Working on Our Issues

I’ve been pretty quiet on the blog front lately.  Mort and I have been working hard on being more even laterally.  He, like most horses favors a side and it is really hard for us to find ‘inside leg to outside hand’ while tracking left.  This is made even worse by that direction being my worse direction—with a left hand that doesn’t like letting go and a seat bone that prefers to hover.  As much as Mort and I have progressed in our training, I know that without getting better at this half-pass and flying changes (and everything) are going to be near impossible.  So we’ve been in boot camp for working on this issue. 

                We were getting to the point where he was relaxed in most of our work—to the point of being lazy (Mort is not a hot weather horse).  While this is great, when he’s relaxed I tend to let him be duller off of my aids.  Pretty much all of his transitions have slowed and happen a stride or two after I ask.  So while we’re working on being more even and through I’m also trying to work on him really jumping off of my aids.  I’ve got to find a balance of relaxing enough that we can enjoy each other when we’re not dressage-ing (trail rides and hacking with friends), but still alert enough that I’m not having to nag him all of the time.  Ask, tell, demand and a ton of different types of transitions. 

                With all of this going on Mort and I hadn’t had a really nice ride since the show.  We’d had good moments of course, but no ride where we were in sync and really understanding each other.  Thankfully yesterday that finally happened.  He still had some issues with pushing into the right rein and I still had issues sitting evenly on my seat, but overall it was a great ride.  He felt mainly uphill, his trot work was swinging, and I could turn him from his shoulders!  I also finally at least kept my hands really even which he clearly appreciated.  I’m sure we’re not done with the issues, but it was good to finally really see the light-bulbs going on. 

                Today the plan is to play in the field and on the trails.  We’ve been working so hard in the arena that I think we both need a break.  I’ll probably start him in the arena just enough to make him straight in the contact then go out and relax.  It’s supposed to be 80 degrees and sunny so the shade of the trails will feel great!

Enjoy some media from the show!  

Courtesy of Leah Strid Photography (http://www.dressagebarbie.com/)