Dressage Day by Day

As the year winds to an end, I start thinking of my goals for next year. Some goals are almost too tentative to speak aloud, so they usually end up on legal paper in my desk drawer.   In 2012 I was able to check off the goals I set early in the year: 1. Confirm 2nd level 2. Achieve 2 scores of 60% at second level (We got both scores in June at one show) 3. Win year end award at second level (WPDA Reserve Champ) 4. Confirm flying changes (They are not perfect, but he understands the aids) Some of these were achieved by the skin of our teeth, but it's good enough for me. For 2013, I'm a bit conflicted. I do not want to show at 2nd level because I want to continue regularly schooling the flying changes (and because I now hate 2nd level). Although Gadget should be able to listen to my aids for the counter canter and simple changes without anticipating the flying changes, it will still require me to stop schooling the changes before each show. Although I don't want t

With a busy work schedule and the holidays this month, Gadget has been in fairly light work. I usually account for December to be light  for him with the intent to get back to serious training after the first of the year. On Saturday I had a fun and very brief ride in the falling snow. Here are a few photos from the day:  

Clinic with Kenny I had the opportunity to ride with Kenny today in a clinic about 45 minutes from where I board. Hani stayed home today, so I trailered Gadget up myself. He loaded and behaved like a pro for the entire day. It's a shame he pulled a front shoe earlier this week, as he was definitely a bit off without it. Ken immediately picked up on my left hand, weird contact issues. To the right, he suggested counter flexing, which immediately changed my left hand from dead weight to active hand. It also added needed starightness that direction. To the left, I need to use an opening inside left rein. Gadget is stiff on the left, but by taking an softening, taking and softening and overbending him a few times, he loosens. In the trot, I tend to post with my hips landing to the left. I need to think of bringing my right hip forward. Throughout the lesson, using more active hips to help Gadget was a theme. On a 10M circle in rising trot, tap with the whip in up phase of the

So after a miserably bad ride yesterday, Gadget worked fabulously today. He had a lot of factors working in his favor today: it was a balmy 55 degrees, the outdoor dressage arena footing was glorious, and it's a weekend so maybe I did not drag my work tension to the barn with me. As planned, we started out with stretching and suppling and making him quicker to the leg. This took some time in the trot, but he finally started feeling pretty good. The walk was uncharacteristically good today, too. A good walk for Gadget is nearly any walk where he is on the bit and forward at the same time. I am focusing on keeping the reins forward-thinking without giving away the contact (a la my favorite Lilo Fore youtube videos). In the canter, I focus on keeping the reins quiet and riding him up to the reins. I must break the habit of pulling back in the canter, and simply learn to allow the canter to develop, SIT UP, and canter up to the contact. However, the most amazing working took place

Some rides just suck, and I hate that. It's especially bad when it feels like an old problem creeping back into the routine. Tonight felt like the canter of 2011 was back -- not round, not rhythmic, not forward, not good. As a result, I rode longer than I intended (a full hour, with a good portion at the canter). I could blame it on the indoor arena, which has inherent difficulties. Gadget is less forward inside and he is a bit tentative on the footing because its not completely stable.  However, I think this was more than our location. Gadget was stuck and it was just harder to work through in the indoor. Tomorrow is a new day, and I'll try again outside. I just re-watched clips from past clinics -- the good and the bad, to try to remember how to fix this canter. Plan for tomorrow is to stretch and supple him until he feels like a rubber band. Then, we'll yeehaw the canter back into shape. I think nearly all of our issues stem from a lack of forward. I need to rememb