All The Kings' Horses

 Gia and I had a lesson with Suzin this morning.  We started out with a really nice, long, relaxed stretch at the walk.  When we picked up the trot, the transition was a little sticky at first, but then she softened nicely.  We did a lot of schooling figures all over the ring to help her loosen up, become softer, and more responsive.  We also did quite a few transitions between walk and trot. Then we got into the meat of the work today - shoulder-in.  We attempted the shoulder-in MANY times, but really only got it for real a handful of times.  Eventually, when we would get a step of shoulder-in, I would ask her for canter.  Several times, instead of cantering, she would lengthen her trot.  While it was a very nice lengthening, it was not what I had asked for, so we would come back and try again.  We did a LOT of circles today, especially when she wasn't quite getting it, to help her rebalance and reorganize. On our walk breaks, she was stretching the best she ever has.  I was even

 I started my session at CDP today with some lunging in the rope halter.  Gia was actually quite lazy and nonchalant today.  We did a little trot, a little canter, took a couple of jumps, and I was ready to get on. Under saddle, we started out with stretching at the walk, then added leg yielding on circles at the walk and trot.  Gia was very relaxed and responsive today! Once we were warmed up, Charlie set up two tiny jumps for us to play over.  Every time we went over them, and Gia quickened or lost her balance, I did a circle.  Nothing too tight, but just enough to help her regain her balance without me having to pull on her.  She is such a quick learner that it didn't take her long to figure things out, and she was taking the jumps in balance more often by the end. She only ever landed on her left lead, so we did a little bit of haunches-in tracking right a few times to help her with her right lead canter.  We finished our ride with a nice, relaxing free walk.

 Gia tagged along to a schooling show that I took several students to yesterday.  We got home quite late last night, so no time to write my blog, which is why you are getting a two-fer today! I was finally able to find some shipping boots for Gia that were large enough, so she got to wear those yesterday for a test run.  They feel a little different from the ones she is used to wearing, so she over-reacted a bit in the beginning, but it only took her a few minutes to settle down. When I was finally able to work with her at the show, I pulled her off the trailer and took her to another arena to lunge her in the rope halter.  This was a show venue that we had never been to, and she was extremely distracted by all the strange things to see - a swan, a tractor, the concession stand, the big open track.  It took quite a bit of lunging before she quieted down.  I had to really work with her to get her to give me more space, since she kept trying to crowd me to look at all the things.  Once s

 Gia and I started out with some stretching at the walk.  She was fairly good with that, although she was a little "snorty", in a tense way.  I expected her to be tense and quick when we started trotting, but she actually wasn't.  I asked her for good quality transitions, and she gave them to me right from the beginning.  I tried to stay very disciplined on remembering to ask for correct transitions every time.  It's easy to overlook those things when you are focused on bigger things.   We continued our trot warm up with 10-15 meter circles, a little bit of shoulder-fore, and a little bit of lengthening.  She was fairly responsive to everything. I had a small course of gymnastic lines set up for Gia and I to play over today.  There was an X, several verticals at around 2'6", and a couple of oxers at around 2'3".  We played with each element separately, and then put everything together in a course at the end.  She was a bit quick in the beginning, but

 I had a lesson with Suzin this morning, and we started out with getting Gia to stretch at the walk.  It felt pretty good, and Suzin said it looked pretty good.  It wasn't very consistent, but at the end of the ride, it was a lot more consistent! At the trot, we worked on getting better transitions, and we were fairly successful with that.  Gia also offered a lot of stretching at the trot.  We used circles and figures to encourage more bend and push into the reins.  Gia was giving me a very nice working trot today! Suzin had us work a lot on shoulder-fore and work towards shoulder-in.  Gia would get one or two steps at a time, and then we would circle.  At one point, I was asking Gia for shoulder-fore, and I don't know if it's because she was trying to figure out what I wanted or because she was tense, but she gave me a few piaffe steps!  They felt amazing, but sadly, I couldn't enjoy them.  As Suzin correctly stated, I don't want piaffe that I haven't asked for

 I was on my own at CDP today.  I started Gia out with some lunging in the rope halter.  She was a little nervous, probably because it was a bit windy, and there was a new jump to check out.  Once we had been around the ring in each direction, and over one of the smaller jumps on the lunge line, we hung out for a few minutes near the new, scary roll top jump until Gia made friends with it. Under saddle, I worked on getting her to stretch, as well as leg yielding around the ring to keep her mind on me, and not on whatever was scaring her.  We repeated all of that at the trot as well. Once she was a little quieter, we went over the jump that we had lunged over in the beginning.  She went over it very well to the left, and cantered off nicely.  To the right, she struggled with being straight, and didn't really get her lead afterwards at all.  I asked for the right lead canter though, and it was quite nice, and she cantered for a bit longer than usual in a nice, balance frame. After ou

 I started Gia out with stretching at the walk today.  My main concentration was on keeping my hands together, keeping a connection, flexing in the stiffer direction, and then giving my hands forward when she softened.  She gave me a really nice free walk.  It wasn't terribly consistent, but it will get there. I worked on the same thing at the working trot, and then added walk/trot transitions.  She stayed together during her transitions better than she usually does. When I asked for the canter, she was fairly willing and obedient, not fussy at all, and even stayed together fairly well!  She also kept her canter a lot longer than she usually does.  She was a bit rushy in her trot after the down transitions, so I used small circles to help get her back together. We finished our ride with a really good stretchy trot, maybe the best one she's ever given me!  It wasn't consistent, but there were a lot of good moments.  Not a bad way to start a Monday!

 Today was definitely a crappy weather day, but I was determined to get some jumping in with Gia.  It's been a while since we have really had a chance to go over something substantial. I fitted her with a quarter sheet (mostly to help me stay warm).  She was a little nervous about it at first, but eventually forgot all about it. I started out with a connection at the walk, and I asked her to move off my right leg and into my left rein more.  I also asked her to flex, mostly to the right, but a little to the left.  When she was straighter and softer, she gave me a really nice stretch at the walk. Then I asked her for similar work at the trot.  She felt nicely forward today (possibly helped by the quarter sheet).  It made it a lot easier to get her into the shape I wanted. Once she was warmed up, I started her over a large X, and then progressed to some taller verticals and oxers.  A couple of the jumps had a block for filler and one had a barrel.  She was a little awkward over the j

 It's been a few weeks since Gia and I have had a dressage lesson with Suzin, thanks to all the crappy weather.  We were finally able to get one in today though. We started with a bit of stretching at the walk.  When I was ready to pick her up for a working walk, Suzin had me flex her in one direction, then, when she would release, I would shorten the reins.  Then I repeated the same thing on the other side.  I did that inch by inch until the reins were an appropriate length for a working walk. At the working walk, I did a bit of work on flexing and then giving, until Gia was softer to the contact and not inverted.  Then I worked on asking for a better trot transition.  Before each transition, I flexed to the inside until she was softer and not inverted, then I tried to maintain that feel while asking her to move into the trot.  It took a few tries,  but she was getting it better, by the end.   At the trot, I continued to ask her to flex when she wanted to invert.  I was also const

 Gia had a session with Cameron today at CDP.  After watching her jog, and scanning her body, he found that she was in pretty good shape!  She still has a couple of trigger spots on her lower lumbar region on either side, so we need to continue with her mini massages in those areas.  He adjusted her all over chiropractically, and spent some extra time in her poll and neck areas where she seemed a bit stiffer.  All in all, he said she looks fantastic!

 The weather and the arena footing finally cooperated today, so I was able to get a good ride in on Gia.  I started out with a lot of stretching at the walk.  She was a little reluctant, and maybe a little stiff, at first, but eventually gave me a really good, reaching stretch. I knew our transitions were not going to be very good, since it had been a while.  So, I started the trot work by focusing on the transitions.  We did one of my favorite exercises - 5 walk/5 trot.  Basically, I walk for five steps, and then trot for five steps, and then back to the walk for five steps, and repeat.  There are a lot of benefits to this exercise, but I chose it for Gia today to help her loosen up, and to work on her obedience.  It took her a while to "get it".  She was a bit tense and resistant, and she often thought about cantering.  I added some work on flexing left and right during the transitions, and I did everything on a large figure eight.  By the end of our ride, she was a little

 What do you do when the ground is too frozen to ride?  You get creative and work on other stuff like desensitization.  Today's game was "barrel chase"! I can't remember if I've ever tried clicker training with Gia before, but I used it today to help desensitize her to a barrel rolling around the arena in the wind.   I started out just asking her to "touch" the barrel with her muzzle while it was upright and still.  Every time she touched it, I would "click" and then immediately give her a treat.  I did that with her several times upright, and then laid the barrel down on it's side and repeated the touch exercise several times like that.  She was a little confused why she couldn't just take the treat from me first, but eventually seemed to get the idea that she had to touch the barrel before she would get the treat. Next, Danielle started rolling the barrel around the arena, while I led Gia in a game of "chase" to try to "

 I took Gia down to CDP today to work with Charlie.  I forgot to bring my jump saddle, so we stuck with flat work for today.  Not necessarily a bad thing, especially since she had a few extra days off last week. I started out with a little lunging in the rope halter.  It was very windy, so I expected more dramatics, but she was actually rather quiet.   Under saddle, she was also very quiet.  I started out with a lot of leg yielding and circles to get and keep her attention.  Within minutes, she was giving me a decent stretch at the walk.  I repeated everything at the trot, and she was fairly quiet and stretchy there as well.  I asked for a few lengthenings, and she responded nicely! I finished with a little bit of canter in each direction.  I did feel a little kick out a couple of times, but she got her correct leads, and stayed fairly balanced in her canter.  She did feel like she had a bit more energy at the canter, but I was able to contain it.

 Gia's leg was completely back to normal today, so back to work we go! I started out lunging her in the rope halter.  Since she had several light days, and then several days off, I wanted to make sure she wasn't going to act up.  I had her trot and canter on the lunge.  She was obedient, but a little lazy. Under saddle, we started out with a nice stretch at the walk.  It wasn't quite as stretchy as we had been getting last week, but it was good enough. At the trot, I worked on getting her to stretch, as well as getting her to stay straight.  We did a lot of leg yields, circles, and changes of direction.  I decided one trot set was enough for today since she had a very light week last week.   The stretch she gave me after our trot set was fantastic!  We also worked on transitions between medium walk and free walk today, and those were better than last time.  She was quicker to make the transition into the true gait.  Definitely a great start back after a short break!