25th February 2008

I haven't ridden over the weekend because of being so busy and was a bit worried about riding Endy today as I thought he might be a bit fresh but all in all he was quite good and we worked very hard.

I found a classical dressage site on the internet written by Roger and Eleanor Taylor and after reading that I found that I learnt a lot. I learned the reasons for doing some of the things I do. Although I know they are good to do I didn't appreciate why. For instance Leg Yielding. I thought that the reason I am doing some leg yields is just to teach Endy to step across and to change to the outside track but after reading the site I realise that it is to teach the horse to listen to the leg so that you can ride corners better. Call me stupid but this just never occurred to me.

Today I spent my time in the sand school and we did lots of up and down transitions using light leg aids and very light contact with the bit. We did lots of circles and figures of eight. Occasionally I would just let him trot as fast as he wanted on the buckle end of the reins and let him stretch. By the end he was really stretching his neck down, probably not as well as he could but he is definately starting to do it.
He is still falling in on the corners through his shoulder so it feels like riding a motorbike around them. I couldnt use the whole school because there was a lesson going on in there but I tried to do a 5metre circle in the odd corner at a walk and then slightly bigger at the trot. I still cannot get any contact without him immediately raising his head so what I tried to do today is to shorten and lengthen my reins without really touching his mouth. Before as soon as he felt me adjusting the rein length he would raise his head but now he pretty well ignores it until I actually make the contact.

We did a bit of leg yielding but I couldnt keep the forward movement going in trot on the left rein and he kept going back to walk. On the right rein he is fine. I reckon this is something to do with my seat blocking him so I am going to work on that.

Mike arrived towards the end and was watching me and he commented on how much better my leg position is and that I seem to be finding it more natural now to keep it on the girth. I dont have to struggle to keep it forward. My right leg is better than my left though.

At the end we popped over a cross pole for a bit of fun and he was fine.

I am really enjoying this horse and feel that I am definately improving, slowly but surely.