After a bust on the first trainer we went looking for a new one. We found one that was a little more younger, a little less experienced and a whole lot nicer. She was more patient with Dexter and me and was willing to teach me, not just him,...sold.
Our first lesson consisted of us trotting in circles getting more impulsion. We learned something new the very first lesson. I had been holding him back, all my transitions had killed his engine, the opposite I was going for. The more I pushed him forward in the lesson the more he reached for the bit, not perfect but better. We practiced keeping a even tempo.
The canter work was short, being that he and I were terribly out of shape. Because his back end wasn't engaged at all he could only canter for a short while before he left it behind completely. Trainer(that's what we will call her) had us push forward and focus on the rhythm, not the speed or collection. She said when we feel a even 1,2,3 beat to reward him and let him rest.
I now know she was starting us at the bottom of the dressage training pyramid - rhythm.
Our first homework assignment - GO! Go forward and push, I had been pulling Dexter back because when he went forward I felt out of control, but I was just unaccustomed to such a large gate. So we went forward and we cantered fast and loose. It was a little unnerving because it felt quite out of control but I trusted my trainer, even though I had just met her.
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