I just had to write a quick post about the dressage lesson Rox and I had yesterday with Barry! It went really well and I am pumped to ride a really forward, accurate, sharp test on Friday! He thought she could easily score into the 20's with the work we were able to do during the lesson, so that is really encouraging. He also complimented my riding and said I've done a nice job with her and I am getting a better understanding of the correct way to ride dressage :) It was nice to hear him say that for sure!!

I started out warming her up a bit before he got there because the last time I took a lesson with him I didn't feel like she was on my aids as well as she usually is when I warm her up my way. It was very humid so I didn't do a ton. He looked at my test from the mini last month and was pretty impressed, but definitely saw the areas we need to work on to get rid of the 6's and turn the 7's into 8's.

We began by doing working on the turn onto centerline quite a bit, and then rode through the whole test several times. He really wanted me to push her body outward with my inside leg and open my inside rein a little to help guide her through the turn. Think of the bend as the same as a 10m circle and ride forward through it. Keep my inside shoulder turned in to help her bend and give a little on the outside rein so her neck can come around. These got really good by the end of the lesson because I feel like we did about 20 of them!! I also need to think about starting to create the bend as we approach C so she knows which way we are going and the turn gets set up correctly.

I like the feeling of shoulder fore I was able to get on the longside before the 20 m trot circles, it helped create the bend to carry onto the circle. I need to remember to keep my outside ready super steady and a little firm on the circle to keep her shoulder from falling out and her feet tracking correctly on the circle. I can release the inside rein a little so she will stretch to the rein, but I also need to keep my inside leg pretty strong to keep the lateral bend that we lacked on the first test.

The walk transitions she did went well, she didn't get poll low and she just quietly stepped into the walk. I feel like I can half halt and bend her in the corner before A to set up the downward transition better. She could march a little more forward, so think about squeezing my calf instead of kicking. The free walk needs more stretch, think the same squeezing of the calf to get her neck lower.

I need to prepare early for the upward transition coming out of the corner so she is focused and through, especially on the outside rein. Then I can ride her forward and into the shoulder fore position again on the longside. I need to keep her up and active before the canter trans on the half circle, and think about pushing my hip at her and staying on the outside rein to keep her straight. Think about releasing the inside rein but staying steady on the outside to create more forward energy and jump in the canter instead of holding her together too much and micromanaging. Big half halts and shorter steps approaching the rail to get a steady downward, then ride forward right away and through the corners to the diagonal.

Keep her tempo and rhythm the same on the diagonal and start to change the bend early so she is prepared for the turn onto centerline. Don't let her rush and get flat up centerline, but keep pulsing forward and bring my legs back a little in the last few steps before the halt. Stronger left leg and steady right rein to help her step under with the LH.

I think we are capable of getting the quality we had in the lesson at the event, but I really have to ride her strongly with my leg and allow her to flow forward instead of taking too much on the rein. I also need to focus on keeping my elbows quiet and in and my leg underneath me. I was on her for around an hour and she was still doing good work at the end, so I'll probably shoot for 40-45 mins of warmup on Friday.

Adjustments

Well Rox finally decided to stop feeling sore on her left front last weekend and we have had a few good schools since then. Barry rode her on Wednesday since I had to work Tues and Weds and didn't want her to just sit. Randi said that she fought him quite a bit, but they ended well. She also said that he liked her downward transitions, but not the upward ones, which I feel the opposite about. She is usually pretty prompt and round in the upward ones for me, and tends to get poll low and on the forehand for the downward ones to walk....I will have to see what she feels like on the flat today.

We went over to Topline for a jump lesson with Cathy yesterday. It was supposed to happen last week, but she was still off so we had to reschedule. Now I am wishing we were able two lessons in because we have quite a bit to work on! I don't even know where to start with the lesson :) Let's just say that I am seriously out of shape for jumping and need to make quite a few adjustments to keep in mind to ride Rox correctly to the fences.

We started out with Cathy watching us warm up on the flat, and within 5 minutes she had everything pegged. My leg gets too far out in front of me, and I drive too much with my seat at the canter. Rox falls in at her haunches in the canter and doesnt want to weight her inside hind. I have been sitting the canter most of the time with her because it makes me feel more secure and like I have control, but Cathy noticed that it was making her a little too forward and I was not able to slow her down without pulling too much. Instead she had me pull my lower leg back underneath me more, and stay out of the saddle in more of a 3-point position. It was very difficult for me to hold this position for a long time because my muscle memory is used to sitting and having my leg more forward. I was definitely able to control her canter better and use my whole body to slow her down. We cantered over some rails on the ground, trying to get very quiet, small strides to the base of them. It took Rox a little while to figure out what I wanted, but she got it after a while. I felt like we cantered for 20 minutes straight!! Cathy made the important point that 2/3 of the work event horses do at shows is in the canter, so we need to school it more and become stronger in it.

Then we trotted a rail bending to a small gate and the other direction to a stone wall jump. She jumped the first fence in a very uncoordinated way and shot off on the landing. Cathy reminded me to keep my leg underneath and be ready for anything by keeping my upper body moving with her. This helped the next few times because I felt like I didn't have to do much on the approach, in the air, and landing. The jumps were pretty small, so I am interested to see how it feels to raise them a little and keep that position. Cathy really emphasized bending her after the fence and having the feeling of leg yielding out to get control back.

Next we did an exercise with the rails again, this time cantering 3 rails on a big circle, and trying to keep her soft and bending in the canter over all 3 of them. She did this well and really used her hind end to carry her weight. Then we added a fence instead of the third rail, and she jumped it quietly and well. Then we came off the right and cantered out of a turn to the same vertical and she did that pretty well. She felt like a hunter!

At this point I was feeling like I would keel over, both from all the cantering without a break and the hot sun pounding down. I was embarrassed that I am out of shape and Cathy suggested jogging...haha. She said I must have forgotten about "Camp Cathy", and I completely agreed. I am surprised at how well Rox handled all the cantering, as I definitely thought she would feel as tired as I did! We ended by doing the 2 rails to the vertical, and then went all the way around the ring to a long straightaway at an oxer, and she jumped it well and out of an excellent rhythm.

We talked about being able to go with a less strong bit eventually, and it reminded me of Hagen and how he was able to go in a corkscrew eventually after he became strong enough to hold the correct canter. I am a little concerned about being able to school enough fences before the HT next weekend, but I think we will be OK. I just want to reiterate to Rox that we have a "new" way of cantering and jumping and be able to get it at the HT. I asked for Cathy's help with the jumping phases so that makes me feel better that she will help get us ready to go.

I have the week planned out and need to focus and polish everything up again!!

bumps in the road...

Since I last updated, a few things have gone awry....I seriously damaged my big toe on a "trip" (haha) to Las Vegas, and Rox came in from the pasture lame. My toe is feeling better, and it has been about 5 days since it happened, so I don't think it's broken anymore. It is turning lovely shades of purple and green now. Rox on the other hand I am not 100% sure about. The inside of her left front leg was stocked up and hot from just underneath her chestnut (above her knee) down to her pastern. It was the hottest initially on the inside of her knee, and we poked and prodded her quite a bit so I don't think it's tendon related. It's also very strange that it's only the inside of her leg that is big, not the whole leg. This happened on Monday, and she looked much better yesterday after some bute, cold hosing, and walking. I think she will be just fine and it was just a bang in the pasture, but the closing date for the FRVPC HT where she will be doing her first Novice with me was yesterday. Crossing my fingers like mad that she really is fine so I don't have to scratch and lose the entry fees. We were also supposed to have a jump lesson with Cathy Jones this Friday, so that's out now too. She got a chiro adjustment yesterday and Randi said she loved it and he was able to do a lot with her. The chiro said he thinks the leg shouldn't be a big issue and worked on it a bit, which Randi said reduced the swelling some too.

The good news in all of this is that she has been schooling fabulously, both on the flat and jumping. I am feeling like I can really push her on the flat now and get a much bigger, fancier trot that she was able to do a few weeks ago. Her muscling looks great and I really notice development in her topline as well as her hind end. She actually did a few legitmate trot lengthenings where I could feel her really let go of her shoulder and push from behind. It's exciting when you work hard with a horse who used to fight so much and now she is getting to be so steady and willing to do what I ask.

We had a great jump school a few weeks ago in the short shank Pelham bit with 2 reins. I don't love riding with 2 reins, but the bit seemed to really help her lift her shoulder and we didn't have to have any disagreements about balancing and slowing down. She was jumping in more of an arc and out of stride, so I was really pleased. We even jumped a vertical that was at least 3'3 and she did it well and landed in balance.

I will most likely get on her today to tack walk and see how she feels...more updates later!