Review for Dawn #4 the plan as of our last call

The overall plan is to remain careful until August 15 to give my shoulder a chance to heal. I am feeling really ambitious though. Any way discussed with Dawn using the monthly plan rather than weekly. This will need some refining into weekly chucks to avoid being overwhelming and some items are H-homework.

August 15: send in audition tape for level 1, On Line

I copied the 7/17 notes here to comment on progress.

horse development 9
Rider 8

Talent 24, Skill 23, Try 24, LUCK 25

For Try

• The golden feeling
• Listen to what feels right to her--is she ready for a conversation
• H film her expressions
• Ride for fitness and determine what that should be
• Trot and canter quality
• H stand in my stirrups
• H friendly game in motion

As of 8/17: 

• Try and I have really been concentrating on parameters of the golden feeling. Listening to her, waiting to be sure she wants to do something and mostly being able to say yes to her. 
• Filming expression my videographer likes playing with still photos during lesson breaks and Try looks really relaxed and peaceful. 
• I haven't done all that great a job of fitness for Try this month. 
• Question for you about yeehaw vs gait quality. We have made some big strides in canter quality, simple bending cueing and I feel I am finally starting to "get" dressage instead of just being confused. 
• Done a little stand in the stirrups, and friendly game in motion causes no reaction.

For Sephira

• Listen to what feels right to her--is she ready for a conversation
• H film her expressions
• Ride for fitness and determine what that should be to achieve partnership goals
• Lenthen Trot, canter and soft feel/frame up
• H stand in my stirrups
• H friendly game in motion
• Patience but track her learning to express herself and puzzle solve, retain learning rather than react and expect micromanagement
• H ride with my eyes closed

• Dwell time, attempting to read her and being reminded by her to do so. Waiting for her to come to me before taking her out of her stall. YES
• Filming expression--I haven't done this.
• Ride for fitness better than Try but not as much as I would like for her to be gaining fitness unlike Try where the issue is more maintaining fitness level.
• Huge strides in my confidence in riding Sephira.
• NO not much progress with lengthen trot, canter and "framing" These are not my goals right now but BA's and we are on different wave lengths. I do plan to build to a normal on the rail hack soon to intersperse with "dressage" days. I am glad to do lessons with MH as I feel that she is helping me with a pre-dressage very beginning approach and looking for Sephira's happiness as we are all too aware of her burnout in the past.
• Stand in stirrups and close my eyes--yes some
• Friendly game in motion--we did this and it was confusing for Sephira as if she wondered if it was like lunging in her past. Good to put this on list for next month because she is doing so well with friendly.
• We are still not having the mental breakthrough I would like about learning. We are learning, changes are coming BUT I don't think it makes sense to Sephira.

Me

• fitness - pilates etc
• riding for safety
• golden feeling
• 5+2/affirm/mind reading
• watch videos savvy pack/dressage
• 
  
• I actually REALLY want more energy and endurance and to begin addressing my own fitness again. I have always been fit in my life and I have lost ground with the injury and my age. This is an important priority and I let so many other things come first!!!
• Riding for safety: I am almost back to my normal confidence--the next confidence hurdle--do canter laps on the big rail with Sephira. A normal basic canter hack at Rollover is 3 laps or a mile canter. 
• Golden feeling: I keep reminding myself to check for golden feeling with Sephira. It isn't as easy to keep the feeling with Sephira as with Try. My insecurities come into play and she doesn't send me the lovely warm feelings in the manner that Try does. 
• 5+2 tracking has gone well, affirmations and mind reading I have let slide recently.
• watched savvy pack games 1-3 and found them helpful also found new Scale of Training--fist video inspiring. Also felt HUGELY inspired watching FEI level riders in the sessions with Dennis Callin--I could see the progress during the session and two days and see a pathway instead of dressage just looking like some miraculous thing that naturally talented horses can do.

Question:
1. Emotional fitness and emotionally needy??