dressage means training

Dressage can improve every horse.

So I went over my test with Lisa today, then climbed on my steed, and listened hard to my gut. She needs to increase her step length and step up under herself in walk and trot. Now, part of that is who she is, her conformation, and that she's had lots of babies and is old. But it doesn't have to just stay there.

We spent a good amount of time walking. Circles make the inside hind come up under, so she needs to circle, and circle smaller to step under more. Then come off the circle and increase step length. And the combination of that just might help those things. And of course, I need to ride her ever more forward and keep her in rhythm. Also leg yields, shoulder fores, shoulder ins. I need some lessons there. And of course lots of transitions.

At canter it is different. I think she needs to relax. Up to this point in our canter work we've concentrated on just getting the canter, and pretty much just holding it although some on not falling inside. Well, we've got that fairly well and now we need to improve the canter work. I think riding her not on a circle at all for that but just asking her to go forward and enjoy it, and then working in a big circle with some bend and all without that blowing the relaxation . . . it doesn't sound to me like I'm describing this very well, but this is what I'm thinking. And more transitions into and out of canter too, but probably somewhat after working on the relaxation.

I also badly want to take her out and walk her up and down hills in the fields. I have to ask her mom if I can do this. This would help her fitness and her step under greatly. Walk for muscle.

I also need to work on getting her steady in the bridle and I don't really have a lot of ideas for that. Solid outside rein, and improve my position. Improve my position, improve my position, improve my position.

We had a great and fun ride. She was very forward and very willing, and we worked on some smaller circles and transitions and cantered big and I got the distinct feeling from her today that she likes this. It is rather new to her but she likes it.