Dressage Lesson Our third or fourth lesson. Every time he's grasped what we want a bit more.
Today was canter transitions. I had to go to the whip, but then we had nice transitions
both directions and we had some lovely balanced canter work
(once I quit whining about the heat and kept my position through the downward).
He has his first dressge show this weekend. No real stretch for the walk or trot, but he can march out at the walk and stay balanced at the trot which is
better than a lot of my horses for their first training level test.
Warming up at the walk.
Asking for a little more inside bend and getting a little more softening to the
bit.
He's a very different ride than Miaren. I wasn't as upright on him. My trainer worked
to get my leg placement right. A chair seat felt right, so she was asking for me
to keep my leg underneath me. But, then I'd get it too far back.
He didn't start out completely through, but he was engaging his stomach muscles
and it wasn't very long before he was lifting through his back.
Not what I wanted at the moment, but close to what I'll want for the stretchy trot
circle, so I try to encourage forward instead of picking his head back up.
I did say try. He'll let me shorten my reins too much without a lot of complaint.
Luckily I have a trainer on the ground who tells me to give him back a couple of
inches while we work to length his stride and not shorten it.
I hoped this is the horse I'd have for dressage, but riding him really was a pleasant
surprise.
Leg yielding along the 'wall'. Got it from the clinic I did. After a couple of months
Miaren and I still aren't always in sync. Thistle learned it after the first couple
tries and now I just have to remind him to go with my rhythm and not his own.
His reaction when I asked for more bend to the left and he didn't wanna.
He got a little sulky when I didn't let him get his way. He feels very powerful,
but in our lessons he doesn't make me nervous.
He's already forgotten there was a discussion and is starting to relax into a longer
stride.
Change of direction through the circle is a bit of work for me. From hunting he
doesn't see a reason to stay nicely balanced and soft through the turns. I have
to remind him almost every stride that it's not just about getting some place, but
how we are getting there.
Bart did a sequence of pictures going to the right. I'm sure Thistle is wondering
where the gate is.
We have a show this weekend. I think it's his first. We'll be fine.
Not sure what he's having an opinion about, but that nose going out usually means
something.
Getting a bit longer, but losing his nose.
He wasn't bracing, so a little squeeze of the fingers and back in place.
My position is better on Miaren, but seeing these pictures should help me improve
on Thistle. Stupid heels (and back, and upper leg and arms). At least I'm not looking
down, that would have made it complete.
We love his downward to the walk. I guess following hounds you just keep marching.
He doesn't seem to easily stretch down at the walk, but he's starting to consider
it.
I find it interesting that with a little dressage work he can start to look trimmer
(for him). I guess there will always be that neck, though.
Got too dark for canter pictures. The flash does weird things to his eyes. Almost
taking after his father's side and looking like a giant Welsh pony.
