Gia - session 310 - in-hand work, and dressage

 Gia and I had a dressage lesson with Suzin today.  We started out with some in-hand work that we learned last time.  Basically, I'm just asking her to flex to one side or the other, and she has to learn to yield.  It was difficult for her at first, and she kept wanting to turn her body, so we moved her to stand alongside the rail to help block her from turning away.  That definitely helped!  Then she tried backing up when I asked her to flex, so I had to send her forward.  There were moments of piaffe, aka tension, but eventually, she figured it out and was walking around the ring and maintaining a flexion.  We even tried a few steps of shoulder-in in-hand.

Under saddle, Suzin had us run through a variety of exercises at walk and trot - serpentine, shoulder-in, leg yield, circles, stretching, and even some lengthenings.  Gia's lengthenings today were the best she's ever given me!  She easily and obediently reached out and lengthened her stride, and even did a few steps of Medium trot!  She inverted her neck a couple of times, but mostly was able to keep it together.  The in-hand work is definitely making a difference!

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