I haven't updated in a while! We have Wolfgang May (www.wolfgangmaydressage.com) in to our barn for a clinic once each month. He is such a wonderful instructor! Ok, to keep my lessons fresh in my mind, I'm going to try to update after clinics so I at least have things written down somewhere.


Chessie: (Showing 2nd level)

Saturday
Chessie was due to ride at 1:00 p.m. in the clinic. Around noon, some of the worst weather we have had all year blew in. The winds were gusting over 35 miles per hour, and they stayed that way all afternoon long. With apprehension, I tacked Chessie, not knowing how she was going to react to the weather and noises everything was making. She came out for her warm-up a little short in the neck, but not nearly as tense as I expected. After 10 minutes in the indoor arena, it was no big deal and she worked very relaxed throughout the lesson.

We began with lots of lateral work (haunches in; half-pass, etc) to encourage deeper bending and flexing of the joints. Her trot was through and relaxed, so we didn’t spend too much time on it. Next, we went to the canter. After stretching her out a bit, we went straight into shoulder-in, and LOTS of haunches-in, in the canter. This again will give us deeper bend and better quality in our lateral work. The bend for the haunches-in prepared us to move on to the canter half-pass. Half-pass at the canter is getting better—it’s getting much more fluid on the right lead, and although the left lead is still a little labored, it is more accurate and correct than it used to be.

The canter half-pass wound up being a great warm-up/lead-in to the flying changes. The exercise: pick up right lead canter, then go straight down the long side in either shoulder-in or haunches-in to establish the bend. From next corner, half-pass to the center line, then track to the same lead (right). After several successful half-passes, ride straight on the long side to E or B, then diagonal to the centerline, flying change, then track left. Repeat in the other direction! We did 3 flying changes total, and the last 2 were correct or only 1 stride late. (Very good for how early in the training this is. Correct or “clean” changes means she changes hind legs and front legs together. A “late” change means that the hind legs didn’t’ change until one or more strides after the front ones do.) As I approach the center line, I need to remember to change my seat to a shoulder-in left, stay out of the left rein, support a LOT with the left seat and leg at the girth, and bring the right leg (not spur) far back. I need lots of outside rein, with a forward softening of the inside rein.

After a short break, we did another canter exercise to help us prepare for pirouettes. Utilizing the half-passes from above (again, example with the right lead), half pass from the center line to the quarter line. On the quarter line, renvers, still with right bend. Straighten just before the corner, then make a 5-meter turn to the right, bringing the shoulders around like a little shoulder-fore positioning. That was HARD for Chessie! She dropped me out of the canter into the trot or walk several times. Our homework is to work on this exercise to increase strength and bend, until it’s easier. In the future, the turn will spiral down to more of a pirouette size.


Sunday
The weather was at least a little nicer today! Chessie came out ready to work, with very little stiffness or soreness from her lesson yesterday. (I expected her to be more sore than she was—her muscles are building nicely!) She stretched out well in the warm-up, then we went right to work. The trot lateral work was all very good, so we spent very little time on it. The main exercise was to spiral down the 20m circle using half pass, change to haunches-in on the circle, then continue down the long side in that deep haunches-in bend from the circle. Chessie performed this exercise easily.

So, immediately on to flying changes! We began with a large figure-8 with a flying change on the center line, as we changed direction. This was difficult for me and Chessie both—neither one of us could get the bend and direction changed in time to make a clean, smooth flying change. After 2 or 3 tries, Wolfgang decided we should try a different exercise to get the change. (We didn’t go back to the one that had worked so well yesterday because Wolf is trying to help me build my “toolbox” with different ways to teach the horse.) Next, we tried one directly out of the half pass, but with the additional strength requirement of the half pass leading directly into the flying change, it was too hard for where she is now. (She’ll get to that exercise in a few months.) Instead we used a “teardrop” shape—canter along the rail, then at E or B make a half ten meter circle, head back to the corner on a diagonal line, then do the flying change right before the corner. This exercise worked REALLY well for Chessie! The diagonal line helped give us both time to prepare for the change of bend.

We did two changes from left lead to right lead (with praise and walking in between each one), and both were clean. The changes this direction had a lot of “jump” in them—she was putting a lot of effort in and trying really hard. We then tried from right to left. Chessie surprised everyone by offering one that was so soft, smooth, and clean almost before I even asked. That’s where we are headed! She has shown me that the ultimate goal for the changes is not only possible, but that she understands also! The next one I over-rode a little, in an effort to make it as perfect as the one before. Chessie voiced her opinion by still making a clean change, but putting in two big bucks afterward to tell me to watch my riding! We tried one more, and once again it was perfect. So in summary, Chessie hit FIVE clean changes in a row! I was absolutely ecstatic about how quickly she is picking up on this.

After a nice, long, rewarding walk break, we went back to the trot work. We decided to spend some time in the half step trot, which will be the precursor to piaffe and passage work. (Half step trot is asking the horse to literally cover HALF the ground that the trot normally does, without losing energy and impulsion. The energy goes upwards into the rider’s seat, and the horse’s hind end lowers into increased collection.) The half step is getting stronger, but is still not consistent. My homework is to continue the half step in small chunks, as I have been doing, to build strength. Sometimes at the beginning of the half-step work, Chessie offers a stride or two of passage. Wolfgang thinks she may have a natural affinity for the passage. J That’s great news!

We ended the lesson by using the increased collection from the half step and releasing it into a ground-covering extended trot. She is really starting to understand how to lift the shoulders, lower the hind end, and drive in the extended trot. It is a movement that requires constant schooling to keep fresh for her, but when it’s there it’s really good. (Chessie’s extended trot is a “use it or lose it” type of gait! She seems to forget how if I don’t do it for a week or two, so I’m conscious to stay on top of this at least every other ride.) I need to remember to not overdrive out of the halfstep, so that I keep the rhythm and not ask for too much speed. Bringing the hands a little higher and closer together helps keep her “up” in front and off the forehand.


BLOG TOO LONG---I'll split the young horse into a separate entry!