Passionate

As you all may know from my posts, I'm a bit passionate about Working Equitation, and since WE takes a lot of dressage, I have also been a bit passionate about my dressage lessons. September 22, last year, was the first of our regular lessons with Amanda. I think in the year, we've missed two weeks, she's done three training rides, and we have competed in three shows. I've learned to love this discipline, because discipline it is, and I am as shocked as you are at how much I like it.

A year ago, we were working mostly on rhythm and bend, riding serpentines and spiral circles. This year we are schooling leg yields at the trot from center line to the wall in 20m, half pass, trot-stop-back-trot off while maintaining shoulder in (that one is tough), and I have started wearing spurs for our arena rides. Overall, Ashke has developed the skill to move in the steep lateral leg yield the Novice B test requires, much more willing to listen to the request for a transition from my seat, better able to maintain contact while working the canter transitions, and once he figures out what we are working on, he tries so hard (the ten meter half circle to X, two straight strides, and then the leg yield to the wall went much better once he figured out what I wanted him to do. Still tough though.)

Last night, his canter and canter transitions were the best we've had. Other things I'm incorporating in our rides: backing in a circle, backing uphill (when the opportunity presents itself), backing in water (obviously a trail exercise), and consistent canter work. I think the last piece of our puzzle is getting Ashke to the point where our canter transitions do not include pinned ears and expressions of exasperation, nor should they include trotting into the transition, something he wanted to do last night. I think he doesn't feel as strong or sure in this gait (we've been working on a decent canter for five years now) and fears to fail me. I made sure to reassure him last night that he is so strong and doing so well.

Both Amanda and I were marveling at the amount of muscle my little beef cake has put on. The muscle along his topline is getting thicker and meatier every day, with heavy muscle over his withers, and behind his withers. There is muscle behind his shoulder (in front of his girth) that relates to the "sling" muscles necessary to lift up and through the withers (Amanda says "sling muscle" is not a anatomy term :) but they are the muscles around the shoulder that connects the withers together. Overall, he is much stronger and able to self carry for longer periods of time.

Hopefully, these things will help when we show in October.