The
Centerline Vol. 16, Issue 10
Arizona Dressage Association
By Pam Polydoros
www.azdressage.org
OCTOBER 2016
Scholarship Basics
After much thought about how best to use my ADA Scholarship to improve myself as a dressage rider, I decided upon taking a series of lunge line lessons. I have read that lessons on the lunge are a superb way to concentrate on oneself as a rider, as the horse is controlled by the trainer who stands in the center of the circle, and thus allowing the rider the luxury of working on her position and balance. Fortunately, my 16 year old, First Level, Saddlebred mare, Ava, was a good candidate as my lunge line horse, being safe and accustomed to being lunged. I selected Kim Yacobucci as my lunge line instructor. Kim trains with Guenter Seidel, has USDF Bronze, Silver and Gold Medals, and trains through Grand Prix. Proper position is a strong theme in Kim’s training program, and that is precisely where we began. Standing beside Ava and I, she explained the importance of maintaining a straight line from the shoulder, hip and heel. This, of course, creates balance for the rider (and hence the horse), and if the horse would suddenly disappear out from under her, the rider should be in the position to land directly on her feet. My legs, she explained upon this initial mounted evaluation, were in a “chair” position whereby my feet were pushed too far forward. She described the muscle at the inside and the back area of the thigh which should be up against the saddle (the “flat of the thigh”). The calf, she explained, drapes along the horse’s side, with the toe up and facing forward along with the knee. Keeping my toes from pointing out to the side has been a struggle for me for years, and I looked forward to working on that issue. Kim indicated that the proper position for the foot
Kim Yacobucci, Pam Polydoros and Ava Continued on Page 6