Lesson report

Who drives 3 hours (one way) to take an hour dressage lesson?

This girl.

Since I'm using up all my vacation days before the end of the year, I have all this time on my hands. Which of course means I will be spending most of my days around horses. I drove back to Indy today for a lesson with J, who let me ride the farm's AMAZING 3rd/4th level horse - Racharee ("RaeRae"). I was honored to be able to ride her. She is a many time USDF show winner, regional reserve champion and all around awesome mare.

Racharee. She is gorgeous, too! 

Since Hampton turns 6 next year, I wanted to start feeling some of the 3rd level and up movements so that I can teach them to Hampton (eventually). As far as dressage goes, I am a very green rider when it comes to movements at 3rd level and beyond. It's probably a good idea that I at least get some feel for what is supposed to happen before I expect poor Hampton to perform correctly.

Here is some of what we worked on:

• Piaffe/half steps
• Passage-like trot (I tried to stifle my giggles of delight and remain professional!)
• Canter on-the-spot feeling ...
• a few steps of canter pirouette
• flying lead changes
• shoulder in
• canter half pass
• trot half pass (I failed to contain my delight here ... so easy and amazing!)
• medium trot
• extreme medium trot*
• turn on the haunches/walk pirouette

Shoulder-in. Sorry for crappy cell phone photos.

Added bonus: I rode in Racharee's County Perfection saddle. *swoon*

* Here J referred to something she calls "bionic posting" ... which is basically posting super slow and close to the saddle (at least that is what I found worked for me). Basically I pointed Rae across the diagonal and asked for medium trot ... REALLY revved the engine but then asked her to stay up and under me. This is the beginnings of getting that really cool expressive trot. More giggling and "weee!" from me ... in my true professional manner. *sigh* I don't think I explained this very well ... but it was fun. :)

Rae was really tolerant of my rookie mistakes. She was a good challenge for me because she is nothing like Hampton. Rae has a very calm, almost lazy nature to her. Nothing bothers her and if you let her, she tends to be underpowered.

For example, for a walk-canter transition - I need maybe a Level 2 aid for Hampton to quickly strike off. For Rae, I used a Level 7 aid and her response was still a bit delayed as if she was wondering if I was serious. lol. She needed a lot of "waking up" and "rattling her cage" so to speak. I don't think I ever really animated her as much as she needed to be. Rae was also much heavier in the bridle - even in a double, than Hampton ever is. Then again, she is 10 years old and has more life experience. But she was a total blast to ride and really does try for you. She just doesn't get worried about much lol. I have to give major props to her regular riders - Sarah and Isabelle who have made this mare into something wonderful!

Oh! And having the mirrors helped me see and make an attempt to fix my annoying bad habits, too. As J did not point out all of them. :) There is only so much time in the day.

Of course I am not going to hop on Hampton tomorrow and ask him to do all of these things, but over the winter I'll start challenging him a bit more. He's ready.