physical strength), or just an excitement thing. Stephen suggested continuing my plan to do zero or one change in a show warmup, but encouraged me to add more changes to my warm up routine to get Pig more used to be asked for multiples in a single ride.

Pig's feeling on multiple changes.

Finally, we ran through all the trot work from the Third Level tests. All the bending work from the day before helped me get a bigger control on Pig's body in the lateral work. Stephen thought the half passes were very good. He also thought our bend in the renver was sufficient. He reminded me not to let us come too far off the wall in our change of bend.

"Bend change? Gross." --Pig

At the end of our quick (but full and productive!) lesson, Stephen and I chatted about what it will take to show this horse at 3rd.

"Who me? I'm fabulous. I don't know why you're worried!" --Pig

Stephen agreed with my general assessment that breaking 60% is an ultimate goal for this horse. He's old. His work isn't necessarily correct, just because of his age, mental and physical issues. Stephen helped me to figure out some ways to present Pig at his best, which includes showing in the double, thinking about tests even more strategically than I have been thinking of them, and making sure I only show under judges shown to be generous to horses of his hot-potato type.

So hot.

For our warm up, Stephen said I should focus on a lot more throughness and bend, but not to over prepare my changes. He mentioned changes seem to come best when I just ride the preceding movements and change of bend to the best of my ability, while letting the change just happen on my aid. Over preparing the change seems to make it worse. In this case, less is more.

Less is more, except when it comes to bits.

After our lesson, we headed out into the rainy field with the pups to gallop out the tight muscles from two days of change-heavy lessons. I think it helped everyone keep their brains installed.

That's one big happy animal family!