Dressage Day by Day

I started this blog thinking that if I could chronicle my rides, I could go back and read what works and what doesn't. What I am learning is that what works one month or week, may not be the same approach the next day. And maybe that is a more important lesson for me. Gadget is becoming more and more fun to ride as we figure out some of this collection in the canter. I really can't believe how much we have progressed over the summer. The thought of competing at fourth level with him NEVER occurred to me previously. I really thought that third level was a lofty goal. So the fact that I am now thinking about fourth level with Gadget is exciting. I am trying to do a longer warmup with lots of long and low and very forward work a la the 2012 Bent clinic. I bend him around my inside leg, push him a little sideways, and give him even more rein on the inside so he stretches. The key to the stretching warm up is to get him moving forward so he actually loosens his back. I have a...

Gadget had his first chiropractic appointment on the Thursday before the clinic while I was out of town for work. The chiropractor is a vet and his findings were very accurate to what I and every trainer has identified as points of tension. The one extra finding was the tension in Gadget's face from an old fracture. The chiropractor said he believes that Gadget probably gets headaches. This absolutely broke my heart. He recommended massage for that area of his head, which I now do religiously every day. My poor baby. Anyway, I rode the next day and had the most amazing ride. He felt soft and so steady in the contact. It was unreal. I can only think that the chiropractor must have made a great difference in how he felt. On Saturday, I loaded up and headed to the Ryan Yap clinic without my sidekick, Hani. Of course when I don't have the best videographer in the world, I have the best rides in the world. I may be exaggerating slightly, but I definitely had a soft and happy ho...