Dressage Update

Alas, it has been far too long since we've provided a dressage update. It's coming along excellently.

We are doing well with:

• Halts. 
• Half-halts.
• Moving off the leg, forwards.
• Moving off the leg, sideways (leg yield).
• Backing up.
• Straightness.
• Upward to canter transitions.
• Staying uphill in the canter when traveling downhill.
• Cantering slowly and rhythmically.
• Trotting with impulsion and good tempo.

We are working on:

• Consistent outside rein connection.
• Shoulder in.
• Turn on the haunches.
• Turn on the forehand.
• Sitting trot.
• Free walk.
• The beginnings of stretchy trot.

We are struggling with:

• Bend.
• Balance and self-carriage when cantering tracking right (2nd direction).

Starting a few weeks ago, we've been making dressage lessons a regular part of our training. Basically we get a dressage lesson during a weekday evening, and a jumping lesson on the weekend. I do my best to get at least one (preferably more) practice rides in between lessons to work on what the lesson covered.

Laurie has been traveling due to her Nerium business (www.lauriecanty.nerium.com) so our lesson schedule has been a inconsistent. Right now I'm feeling pretty good about what I'm able to accomplish on my own. Hemie seems to be enjoying it and I am too.

Except for one thing. The darkness. Its a major pain in the you-know-what. We're using a camping lantern in the tack room, and I'm basically grooming him "by feel" in his stall before riding.  Why does California still observe daylight savings time? Oh - because over 25 million acres is farmland (roughly 9% of total land in the state). Okay fine then. But its still annoying.