'allo 'allo,

Thursday's riding lesson was not quite the victory march that the last one led us to believe we were on..For one thing it was pouring rain, and Annie had rolled in the mud so even saddling became a challenge!

 

When we had arrived, fairly demudded, we were starting on the ground (as usual). This time Davalee wanted to see where we were with our liberty. Oops- have not practiced liberty since all this focus work with "titta hit" started several weeks ago! But we actually saw improvements at liberty as well.

 

Things to take home though: when Annie defocuses and starts drifting away. Do NOT drift with her! Give the aid- usually stepping towards her hip to increase bend and try to get head back-and give her time to make the decision to either come back -or alternatively to leave...if she leaves we deal with that, but if she comes back its a win! And ideally to catch the thought of leaving as the ear or eye leaves BEFORE he body leaves....Back up (i.e. follow me aid) is my right move to catch her focus back. NOT to drift with which is my tendency...

 

Under saddle we started the DIFFICULT task of working towards collection. I.e. the frame becoming higher and shorter. I felt like the lope transitions we started on last week was not working for us, but were more anxiety creating rather than helping towards collection. So today we backed the band a little and tried to teach this process in a 101 way rather than jumping to 201...To help Davalee placed two sets of two poles at 90 degrees to eachother at each corner. I.e. making a corner. The idea is to start in working jog (framed and no rush). By the start of the first pole start collecting by rein (small small takes on alternate reins in rhythm with each step, while seat stays engaged but not TOO far back in a driving position which I tend to) and then do a "corner" (almost like a 90 degree turn on the forehand) in the corner, keep massaging reins and transit to walk by the other pole. By the next set of poles start rein massage and clear seat aid (without falling forward) and transit up to jog again. 

 

The idea is to get this first in the jog, and then start working on the same thing at the lope. But it will be a while in jog I suspect because that was a LOT of little things that need to happen in a very short span of a few steps! But perhaps I can think of it as a half-halt happening over a few steps?

 

Now, practice would have been facilitated if Annie had not come up lame yesterday (Saturday) when all this was supposed to happen at home. Fortunately she is already better today so hopefully we can get this at least improved until the next time at Davalees...

Inshallah!

Yours truly/B