Keep on truckin'

Porkchop and I have been working 5 days a week on our Dressage Skillz.

Three of those days I focus on suppleness - keeping him loose and swingy, working on bend and perhaps throwing in some lateral work.

Some lovely hacking out in a back field today while the weather
was still warm.

Two days I really focus on AMPING UP THE HAMPER. This of course has increased his spook factor, but so be it. It hasn't gotten out of hand (yet) and actually at times helps me keep his poll up. Ha, take that horse. His passage has gotten so much stronger and more consistent. Now I can start to use it and dial it back out to a "show trot" that we can take to the show ring. It's still a work in progress but we are playing with it. I've also started to really focus on the canter pirouettes. This is a brand new movement to me, so they are not perfect. Or even that good, really. But thankfully this is one thing that Hampton is VERY good at. If I can learn the timing and the aids, I know this will be one of our highlights. I'm pretty sure we will have decent piros by spring.

(I promise to get video of passage soon!)

Example of what our faces look like when attempting PSG canter zig zag.
Good grief.

I spend a lot of time doing forward and back. Like, a lot of time. Sounds boring, but when you start to feel the results it is suddenly not so boring. I also focus on transitions especially in the lateral work. For example, trot leg yield across the ring - around X slow down to a jog-trot (still leg yielding) - and then go forward again and keep leg yielding. Leg yield to ranvers is also super beneficial to Hampton - especially the right ranvers.

The flying changes are better and better - although I still deal with a lot of anticipating by Porkchop. He is just very smart and thinks he is helping. So I do a lot of "changing my mind" and keeping counter canter, or just changing direction, turning, something to keep him listening to me and not changing when he is anticipating. Canter leg yields are our best friend. That exercise has helped me more this year than anything else. If you have a horse with a tight back and tight hips - this exercise is for you. Do it. I love you, canter leg yields.

Looking pretty fit.

Things are coming along. Just in time for winter. ha.

But the good news is that we now have an indoor, although small. Plus an aquatread AND a theraplate at the barn to help keep Hampers fit and loose.

So we will keep on truckin.'

Pretty much.