GREAT dressage day!

Of course since I had my lesson in the indoor today... it was NOT raining and the sun was trying to come out. Hee hee... But once we got home it started raining again. But that's okay. It was a most excellent day! I finally got back on Tuesdays with Peri and we enjoyed our chick-fil-a and Mexican routine. It was good to chat with her again and to see her ride. Her and Sunny looked GREAT!!! 

And Fleck brought his A game today. We started off with some walk work and Cindy pointed out that he needed to be marching and on the bit and through. I needed to think about his back oscillating! And his neck swinging evenly, not sideways because of me see-sawing. That oscillating back is what is going to keep him sound for longer. I needed to use more seat and leg and less hand. But it's hard... because Fleck is lazy at the walk and gets behind my leg and when I use my leg I feel like I"m nagging and doing too much. But he got better and Peri suggested using a whip to tickle his hind legs to get him marching. 

Then we moved onto the trot. Again, BIG swingy trot from the get go. My start box trot... so to speak. :) Cindy wanted me to think about sitting and feeling the motion just a split second longer on the down part of my sit. Peri recommended thinking of jumping on a trampoline. How you want to bounce up at the right time. Rather than pushing down on Fleck's back at the wrong time. And we had two REALLY good ten meter circles. And you know why?! Because I turned my shoulders. And maintained the outside shoulder. It was great. And he was really really really getting straight in his shoulders!!! FINALLY I'm getting a straight horse! And because he's straight, I'm able to get him in both reins. And keep him in both reins! YAY!!!! It's awesome!! Then Stephanie put a fence in the ring and while she was moving it out there we worked on leg yields... Fleck was excited about the jump so I leg yielded him over the pole and he was so happy. Then once it was up to a real jump.. his back came up and he got excited. It was great!

So then onto the canter. We worked on the canter loop. And wowza!!!! Fleck's canter was awesome!!! He was rocked back "onto his spots" and slow! For us at least. ;) I was able to ride the rhythm with my seat and thighs and keep him balanced, slow, and upright through the counter canter parts and then able to keep him from rushing back on true canter. BUT... I had to keep my seat moving. A few times I relaxed and didn't "ride" as much so he broke to the trot. I really have to keep my seat cantering. He's getting so responsive to it. Then we did a spiral in and that was so hard for Fleck, so I REALLY had to keep my seat cantering. And I went back to feeling like my seat was cantering up and down (like a trampoline!) and Fleck sat and cantered the spiral in. I felt like I was doing too much but Peri said it didn't look like it and it obviously required that much to keep Fleck cantering. Then Cindy had us do a canter on the circle, then walk, then counter canter on the circle, then walk, then canter, then walk. It was hard, but we managed it. 

So yep.. super fun ride. Fleck really really felt good!!! Oh, and after the serpentine work, we had an awesome trot! He's finally getting straight and correct and I'm riding better and thinking and.. it's awesome!!!