Lessons. Inspiration. Information.

Handsome horse. Nerd rider.

The schooling show was just the first of several adventures I have planned for March.

Next up - making the 3-hour drive to Indiana for a couple of lessons with my old coach at FHF. I love my coach here in KY, but there is just something about going home to the place that made you fall in love with dressage.

I came with specific requests. I need help developing the canter piros, and I need more polish on the changes.

I left with a TON of information to process. Much improved piros, changes, half steps and a handful of big lightbulb moments. I'm trying to process all I learned the past two days. So, I apologize if this is a bit scattered.

Hampton was a super star. I mean, he could not have been better. Hauled like a champ, and was butter in our lessons. Dare I say it, but the past two days he was an FEI horse. The trick is getting that Hampton in the show ring!

Want a levade lady? I can do that, too.

Canter pirouettes

•  I was coming in too hot. J had me break down the piros into different levels of canter. For example, a 3 canter is a normal working canter. a 2.25 is almost piro canter. A 2 is super collected piro canter. (I didn't ask what a 1 was. Ha). So we would start on a 20m circle. Produce a 3 canter, then 2.75, then bring it down to a 2.50, then let him back out to a 2.75 then bring him back down, in increments, until you have your piro canter, and turn. Go back out in increments, no rocket launching out.

•  From now on, it is ILLEGAL for Hampton to stop and/or change leads in the canter piros. If he stops, he is to immediately resume collected canter. NOT gallop out - because that is a reward. He cannot stop, change leads, or learn he can gallop out.
  
• In turn, I have to be quiet, soft and not surprise him (like canter, ok now collect and TURN!!). It has to be methodical, steady.
  
•  After a good canter piro, CANTER OUT. Do not immediately walk or trot to reward the horse. That is starting a bad habit. Canter out, then find a place to walk or trot or whatever.
  
• After I had control of the canter a little better, J stood in the center of my circle and said, "Ok - make a pirouette around me."  Then she held up her hand. "Advance his hid leg to my hand." .. BOOM. Pirouette. Yes, it needs to come down to be smaller but we had it.
  
•  Do thousands of diagonals with canter pirouettes placed where you want them. 

Pictured: The tall boots that make my feet go numb and left sores on the backs
of my knees. Tried to break them on some more. Now have bleeding sores.

Transitions

•  During any transition, if you do not feel like you can promptly ride back out at any time, do not do the transition.
  
• Forward and back is your friend. J encouraged me to do more transitions within the gait, as my warm up consisted mostly of trot/halts. She said it appeared it was making him more on the forehand, so I need to stay within the gait and instead do forward/back. Like, live in it. 

Half steps

Changes

•  If your horse starts to feel fragile, or trigger happy, move his body parts around. Do not accept that fragile feeling. You all know what I am talking about. When the horse says, "Oh touch me, I dare you. I'll swap leads! Or buck!! or something!". No. Move the shoulders, move the neck, put your legs on. Ride the horse, don't accept that feeling.
• Ride half pass to centerline, then straighten on the diagonal - then change. This produced LOVELY changes for us.
• Ride mini-leg yields in between tempis. This exercises was a major lightbulb. Not only did it produce expressive, clean changes, but I felt I had control. Yes, you wiggle a little on your line - but it's YOUR idea, not the horse's. As I polish this up, I will only need the idea of leg yield. Example, starting on the right lead on the diagonal: Leg yield to the right - change - leg yield left - change - rinse and repeat. 

Not from the FHF lessons but still a nice change.

Whew. So much to absorb!

We also played a bit with half steps, and general quality of his show trot.

After making it safely home, Hamps promptly grabbed some grass and rolled. He was such a good boy. Can't wait to work on this homework!

Ahhhhh nice warm KY grass!

HIS FACE. Look at it.