7/12/04
Skye Working on Dressage

I've been trying to give Skye a well rounded education. We
spend some time working on dressage, but I've also taken her
out on a trail ride and she gets to go roading with the hounds.
I know it's been 3 or 4 months now, but I keep waiting for her to
do something wrong. She doesn't startle or get excited if other horses
run, and her dressage training has been so easy. I have to force myself
to not ask for too much. She's so young I don't want to burn her out, so
I just ask for a new thing here and there. What a treat.
Mounting has never been an issue. She does tend to wander after I'm up while I'm getting situated.
 

Before we get down to work, we sometimes take a stroll down the driveway. We put  shoes on front, so the gravel won't bother her so much.
Heading out to the arena (yes, she's got her own hunt bridle).
 
While we're warming up I try to get her forward and long in the neck.
We try to do a little spiraling in and out on circles.
 
Here we're moving out on the circle and you can see her starting to cross over behind. I don't do a lot of this, because I don't want to strain anything.
Starting out in the trot I try to just keep contact but get forward.
 
Once we're going forward I occassionally ask her to soften to the bit. She tends to not reach forward so much in the trot on circles and corners. Right now I only push for forward on the straight stretches.
I'll let her reach forward if it makes her neck longer, but it can tip her on her forhand.
 
I just love this. She reminds me of Thuy. All round.
This is the picture where I think 'hey, she's going to be a neat dressage horse'.
 
Again, trying to get her to lenthen her neck and stride out more.
I give her a lot of breaks where I don't ask her to soften and she can trot around how she wants. I just do the softening as a test right now. Pretty frame is nice, but I don't want to stress her.
 
I'm not sure this is absolutely correct, but it felt nice for her to halt with her butt underneath her.
Then the petting and praise.
Her trying to do what I'm asking, but going to the extreme. I try to feel when she's thinking of dropping behind the bit and push her on and give a bit more. Luckily she's more likely to go in front, than behind.
A little work on turn on the haunches.
Trotting up the centerline.
And a nice square halt.
Have a drink....