4/22/01 Adamir's Second (schooling) Dressage Show
 

It's nice to have a horse that the parents don't mind handling

A very acceptable head position and bend. We've spent the week working with our dressage instructor and he's doing this consistently without locking his jaw.

Another thing we've worked on this week. Lengthening his walk. My trainer doesn't want him to think that there is only one speed (for lack of the correct word) at each gait. She had us work on two speeds at the walk and trot. Steady is wonderful, but we don't want to make more work for ourselves later when we need to start explaining the difference between working and medium and lengthening in the same gait. Plus, shortening and lengthening stride will be necessary for jumping.

I kinda missed my corners. But I hadn't worked in a ring, and was concerned about staying inside. This past week I only did ring work, at my trainer's, so I have a better feel for how close we can get, without going over...

With one week of consistent work, he's looking better than this and using his topline more. (Although, the main fault I see here is that he's braced on my hands and not stretching his neck out) He's learning that he can balance himself, even if his neck is stretched out. This will help him build up the muscles in his topline, so that he can have the strength for more advanced movements.

His reaction to the first jump on course. After he sniffed it, he calmly stepped over it. By the 8th fence, he jumped and cantered away. No real urging, just letting him figure the stuff out on his own. (Note the double mane)

The last jump on course. Well, kind of a jump, but he did canter away. We got in one jumping lesson this week, and after ground poles and building up the session, he eventually trotted into and cantered through an extremely low in and out. It took a few tries for him to sustain the canter between the two fences, (he just couldn't believe that it would work unless he broke down to a trot-figuring out where his feet were) but when he figured it out, he was straight and forward and proud of himself.

Waiting in line for the in-hand class. The judge seemed to like his conformation and movement, but not really as a dressage horse. She did say he was cute, though.