Lessons 4ish-8ish

As the weather started to cool we started to ride out in a larger arena (I failed to mention we were in a smaller indoor before).  This allowed Dexter to move more and get more impulsion without having to worry about hitting walls.  It also allowed us to get distracted by mules (Dexter thinks they are weird) and other horses running in the field, but its good because it gave me the opportunity to keep him paying attention to me. 

We have also made some adjustments to the bit and my saddle (getting a new one) that has allowed him to be more comfortable on the bit and allowed me to be more balanced on him.  In the outdoor arena we continue to work on the canter, he is now rhythmic and able to hold it through the curves and straight lines but is still very flat and moves very forward when going straight.  But by being able to stay at it longer I have been able to adjust what I am doing with my seat and see that I have been constricting with my thighs and seat.  As I relax his canter gets more fluid, and sometimes so much it becomes a trot.  But that's OK, Dexter is crazy sensitive to the seat and will be very helpful as we learn more. I also tend to lean on his mouth at the canter.   We have kept the canter work pretty simple, large circles with short runs on the straight away.  Focusing on keeping him balanced and discouraging him from either diving in or popping out on the circle.

The trot work has moved on to the proper connection with the hands.  As the bit is more comfortable, he is now leaning on the bit and I can start to bring him back.  He tends to lean more on the left than right.  we spend a lot of time on the circle to the left getting him on the outside rein.  And a lot of time going to the right keeping him straighter.  We are doing figure eights to keep his attention and to clearly define the difference between the expected inside and outside rein contact. 

We have also started the collection work at the trot, asking him to move out and come back at the same tempo.  Trainer has shown me that if I ask him to move out and extend his trot without him being in the proper frame he will avoid the work and go faster and pull on the reins without getting that extra length.  Once he "melts" into the contact, if I ask him to move on he does so without changing his tempo, its really quite cool.  Same with the collection, wait for him to get settled into his trot and frame then start to half halt him back into collection.  My difficulty is that I seem to ask to hard and he walks, or slows down.  I haven't gotten the collection with elevation yet. 

We are also getting into sitting trot.  Its a little difficult on a 17 hand horse but with his trot more collected its is getting easier.  I am also having to re-learn it.  When I rode years ago I was taught to hold on with my thighs and seat to get a good sitting trot.  Trainer constantly reminds me to lean back and "open" my hip, and melting my legs on instead of squeezing.  It makes me feel like I have no control but I can feel I am balanced and Dexter moves well so I must be doing OK.

Our First Lesson

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.