Gia - session 230 - collecting and lengthening

 In my lesson with Suzin today, I started by stretching Gia down at the walk and trot.  We also worked a little on making walk/trot transitions while maintaining the stretch.  Everything is, of course, a work in progress, but we are slowly getting there.  

Gia was a bit tense at first today because there were a lot of distractions outside the arena.  (It would have been a great day to practice the lunging routine from yesterday, but I was running a bit late as it was).  As we traveled around the arena with circles and changes of direction and leg yields, Gia gradually started to relax and focus more on me than what was going on outside.  

After she was warmed up and more relaxed, Suzin had us work on finding, and maintaining, a more correct working frame at the walk, but especially, at the trot.  Gia had a lot of really nice moments!  She is definitely not consistent yet, but that will come with time and practice, and as she learns what my leg and hand cues are asking her to do.  I have to make sure to be very clear with what I want, and to release as soon as I get it, and to work on cutting out any excessive movement, or "white noise" that distracts her from the clear cue I am trying to give.  

Suzin also had us work on some lengthening and collecting at the trot.  It took a bit of work to get Gia to understand what I wanted, but once she understood, she surprised me with some REALLY nice moments!  Again, she is definitely not consistent, the moments only last a second or two, but with time and practice, the tiny moments we have now will start to add up.

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