Skoolin.

Thank you everyone for the suggestions and support on the whole rein-lameness deal. I have been bouncing ideas off my friend at the barn, and we seem to be figuring things out. It's so great to have a ground person!

Anyway, I believe the rein lameness originated because Hampton was not totally through in the half halts. It was made worse when I started teaching him passage and would half halt him UP way too much. He started to lift his neck, yes, but would back off the half halts and ping pong off the contact. It's not his fault, he just isn't strong and loses his balance a lot. So because of this, he developed this "hip hop" move when he thinks I want passage (because he isn't strong enough to push evenly off both hinds yet).

In addition, his right hind leg is weaker so when that leg has to take the weight (like in right shoulder-in, and left half pass especially), he evades using this little hip hop move and then I try to half halt, and then it turns into this cycle because he interprets the halt halts as "Oh, you want passage! I hip hop for you!" and then his loses his balance and... and .... rein lame.

But our flying changes are SUPER these days! Jesus I thought I'd never see the day. Check out this one (it's at the very end of this schooling clip):

So basically I have been riding him SUPER even in both reins lately. And keeping him straight, and through. I have to really be sure that the half halt is backed up by lots of LEG. He is not allowed to back off the half halt anymore. Forget about passage. It's in there, he needs some basics reinstalled.

Twinkle toes McGee

Funny thing, is that today I did all the lateral work on a circle and he was 100% even and sound. But the rein lameness came back when I tried to go down the rail.

Gosh he could almost pass for an FEI horse here!

I think this is a developmental phase, and we need to work through it. He has moments where he looks like an FEI horse. But he is still very much a Third Level horse in progress. He needs much more strength, balance and suppleness. The movements are not the problem. He knows everything through 4th level easily!

Hampton can be so tricky because he can range from totally behind your leg, to SO HOT to your leg that you feel he will explode if you put your leg on. He needs to accept the leg always, and then the contact is right there. I also touched him with the whip on his right hind today to ask him to please step under and he bucked and bolted on me. Really not acceptable, and I got on his case about that and then he was fine about it. But it just goes to show he has to accept the aids always. I need to constantly check my aids and make sure he is listening and obedient. He is so smart that he has trained me to avoid things at times. I need to outsmart my horse. It's more difficult than it sounds with Hampton. haha!

People are not kidding when they say dressage is all about the basics. Then the movements come easy!

I'm loving his muscles these days.

Since bloggers love progress shots, here's one of Hampton as a raw young horse. He is proof that dressage can totally change a horse, in my opinion.

And here is a photo from 2013 - our Second Level debut. Gosh we have both changed so much in just 2 years even!

oh lord.

For shits and giggles here is a groovy slo-mo trot video. He has moments where he sometimes will lose his balance in his big trot. Totally ok. It truly takes a lot of strength and balance to maintain this type of trot. He sure does try though!

We still sometimes play with some half steps, too. It's really great for loosening up his back, activating his hind end and encouraging him to lower his croup. Plus he gets quite uphill without me having to do much of anything. We still need to be much more on the spot for it to be piaffe, but it's coming along.

Plans for this month include a small little schooling show and hopefully a long trail ride or two! Other than that we will just keep doing what we do.