Dennis Callin weekend

News: Dennis Callin weekend--Very positive and supportive for the riders with a lot of consideration for the horses' physically and emotionally. The riders all very pleased. Everyone saw big changes in horses--basically from using exercises we all do every day?? Even though it was incredible to see what Sephira could do AND he pushed me to canter Try on contact and get beyond a fear, this is not what I want to be doing. I truly have no interest in competition at all and happy to learn some dressage at a very leisurely pace with Sephira and possibly even more leisurely with Try. Photos at the end.

A few highlights:

1. Bethanna (BA) rode Sephira day 1--BA has no dressage background whatsoever--hunter--and of course Sephira hasn't been a dressage horse for years--ridden as hunter if ridden at all. In the 20 minute session of serpentines, leg yield, counter canter etc, she rounded up--gorgeous (brief) leg yields, shoulder in, haunches in, 1/2 pass, flying changes. Dennis said 4th level. I thought the session went 4-5 minutes too long and that Sephira was really tired at the end.

2. Day 2--I rode Try, instead of Bethanna riding Sephira again as planned, BA and I both thought better to give Sephira a rest (bute both days). Dennis had me riding Try with contact at the canter and counter canter. Try and I have never played with counter canter before and there is no reason not to--she was great. I was amazed--I told him I wasn't ready for contact at the canter and he said do it anyway. Try was therefor using her HQ and I was actually able to sit her canter in that saddle while doing patterns etc--big step for me. I watched the video--her trot wasn't as powerful and relaxed as it has been lately. I think Try was sufficiently challenged in the session and she was very focused etc--not leaving time to think much about not wanting to do it. I won't ride Try this way often BUT it is time to reconsider some of the ways I have been telling myself I can't do things. I want to play with the trot on my own and video.

3. Another highlight (among many)--Bethanna rode her show hunter show horse Devon.  I had the opportunity to ride Devon--as hunter--not jumping-- for 4-5 months last year twice a week and had a couple wow dressage lessons riding him. He took to the dressage like crazy--confident, sure, responding. Dennis said Bethanna could show him 4th level right now. (Bethanna no such plans--and said absolutely not 4th level BUT said she could really see building some of the dressage training into his training/maintaining regimen.)

Pictures taken by Kathy Glielmi from Day 1

Day two: Try and I

Preparation--emotional fitness: I was nervous about doing this and planned emotional fitness goals, used affirmations and breathing/meditation at home in the morning. I groomed Try early and we both felt edgy. I had sent her messages in advance that we needed to do this to give Sephira a break. When we got to the ring for the lesson I did a few things on the ground to get more mental connection and then in the warmup just walked and played with things to get us on the same page and relaxed.

We started the session with Dennis asking me to pick up the reins and round her up. She wasn't ready so I asked to go back and trot a while asking for stretching. That worked and we did fairly well with it tho in and out during the session. Fairly quickly he asked us to canter--I told him I don't canter with connection with the reins and he said go ahead and do it anyway. And it was ok, Try was using her HQ and I was able to canter with her in that saddle with contact for the first time ever. I doubt Try loved it LOL but she went along with it. He challenged us with counter canter--a first for us and actually not difficult.

We did
Serpentines--bending and maintaining frame and not falling in
lots of transitions--gait and direction change rein on the 1/2 diagonal and riding a large circle
Leg yields or perhaps drifts?? complimented on those. Lengthening the trot--didn't focus on it.
Early on canter on the circle and then the rail both directions. Finished with challege of counter canter.

Fears
1. Being able to sit Try's canter in the wintec saddle--with or without contact.
2. I can only ride an LBI or Try and be safe.

Try 5 things that were great and 2 priorities
1. we cantered in the wintec saddle
2. counter canter
3. great feeling in the serpentines
4. I enjoyed Try's try and going-along-with-it attitude
5. stretching and vertical flexion at the trot really worked

1. counter canter just for fun
2. more warmup and not be afraid of Try's power
3. play with loose rhythm relaxed big trot
ooops that's 3 not 2

Thoughts after several days: I am pleased that I can feel more confident about the canter. I still feel it is premature to be cantering with contact and asking Try to come up thru topline. I feel we are at the stage of feeling good about peppering in soft feel at the trot and walk and feeling great about ourselves.

I am pleased that I see I can banish whatever fears upon consideration and go ahead in learning.

Try: I want to take my dressage learning very slowly, building our learning, confidence, physicality and joy of movement.
Sephira: I want to take my dressage learning very slowly, building our learning, confidence, physicality and joy of movement. Just because she knows it, doesn't mean either or us want to push ourselves to do it.