Dressage Day by Day

I leave for Mid Ohio Dressage Classic in less than a week, and today Hani vidoed my ride. I had so many break- throughs!! For right trot halfpass, do not put outside leg too far back ! This results in breaking to the canter! Keep leg at girth and move haunches. Left trot halfpass -- start in shoulder-fore, then keep shoulders to right , and add haunches. For left canter halfpass , ride canter with very following hands . Gadget will bend around inside leg and flow sideways. If you hold too much in reins, the canter falls apart. Turn on the haunches -- soft hands , strongly hold haunches to inside , then ride shoulders around like cow pony , only half-halting between steps to keep rhythm. Stay soft/following in the hands to keep Gadget soft in the neck/back.

So I was able to share my good show news with Ryan at this clinic -- I got a 71%!!! He was very happy for me, but I told him that the judges hated my halfpasses. I rode them terribly and I need major help before the next show. With that goal in mind, we went to work. Gadget felt very balanced at this clinic and happy in the contact. The biggest thing to remember is to really make Gadget jump up in the canter without just running. I need to really hear the 3 beats and pause for suspension in the canter. Back to the halfpasses -- I had been letting the haunches trail in the left halfpasses. Ryan had me think of starting the halfpass in shoulder fore, but then keeping the shoulders to the right a bit and really asking the haunches to come left. Then, finish the halpasses in a little renver or haunches in. Essentially, at the end of the halfpass, let the halfpasses lead, then right straight in shoulder in. I rode the halfpasses like crap in the clinic (I'm not good at processing ho