Thursday, Friday, Saturday

Thursday: Lesson with Kathy

Started in the dressage ring then went to the field, leg yields, circles, contact. Then trotted away from the gate in the big field using my legs to keep Try following my focus. Then coming back to the gate using circles and serpentines when Try would attempt to take over the game. Remember--stay calm, do not use reins to circle use body weight and leg. Great exercise to repeat for emotional fitness for us both.

Friday

Did not go to the barn. Devon and BA gone to horse show and Try gets day off.

Saturday

Researched lateral dressage movements and started a study file for dressage. At the barn, groomed Try in her stall, warmed up in the ring and filmed a couple leg yields--she offered some vertical flexion and self carriage at the trot and was tracking up pretty well. Then Dawn arrived and I taught her 7 games with Try--she was able to jump right in and do them at level 3 and both Dawn and Try had a good time.

I realized that for things that can be done at a walk relatively close to each other--Try and I truly are level 4+! This is huge and I want to give myself credit for this!

All about Leg yield as of today:

Slight lateral flexion of the poll away from the direction he is traveling (defensive)

Inside legs cross in front of the outside legs

Precursor to shoulder-in and half pass.

Rider influences the inside hind leg to move sideways as it is in the air stepping forward

Inside leg connects with outside rein

Straighten with outside rein (letting up on inside leg and perhaps closing both legs to send forward)

No collecting affect

Good warm-up exercise for Try and I for now

MH

Leg yield: rhythm,  moving over, planning the distance and amount of drift etc

Moving over: think sit on hip in direction I am moving

 inside leg moves Try into outside rein.