Dressage Club

Our first Dressage Club rally of the year is done, and Henry and I had such a great lesson! I had my usual coach for our session, so we followed on from what we had done in our jumping lesson just a few days prior.

I have no relevant media so enjoy some random recent happenings instead!

I hadn't had a chance to ride Henry between my lessons, it was too hot so he came out feeling fresh, but these days it just makes him sharper rather than naughty, and I can use sharp to my advantage. 

We worked on first getting him working over the back, and I really need to get him really deep and round, even slightly over bent to keep him lifting and working over his back. Since it's something we have been really focussing on recently, it only took a few minutes to get him where we wanted hm and then we could move onto the real substance of the lesson, leg yielding.

Henry and a hopeful chicken

Bec had set up her box exercise, but we used it in a very different way to what we have in the past. This time we leg yielded from the 1/4 line to the 3/4 line, did a 12m circle in the box, then leg yielded in the opposite direction. Ot was tricky because it was tight for space so Henry needed to be on the aides. It took a few repetitions but we got it done. Henry was not as on the aides leg yielding t the left as he was to the right which fits in with what we already know about his preferences. 

From our last test

Once we got the leg yields smooth, we went into canter. Bec wanted to work on counter canter, but first we had to have a good transition into canter. 

We did a couple of leg yields into canter and once it was smooth and prompt, we did some shallow 10m counter canter loops. That was easy, so then we rode a 20m counter canter circle. That was harder, and henry kept coming above the bit and bracing when he needed to stay soft over the back. When he does that, I want to shorten my reins and also get tight, but instead I made my reins longer and rode with ,my legs exactly like I had in my jumping lesson and suddenly he was soft again!

Coolie begging

The biggest takeaway from the lesson is that Henry needs to warm up stretching into the bridle, and that I need longer reins. Not long, no contact reins, but longer than I would like reins that allow him to reach into the contact. Noted!

Her favourite activity