Dressage lesson with Sandy

Man.... that was rough! I definitely let some bad habits creep back in. Or maybe I just haven't been working quite as hard again at fixing them. But it wasn't HORRIBLE.... I don't think. ;) We got some good work. 
Things I need to remember:

• turn my thumbs up, especially on the left hand
• try to keep my elbows at my sides - like I'm holding rolled up newspapers under my arm, but not in a tense rigid way
• don't roll or tense my shoulders, keep my chest open
• sit on my butt, not perched, but don't let my legs clench
• long legs, opening up in the front of my thighs, letting them stretch
• legs long with my heels out almost, so my inner leg is on Fleck (not toes out, heel gouging him)
• sit on my butt and make him sit on his butt
• ride the walk/trot/canter I want, not what I have
• really think about weighting my inside leg and seatbone. I tend to get shifted to the outside
• bend my body how I want him to bend. My shoulders should be slightly rotated - the inside one back and the outside one forward and my pelvis should be slightly shifted in
• Hang my elbows at my side - the weight should be in my elbows, not in my hands or my shoulders
• keep my fingers closed around the reins, not a fist, but almost. 

And I'm sure there are a ton more, but for now, that's all my brain can remember. It was a good lesson. Lots of hard work and both Fleck and I were so sweaty we were dripping and you could wring us out! But it was good. It's nice to get back in gear. Frustrating, but nice. 

No pictures as we looked like drowned exhausted rats ;)